Marrying More than One is Desirable
Question:
Some men marry more than one woman out of pride or in order to compete with one another and due to a genuine need. Is such a thing permissible? And what is your advice to those men and women who object to plurality when there is a need for it?
Answer:
Marrying more than one wife is a desirable thing - on condition that the man has the financial means and the physical ability to act with justice between his wives. This is because through plurality of wives, good is acheived, such as protecting the private parts of the women who he marries (from illegal sexual intercourse) and broadening of unity between the people, and increasing the number of births, as indicated by the Prophet sallallaahu alahi wasallam:
'Marry loving, productive women.' (Abu Dawud 2050, An-Nasaai' 3229, Ibn Hibbaan 4028, & Ahmad 3/158-245)
It also contains many other benefits. As for a man marrying more than one wife out of pride and competitiveness, it is something which falls into the category of waste, which is not permitted. Allaah, the Most High says:
'Waste not by extravagance, certainly He (Allaah) likes not Al-Musrifun (those who waste by extravagance).' (Al-'Araaf 7:31)
Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Fatawa Islamiyah, Darussalam, volume 5, page 355-356
