Can a Muslim have more than one wife?

Can a Muslim have more than one wife?



The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times and so accommodates widely differing social
requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according to the Quran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair.


◊ Is Islamic marriage like Christian marriage?



A Muslim marriage is not a 'sacrament', but a simple,
legal agreement in which either partner is free to
include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to
country. As a result, divorce is not common, although it is not
forbidden as a last resort. According to Islam, no Muslim girl can be
forced to marry against her will: her parents will simply suggest young
men they think may be suitable.


◊ How do Muslims treat the elderly?



In the Islamic world there are no old people's homes.
The strain of caring for one's parents in this most
difficult time of their lives is considered an honor and blessing, and
an opportunity for great spiritual growth. God asks that we not only
pray for our parents, but act with limitless compassion, remembering
that when we were helpless children they preferred us to themselves.
Mothers are particularly honored: the Prophet taught that 'Paradise lies
at the feet of mothers'. When they reach old age, Muslim parents are
treated mercifully, with the same kindness and selflessness.


In Islam, serving one's parents is a duty second only to prayer, and it is their right to expect it. It is
considered despicable to express any irritation when, through no fault of their own, the old become difficult.


The Quran says: 'Your Lord has
commanded that you worship none but Him, and be kind to parents. If
either or both of them reach old age with you, do not say 'uff to them
or chide them, but speak to them in terms of honor and
kindness. Treat them with humility, and say, 'My Lord! Have mercy on
them, for they did care for me when I was little'.
(17:23-4)


◊ How do Muslims view death?



Like Jews and Christians, Muslims believe that the
present life is only a trial preparation for the next realm of
existence. Basic articles of faith include: the Day of Judgment,
resurrection, Heaven and Hell. When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed,
usually by a family member, wrapped in a clean white cloth, and buried
with a simple prayer preferably the same day. Muslims consider this one
of the final services they can do for their relatives, and an
opportunity to remember their own brief
existence here on earth. The Prophet taught that three things can
continue to help a person even after death; charity
which he had given, knowledge which he had taught and prayers on their
behalf by a righteous child.


◊ What does Islam say about war?



Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in
self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who
have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules
of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and
against destroying crops, trees and livestock. As Muslims see it,
injustice would be triumphant in the world if good men were not prepared
to risk their lives in a righteous cause. The Quran says:


Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors. (2:190)


If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things. (8:61)




War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to
the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term jihad
literally means 'struggle', and Muslims believe that there are two kinds
of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle which everyone wages against egotistic desires, for the sake of attaining inner peace.


◊ What about food?



Although much simpler than the dietary law followed by
Jews and the early Christians, the code which Muslims
observe forbids the consumption of pig meat or any kind of intoxicating
drink. The Prophet taught that 'your body has rights over you', and the
consumption of wholesome food and the leading of a healthy lifestyle are
seen as religious obligations.


The Prophet said: 'Ask God for certainty [of faith] and well-being; for after certainty, no one is given any gift better than health!'


◊ How does Islam guarantee human rights?



Freedom of conscience is laid down by the Quran itself: 'There is no compulsion
in religion'. (2:256)


The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether a person is Muslim or
not.


Racism is incomprehensible to Muslims, for the Quran speaks of human equality in the following terms:


O mankind! We created you from a
single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so
that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in
God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All
Aware (49:13)


◊ Islam in the United States



It is almost impossible to generalize about American
Muslims: converts, immigrants, factory workers, doctors; all are making
their own contribution to America's future. This complex community is
unified by a common faith, underpinned by a countrywide network of a
thousand mosques.

The Islamic Cultural Center, Washington DC.

Muslims were early arrivals in North America. By the
eighteenth century there were many thousands of them, working as slaves
on plantations. These early communities, cut off from their heritage and
families, inevitably lost their Islamic identity as time went by. Today
many Afro-American Muslims play an important role in the Islamic
community.


The nineteenth century, however, saw the beginnings of
an influx of Arab Muslims, most of whom settled in the
major industrial centers where they worshipped in hired rooms. The early
twentieth century witnessed the arrival of several hundred thousand
Muslims from Eastern Europe: the first Albanian mosque was opened in
Maine in 1915; others soon followed, and a group of Polish Muslims
opened a mosque in Brooklyn in 1928.


In 1947 the Washington Islamic Center was founded
during the term of President Truman, and several nationwide
organizations were set up in the fifties. The same period saw the
establishment of other communities whose lives were in many ways modeled
after Islam. More recently, numerous members of these groups have
entered the fold of Muslim orthodoxy. Today there are about five million Muslims in America.


◊ The Muslim World



The Muslim population of the world is around one
billion. 30% of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20% in
Sub-Saharan Africa, 17% in Southeast Asia, 18% in the Arab World, 10% in
the Soviet Union and China. Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan comprise 10%
of the non-Arab Middle East. Although there are Muslim minorities in
almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most
numerous in the Soviet Union, India, and central Africa. There are 5
million Muslims in the United States.


O mankind! We created you from a
single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so
that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in
God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing,
All-Aware. (Quran 49:13)