NationStates Jolt Archive

For quite a while, several years at least, I've been going around touting a story (and its lesson) as fact within Islam. I have since forgotten where exactly I heard this story, but I remember that at the time I considered my source to be credible and accurate. However, I'm pretty sure that the person I heard it from did not follow Islam and, when I hear some of the 'facts' that people spout about Judaism, I'm beginning to wonder if I haven't actually been spreading incorrect information. As a person who prides himself on his knowledge of other religions and cultures I just want to make sure that I'm on the ball here.

The story (and its resulting lesson) relates to Islams rules on marriage. A man, wishing to convert to Islam, has many, many wives and wants to know what he should do with them. Should he divorce them all and start over? Should he divorce all but the oldest wife, because she was the only one who married him when he was actually available? Should he divorce all but the newest, since she's the only one whose vows haven't been supplanted by somebody elses's? Should he keep them all?

The answer that the man receives: Divorce all but four. I'm not sure of the exact reasoning, I assume they were the only four women who were actually his wives (There's more to marriage than simply saying 'I do'). This story is the source of the commonly held incorrect belief that Islam allows the men to marry up to four women. However, this is the exception and not the rule, this judgement only being reached because he was joining Islam with multiple spouses. The actual official Islam ruling is one spouse period. Each man gets one wife, each woman gets one husband.

Is this the correct story (and lesson), or was my source way off base (with me following suit).

mmmh. i think they're about as normal that way as everyone else.

And I'm still waiting for an answer.

This story is the source of the commonly held incorrect belief that Islam allows the men to marry up to four women. However, this is the exception and not the rule, this judgement only being reached because he was joining Islam with multiple spouses. The actual official Islam ruling is one spouse period. Each man gets one wife, each woman gets one husband.


Islam does allow upto 4 wives for a man. But women are allowed only one husband.

But, there are several caveats for having more than one wife...the man should be able to give equal attention and care to all of his wives. Since this is subjective, men can get away with multiple wives and say it is religiously sanctioned.

IIRC, Muhammed (Peace be upon the others), the ultimate muslim and one to be emulated, had 9 or so wives. He even married his own adopted son's wife (after getting her divorced from him, of course).

Those hadiths make some wonderful readings.

i honestly assumed that this was going to say

"why do you hate freedom so much?"

A man may have as many wives as he can treat equally under the following condition:

The wife agrees.

A man can't just go out and get another wife. He must ask permission first and must get it. If the woman says no, then NO! If he does it anyway, she can divorce him and take all his stuff and the kids.

A man may have as many wives as he can treat equally under the following condition:

The wife agrees.

A man can't just go out and get another wife. He must ask permission first and must get it. If the woman says no, then NO! If he does it anyway, she can divorce him and take all his stuff and the kids.
Wasn't the main reason Richard and Linda Thompson's marriage broke because Richard was starting to develop an interest in polygamy and Linda wasn't very keen?

Wasn't the main reason Richard and Linda Thompson's marriage broke because Richard was starting to develop an interest in polygamy and Linda wasn't very keen?

Honestly, I don't know. Richard's a fine musician, but I pay little attention to his personal life.

Honestly, I don't know. Richard's a fine musician, but I pay little attention to his personal life.
It's a story I've seen mentioned a couple of times, and it appears that they'd got into sufi in a big way by the time they recorded Pour Down Like Silver (not that you'd notice looking at the album sleeve, of course...)

Okay, so, the ruling on marriage wasn't dead on, but is the story itself at least factually Islamic? Or did my 'source' just make that up out of the blue as well?

Okay, so, the ruling on marriage wasn't dead on, but is the story itself at least factually Islamic? Or did my 'source' just make that up out of the blue as well?

The story is accurate, yes. Little more detail in it than that, but that's how the story goes.

Well, that's something at least. Now, all I have to do is track down the hundred-odd people I've 'corrected' over the years and tell them all that they were right in the first place. Oy, there's goes my weekend.