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Polygamy in Islam
Polygamy is the Muslim practice most frequently and severely maligned by Westerners and modernist Muslims. This book can be read with profit by all unprejudiced readers who wish to know its justification and rationale.
One of the greatest contrasts between Islam and the West is their conflicting concepts of relations between the sexes. Indeed, the very first question a Muslim convert is confronted with by an American or European is ‘Why does Islam allow four wives?’ This book replies straightforwardly to that question and much more.
The authors describe all the most important characteristics of marriage in Islam, pointing out that the Western notions of sex equality and romantic premarital ‘love’ are not necessary in Islamic marriage based on piety and the commitment on the part of both parents to win the pleasure of Almighty Allah.
This book contains basic guides for anyone interested in understanding the rights and obligations of males and females in Islamic plural marriage. The guidelines have been drawn from the Quran, Hadith and opinions of Islamic scholars.
One of the greatest contrasts between Islam and the West is their conflicting concepts of relations between the sexes. Indeed, the very first question a Muslim convert is confronted with by an American or European is ‘Why does Islam allow four wives?’ This book replies straightforwardly to that question and much more.
The authors describe all the most important characteristics of marriage in Islam, pointing out that the Western notions of sex equality and romantic premarital ‘love’ are not necessary in Islamic marriage based on piety and the commitment on the part of both parents to win the pleasure of Almighty Allah.
This book contains basic guides for anyone interested in understanding the rights and obligations of males and females in Islamic plural marriage. The guidelines have been drawn from the Quran, Hadith and opinions of Islamic scholars.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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About the author
Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips
93 books295 followersAbu Ameenah Bilal Philips was born in Jamaica, but grew up in Canada where he accepted Islam in 1972. He completed a diploma in Arabic and a B.A. from the College of Theology (Usool-ud-Deen) at the Islamic University of Madeenah in 1979. At the University of Riyadh, College of Education, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology in 1985 and in the department of Islamic Studies at the University of Wales, U.K. he also completed a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology in 1994. He taught Islamic Education and Arabic in private schools in Riyadh for over ten years and for the past three year he has been lecturing M.Ed. students in the Islamic Studies department of Shariff Kabunsuan Islamic University in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines. Since 1994 he has founded and directed The Islamic Information Center in Dubai, U.A.E. and the Department of Foreign Languages at Dar al Fatah Islamic Press in Sharjah, U.A.E. ' to 'Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips was born in Kingston, Jamaica, but grew up in Canada where he accepted Islam in 1972. He completed a diploma in Arabic and a B.A. from the College of Theology (Usool-ud-Deen) at the Islamic University of Madeenah in 1979. At the University of Riyadh, College of Education, he completed a M.A. in Islamic Theology in 1985 and in the department of Islamic Studies at the University of Wales, U.K. he also completed a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology in 1994. He taught Islamic Education and Arabic in private schools in Riyadh for over ten years and for the past three years he has been lecturing M.Ed. students in the Islamic Studies department of Shariff Kabunsuan Islamic University in Cotabato City, Mindanao, Philippines. Since 1994 he has founded and directed The Islamic Information Center in Dubai, U.A.E. and the Department of Foreign Languages at Dar al Fatah Islamic Press in Sharjah, U.A.E.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 29, 2021
"Polygamy in Islaam" by Bilal Philips and Jameela Jones is perhaps one of the oldest/original books about Islamic polygamy in English... and is pretty terrible tbh.
The first 3/4 of the book is riddled with absolute nonsense: the usual pitting of "the West" and "Western women" against "Islam" and "Muslims" - claiming that monogamy protects men and gives them an excuse to cheat; that Western women are sexually harassed (as if the Muslim world isn't rife with it!); that homosexuality means that there aren't enough men to go around for women (lmao - men are not the only kind of gay people there are!).
And of course, the regular Muslim rubbish about how women's menstrual cycles render us fragile and weak and incapable of anything but raising our children (which apparently are to be entrusted with even though we're so irrational and to be distrusted... weird); and that "true Muslim women" won't have a problem with polygamy (totally ignoring the fact that one of THE GREATEST WOMEN OF ALL TIME, Fatimah (ra), had a problem with polygamy).
The rest of it is mediocre - a general outline of Islamic rules about polygamy, but unfortunately without citing any scholars or quoting scholarly works.
The only saving grace was the last few page where clearly the female co-author desperately tried to salvage what was left of the manuscript.
All this book did was remind me that I need to write a polygamy in Islam book of my own, because this sucks and should never be used as a reference.
Fun fact: Bilal Philips is known to be a serial polygamist, with ex-wives in the double digits (and no, they're not all "amicable"), so if he's ever in your side of town, DON'T EVER MARRY HIM OR LET ANYONE MARRY HIM.
0.5/5 🌟
The first 3/4 of the book is riddled with absolute nonsense: the usual pitting of "the West" and "Western women" against "Islam" and "Muslims" - claiming that monogamy protects men and gives them an excuse to cheat; that Western women are sexually harassed (as if the Muslim world isn't rife with it!); that homosexuality means that there aren't enough men to go around for women (lmao - men are not the only kind of gay people there are!).
