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Surah: An-Nisa (3)
If You Fear Injustice With Orphans Then Marry — The True Context of the Polygamy Verse
فَإِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُواْ فَوَٰحِدَةً
— النساء الآية 3
Verse: "If you fear injustice with orphans, then marry what pleases you of women — two, three, or four." (4:3)
True context: Came in the context of orphans' situation — guardians were marrying orphan girls to protect their wealth. The verse says: if you fear being unjust to orphans, marry freely from others.
Explicit condition: "If you fear you cannot be just — then one." Polygamy is conditional on achievable justice; otherwise one wife is obligatory.
Wisdom of permission: Societies with many widows and wars need this social solution.
True context: Came in the context of orphans' situation — guardians were marrying orphan girls to protect their wealth. The verse says: if you fear being unjust to orphans, marry freely from others.
Explicit condition: "If you fear you cannot be just — then one." Polygamy is conditional on achievable justice; otherwise one wife is obligatory.
Wisdom of permission: Societies with many widows and wars need this social solution.
Source: Al-Qurtubi (5/12); Ibn Al-Arabi (1/312); Ibn Qudama (7/40)
Test Yourself
What is the explicit condition that makes limiting oneself to one wife obligatory?
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