How Many Wives Can a Muslim Have? Polygamy in Islam Explained

Islam permits a Muslim man to have up to four wives at the same time, on the strict condition that he treats them with justice, and the Quran itself advises only one wife for those who fear they cannot be fair. In practice, the great majority of Muslims are monogamous, and many Muslim countries restrict or ban polygamy by law.

Polygamy is one of the first things many people associate with Islam, yet it is rare in most Muslim societies. This guide explains what the Quran says in Quran 4:3 and 4:129, the context in which those verses were revealed, the conditions scholars attach to a second marriage, a wife's right to require monogamy, how common polygamy really is and what the law says in Western countries.

Key takeaways

• Quran 4:3 permits marrying "two or three or four" women, but adds, "if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one."
• Quran 4:129 warns that men "will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives," which many scholars read as a strong caution against polygamy.
• Aisha explained that 4:3 was revealed about guardians who wanted to marry orphan girls in their care without giving them a fair mahr (Sahih al-Bukhari 4574).
• The Hanbali school allows a wife to stipulate in her marriage contract that her husband will not take another wife, based on the hadith that marriage conditions are the most deserving of fulfillment (Sahih al-Bukhari 2721).
• Pew Research Center estimates that about 2% of the world's population lives in polygamous households, and fewer than 1% of Muslim men in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Egypt live with more than one wife.

How many wives can a Muslim have?

Under Islamic law, a Muslim man may be married to a maximum of four women at one time. The limit comes from Quran 4:3 and is confirmed by the Prophet's instruction to men who became Muslim with more than four wives. When Ghaylan ibn Salamah accepted Islam with ten wives, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told him to choose four (Jami at-Tirmidhi 1128).

A Muslim woman may have only one husband at a time. Scholars connect this to clarity of lineage and to the structure of financial responsibility in Islamic family law.

This is a permission, not a recommendation or an obligation. No school of Islamic law says a man should take more than one wife, and many scholars describe monogamy as the norm and polygamy as an exception for particular circumstances.

What does Quran 4:3 say?

And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or those your right hand possesses. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice].

— Quran 4:3

Three features of the verse stand out. It opens with a concern about orphans, not with a general statement about marriage. It sets a ceiling of four, in a society where men had married many more women with no limit. And it immediately tells men who fear injustice to marry only one.

The phrase "those your right hand possesses" refers to enslaved women, a category that existed throughout the ancient world. Muslim-majority countries abolished slavery in the 19th and 20th centuries, and contemporary scholars regard this part of the verse as having no application today.

Why was Quran 4:3 revealed?

Many commentators link the surrounding passage to the period after the Battle of Uhud in 625 CE, when many Muslim men were killed and their widows and orphans needed protection and support. The verse's own wording, however, focuses on a specific injustice. Aisha, the Prophet's wife, explained that an orphan girl would sometimes be under a guardian who shared her property and wanted to marry her for her wealth and beauty without giving her a fair mahr. Such guardians were told either to treat her justly or to marry other women instead (Sahih al-Bukhari 4574). A related verse, Quran 4:127, returns to the rights of these orphan girls.

In both readings, the permission is framed around protecting vulnerable women and children, not satisfying men's desires.

The condition of justice: Quran 4:129

The second key verse appears later in the same surah:

And you will never be able to be equal [in feeling] between wives, even if you should strive [to do so]. So do not incline completely [toward one] and leave another hanging. And if you amend [your affairs] and fear Allah - then indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.

— Quran 4:129

Scholars have read 4:3 and 4:129 together in two main ways:

• The classical majority view: 4:3 requires justice in things a man can control, such as time, housing, money and treatment. 4:129 recognizes that he cannot control feelings and forbids him from neglecting a wife because of them. On this reading, polygamy is allowed if the material conditions of justice are met.
• The restrictive view: Some modern scholars, such as the Egyptian reformer Muhammad Abduh (d. 1905), argued that because 4:3 requires justice and 4:129 says perfect justice is impossible, the verses together point strongly toward monogamy, and polygamy should be permitted only in real necessity. Several modern family laws reflect this reasoning.

The Prophet gave a stark warning about unequal treatment: a man with two wives who favors one will come on the Day of Resurrection with one side of his body hanging down (Sunan Abi Dawud 2133, graded authentic by al-Albani).

What does justice between wives require?

In classical law, a husband with more than one wife must:

1. Provide each wife with her own separate housing of a comparable standard.
2. Divide his nights fairly between them.
3. Spend on each according to her needs, without favoring one.
4. Be able to afford it. Scholars say a man who cannot support more than one family should not take a second wife.

Why do some Muslims have multiple wives?

Muslims who defend the permission usually give reasons such as:

• Providing for widows and orphans, as in the context of 4:3.
• Situations where there are more women than men, for example after war.
• Offering a lawful, accountable alternative to affairs or abandonment, with the second wife and her children holding full legal rights.
• Cases where a wife is seriously ill or unable to have children and does not want a divorce.

Critics, including many Muslim women, respond that polygamy often harms first wives and children emotionally and financially, and that in practice it is frequently driven by status or desire rather than these protective purposes. Both views are present in Muslim debates, and the Quran's emphasis on justice is invoked by each side.

Can a wife refuse polygamy?

In Islamic law, a wife's permission is not required for her husband to marry another woman in most schools. But there are important protections:

• Marriage contract conditions: The Hanbali school holds that a wife can include a condition in her marriage contract that her husband will not marry another woman, and if he does, she may end the marriage. This is based on the hadith that "the conditions most deserving to be fulfilled are those by which private parts become lawful to you," meaning marriage conditions (Sahih al-Bukhari 2721). Other schools do not enforce such a condition in the same way, but many modern laws do.
• The Prophet's own family: When Ali ibn Abi Talib considered marrying a second wife while married to Fatimah, the Prophet's daughter, the Prophet objected publicly, saying that what hurt Fatimah hurt him (Sahih al-Bukhari 5230). Ali did not marry again during Fatimah's lifetime.
• Divorce: A wife who cannot accept a polygamous marriage may seek divorce through khul' or the courts. Our guide to women's rights in Islam explains these rights.

How common is polygamy in Muslim countries?

Polygamy is much less common than many assume, and it is not unique to Muslims.

The data shows that where polygamy is common, it is often a regional custom shared across religions rather than a specifically Muslim practice.

What does the law say?

In Muslim-majority countries

Legal approaches vary widely:

• Banned: Turkey (since its 1926 civil code) and Tunisia (since its 1956 Code of Personal Status) prohibit polygamy outright.
• Restricted: Morocco's 2004 family code requires a judge's authorization, allows a wife to stipulate monogamy, and requires the first wife to be informed. Pakistan's Muslim Family Laws Ordinance of 1961 requires permission from an arbitration council. Several other countries require court approval or proof of financial means.
• Permitted: Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states allow polygamy with few legal restrictions.

In Western countries

Polygamy is illegal in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and most of Europe. A second marriage while still legally married is the crime of bigamy, and any such marriage has no legal recognition. Islamic teaching requires Muslims to honor their agreements, including the laws of the countries in which they live (Quran 5:1). Mainstream Muslim scholars in the West therefore advise Muslims not to enter polygamous marriages where the law forbids them, especially as an unregistered second wife would have no legal protection.

Read the verses on Quran Universe

Read Quran 4:3 and Quran 4:129 in the full context of Surah an-Nisa on Quran Universe, with the Arabic text, word-by-word meanings and Tafsir Ibn Kathir. Ibn Kathir's commentary on 4:3 includes Aisha's explanation of the verse, and our article on what tafsir is explains how to use classical commentary. For more on how the Quran addresses marriage and women's dignity, see what the Quran says about women.

Frequently asked questions

How many wives can a Muslim man have?

A Muslim man may have up to four wives at the same time, according to Quran 4:3, but only if he can treat them with justice in housing, time and financial support. The same verse says that if he fears he cannot be fair, he should marry only one. Most Muslim men worldwide have one wife, and many countries restrict polygamy by law.

Why do some Muslims have multiple wives?

Muslims who practice polygamy often cite providing for widows and orphans, imbalances between the number of men and women, or a wife's illness or infertility. Critics, including many Muslim women, argue it often harms first wives and children. The Quran ties the permission to justice, and in most Muslim countries polygamy is uncommon.

What does Quran 4:3 say about polygamy?

Quran 4:3 allows a man to marry two, three or four women, in a passage about protecting orphans. It adds that if he fears he will not be just, he should marry only one. Aisha explained that the verse addressed guardians who wanted to marry orphan girls in their care without giving them a fair mahr (Sahih al-Bukhari 4574).

Can a Muslim woman stop her husband from taking a second wife?

In the Hanbali school and in several modern family laws, such as Morocco's, a woman can include a condition in her marriage contract that her husband will not take another wife. If he breaks it, she may end the marriage. In other schools, her consent is not legally required, but she can still seek divorce if she cannot accept the arrangement.

Is polygamy legal for Muslims in the US or UK?

No. Polygamy is illegal in the United States, the United Kingdom and most Western countries, and Muslims there are bound by the same laws as everyone else. A second marriage while the first is still legal counts as bigamy. Mainstream scholars advise Western Muslims to follow the law, since an unregistered second wife has no legal protection.

Can a Muslim woman have more than one husband?

No. Islamic law allows a woman to be married to only one husband at a time. Scholars link this to certainty of lineage and to family law, in which the husband is responsible for supporting his wife and children. A woman may remarry after divorce or the death of her husband, once her waiting period ends.