And of course, the regular Muslim rubbish about how women's menstrual cycles render us fragile and weak and incapable of anything but raising our children (which apparently are to be entrusted with even though we're so irrational and to be distrusted... weird); and that "true Muslim women" won't have a problem with polygamy (totally ignoring the fact that one of THE GREATEST WOMEN OF ALL TIME, Fatimah (ra), had a problem with polygamy).
The rest of it is mediocre - a general outline of Islamic rules about polygamy, but unfortunately without citing any scholars or quoting scholarly works.
The only saving grace was the last few page where clearly the female co-author desperately tried to salvage what was left of the manuscript.
All this book did was remind me that I need to write a polygamy in Islam book of my own, because this sucks and should never be used as a reference.
Fun fact: Bilal Philips is known to be a serial polygamist, with ex-wives in the double digits (and no, they're not all "amicable"), so if he's ever in your side of town, DON'T EVER MARRY HIM OR LET ANYONE MARRY HIM.
0.5/5 🌟
March 12, 2017
Concerning its style, the book is well-written, summing up everything in a clear simple way. Yet, when it comes to ideas, and to polygamy itself, I find it provocative, and it disgusts the shit out of me. I am even more frustrated and angry at the concept than I have been before reading the book. DO RELIGIONS HAVE ANY, I MEAN ANYYYY CONSIDERATION FOR WOMEN AND THEIR FEELINGS? Besides, it's so contradictory! I dislike polygamy and the way it's seen, but the book is good, the book explains it explicitly in a clear swift direct way.
February 18, 2012
Good information in a small package that is easy to digest. For all the misconceptions about Islam, it's amazing how many of these small books are available (I got this one for free at a book fair). Yet it seems Islam's critics don't bother to read them. On the other hand... reading them is one thing. Understanding the reasoning/interpretation is quite another.
May 15, 2015
There are many misconceptions that people have regarding polygyny in Islam, especially in the Muslim community itself. This book is a frank discussion explaining the wisdom, benefits and Fiqh of polygyny with evidence and clear logic.
December 8, 2015
I do not believe in polygamy in any religion. I did not realize that Muslims can have 4 wives and love has nothing to do it at all. It upsets me these women have no rights.
November 20, 2021
Laughable tract.
May 3, 2022
A sound and light overview of Islam’s allowance of Polygamy and the justification for it. The Quran and hadith are invoked repeatedly as evidences but I would’ve liked additional sources for the trends observed in modernity. Also, opinions of Islamic scholars is rarely given.
Garnering additional wives is no joke and there is a substantial amount of responsibility on the husband to fulfil his rights. A duty that no man today can likely bear.
Note this book was published in 1985.
Garnering additional wives is no joke and there is a substantial amount of responsibility on the husband to fulfil his rights. A duty that no man today can likely bear.
Note this book was published in 1985.
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January 20, 2020Reasons why to get polygamy?
March 9, 2024
Aside from the valid rulings, it seemed that the commentary was really about ridiculing women and their feelings. Nothing about it was kind. The author wrote this book for men, almost portraying men as the main character of life and women as some “emotional, fragile, and weak” side things - using ridiculous arguments to justify why men can do as they please (yes, men being natural cheaters and women being irrational menstrual beings included).
Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly believe that polygyny is permissible, putting the anti-polygyny clause aside, and part of God’s Divine wisdom. All I wanted was to get a glimpse of the humanistic aspect of it, an honest commentary on a misunderstood practice even within the Muslim community without trying to pin us against the “West”, taking account the real emotions that are as valid as it can be and how you can still maintain the Sakeena (comfort), Muwaddah (compassion) and Rahma (mercy) between a couple outside of a monogamous marriage. Instead, any hint of pushback seems to portray her as a “lacking” Muslim woman ignoring the fact that Fatima didn’t want Ali to marry another woman, and the Prophet pbuh then forbade Ali to marry because it would hurt Fatima’s feelings.
My goal really was to try and understand how to navigate through such a controversial topic that is part of the Islamic marriage system. Instead, the author sprinkled some bull* and made this piece unnerving to say the least.
Don’t get me wrong, I wholeheartedly believe that polygyny is permissible, putting the anti-polygyny clause aside, and part of God’s Divine wisdom. All I wanted was to get a glimpse of the humanistic aspect of it, an honest commentary on a misunderstood practice even within the Muslim community without trying to pin us against the “West”, taking account the real emotions that are as valid as it can be and how you can still maintain the Sakeena (comfort), Muwaddah (compassion) and Rahma (mercy) between a couple outside of a monogamous marriage. Instead, any hint of pushback seems to portray her as a “lacking” Muslim woman ignoring the fact that Fatima didn’t want Ali to marry another woman, and the Prophet pbuh then forbade Ali to marry because it would hurt Fatima’s feelings.
My goal really was to try and understand how to navigate through such a controversial topic that is part of the Islamic marriage system. Instead, the author sprinkled some bull* and made this piece unnerving to say the least.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews