Reasons for Limiting to Only One Wife
Translated By Abbas Abu Yahya
Shaykh Muhammad Ibn al-Uthaymeen (d.1421 A.H.) said:
‘Some of the people of knowledge held the opinion that it is better to limit one self to one wife, the reasons they give are:
1 – That it is safer for a husband’s responsibility for his wife rather than oppressing his other wives.
This is because if a man marries two women or more, then perhaps he may not be able to do justice between them.
2- Also because, limiting one self to one wife is closer to preventing the family from becoming scattered.
This is because if he has more than one wife, the family can become scattered, since he will have children from one woman and also children from the other woman.
Also perhaps there may occur conflict and disunity between the children due to a conflict and disagreement between their mothers, as has been witnessed.
3- Likewise, having just one wife is closer to being able to fulfil the obligation of spending upon her and other matters.
4- It is also easier for a man to take into account justice. Indeed having a consideration for justice is a great matter, which requires help and aid.
So due to that, we say, limiting to one wife is safer for that person.
However if a person sees in himself that one wife is not sufficient and does not keep him chaste, then indeed we would order him to marry a second, third and fourth wife until he can achieve tranquillity, and keep away from looking at women and have ease for the soul.’
[Sharh Zaad al-Mustaqna 12/13]
الاقتصار على الزوجة الواحدة افضل عند بعض العلماء ..
قال العلامة ابن عثيمين عليه رحمات رب العالمين – :
ﺫﻫﺐ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺃﻧﻪ ﻳﺴﻦ ﺃﻥ ﻳﻘﺘﺼﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻭﺍﺣﺪﺓ، ﻭﻋﻠﻞ ﺫﻟﻚ :
❶ ﺑﺄﻧﻪ ﺃﺳﻠﻢ ﻟﻠﺬﻣﺔ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺭ؛ ﻷﻧﻪ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺗﺰﻭﺝ ﺍﺛﻨﺘﻴﻦ ﺃﻭ ﺃﻛﺜﺮ ﻓﻘﺪ ﻻﻳﺴﺘﻄﻴﻊ ﺍﻟﻌﺪﻝ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻤﺎ.
❷ ﻭﻷﻧﻪ ﺃﻗﺮﺏ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻣﻨﻊ ﺗﺸﺘﺖ ﺍﻷﺳﺮﺓ، ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﺇﺫﺍ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻟﻪ ﺃﻛﺜﺮ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻣﺮﺃﺓ ﺗﺸﺘﺖ ﺍﻷﺳﺮﺓ، ﻓﻴﻜﻮﻥ ﺃﻭﻻﺩ ﻟﻬﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺃﺓ، ﻭﺃﻭﻻﺩ ﻟﻬﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺃﺓ،
ﻭﺭﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﺤﺼﻞ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ ﺗﻨﺎﻓﺮ ﺑﻨﺎﺀ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﺘﻨﺎﻓﺮ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻷﻣﻬﺎﺕ، ﻛﻤﺎ ﻫﻮ ﻣﺸﺎﻫﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺑﻌﺾ ﺍﻷﺣﻴﺎﻥ .
❸ ﻭﻷﻧﻪ ﺃﻗﺮﺏ ﺇﻟﻰ ﺍﻟﻘﻴﺎﻡ ﺑﻮﺍﺟﺒﻬﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻨﻔﻘﺔ ﻭﻏﻴﺮﻫﺎ .
❹ ﻭﺃﻫﻮﻥ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺀ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺮﺍﻋﺎﺓ ﺍﻟﻌﺪﻝ؛ ﻓﺈﻥ ﻣﺮﺍﻋﺎﺓ ﺍﻟﻌﺪﻝ ﺃﻣﺮ ﻋﻈﻴﻢ ، ﻳﺤﺘﺎﺝ ﺇﻟﻰ ﻣﻌﺎﻧﺎﺓ .
ﻭﻋﻠﻰ ﻫﺬﺍ ﻓﻨﻘﻮﻝ :
ﺍﻻﻗﺘﺼﺎﺭ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﺣﺪﺓ ﺃﺳﻠﻢ له ﻭﻟﻜﻦ ﺇﺫﺍ ﻛﺎﻥ ﺍﻹﻧﺴﺎﻥ ﻳﺮﻯ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻔﺴﻪ ﺃﻥ ﺍﻟﻮﺍﺣﺪﺓ ﻻ ﺗﻜﻔﻴﻪ ﻭﻻ تعفه ﻓﺈﻧﻨﺎ ﻧﺄﻣﺮﻩ ﺑﺄﻥ ﻳﺘﺰﻭﺝ ﺛﺎﻧﻴﺔ ﻭﺛﺎﻟﺜﺔ ﻭﺭﺍﺑﻌﺔ ﺣﺘﻰ ﻳﺤﺼﻞ ﻟﻪ ﺍﻟﻄﻤﺄﻧﻴﻨﺔ، ﻭﻏﺾ ﺍﻟﺒﺼﺮ ﻭﺭﺍﺣﺔ ﺍﻟﻨﻔﺲ.“
【 ﺷﺮﺡ ﺯﺍﺩ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺘﻘﻨﻊ : ١٣:١٢ 】
Taken from: https://followingthesunnah.com/2021/10/03/reasons-for-limiting-to-only-one-wife/
