In this enlightening lecture, Dr. Zakir Naik addresses a frequently asked question: Why does Islam permit a man to have multiple wives (polygamy) but not allow a woman to have multiple husbands (polyandry)? He explains the logical, biological, social, and moral reasons behind this ruling. Dr. Naik highlights how Islam’s guidance ensures justice, protects lineage, and safeguards family structure, while also addressing misconceptions about women’s rights. The talk demonstrates the wisdom of Islamic rulings in creating balance and harmony within society.
00:00The sixth most common question asked by the non-muslim regarding Islam is if a man can marry more than one woman, then why can't woman in Islam marry more than one man?
00:16If polygyny is allowed in Islam, why is polyandry not allowed?
00:21And the reply to this question can be given in brief, that Allah has given the woman who you can marry, in Surah Nisa chapter 4, verse number 20 to 24, the woman you can marry and who you cannot marry is given.
00:38Surah Nisa chapter 4, verse number 24 says, you cannot marry the woman who is already married.
00:44So Quran is clear cut in Surah Nisa chapter 4, verse number 24, that a woman cannot have more than one husband.
00:51Simultaneously, so you cannot marry a woman who is already married.
00:55Now what are the reasons?
00:57Number one, that if a man has more than one wife, and if the child is born, you can easily identify who is the father and who is the mother.
01:08Very easy.
01:09But if a woman has more than one husband, you can identify who is the mother, but you will not come to know who is the father.
01:16So if you go to school, to give admission, you may have to give two father's name, or three father's name.
01:24Now, we come to know, that today science tells us, that if you cannot identify the parents, especially the father, the child has a very traumatic childhood.
01:35If you know who the mother is, if you don't know who the father is, and especially the children of prostitutes, you know the children have a traumatic childhood.
01:45Very dangerous.
01:46So Islam does not believe in this.
01:48Identifying the parents, mother and father is very important.
01:52So therefore, in Islam, if you do polygeny, you can identify both the parents, but if you do polyandry, you can only identify the mother, not the father.
02:00I am aware today, recently, a few years before, or a decade earlier, there is genetic testing.
02:07With the help of genetic testing, you can come to know who is the mother and who is the father.
02:12But this came recently, Islam is there since time immemorial.
02:15Since 1400 years old, the Quran is revealed.
02:18It's not new.
02:19And of course, there are some issues in there.
02:22But even if I agree, it's correct.
02:24You can't carry a certificate always, oh, this is a genetic testing certificate.
02:28I belong to this man, not to the other man.
02:30Yet, you will have people slandering you or laying objections.
02:34But this is not the only reason that you cannot identify the mother and father.
02:38There are various reasons.
02:39Number two, man is more polygamous in nature than the woman.
02:44That means a man requires more sexual partners as compared to a woman.
02:50This is scientifically, biologically and medically.
02:54Number three, biologically and physically, the makeup of man differs than that of a woman.
02:59For a man, it is possible for him to do the role of multiple husbands if he is involved in polygyny.
03:07If a man has more than one wife, he can very well do the role of multiple husband easily.
03:14But if a woman has more than one husband, because of a menstrual cycle, because of the estrogen level being released,
03:24it's extremely difficult for her to do the role of multiple wives.
03:29And that's the reason in Islam, a man has been told that when the woman undergoes menstrual cycle,
03:36you have to be kind and soft to her.
03:38Islam does not allow a man to give divorce when the woman is undergoing a menstrual cycle.
03:45Because during menstrual cycle, her emotional level changes and at that time you should not give divorce.
03:51Wait till the menstrual cycle is over.
03:53So Islam takes care of the woman during a menstrual cycle.
03:56So in this period, imagine, to take care of one husband is okay, but if she undergoes these physical, biological and psychological changes,
04:06and if she has more than one husband, for her to do the role of multiple husband is extremely difficult.
04:13Point number four.
04:14Today science tells us that if a woman has multiple sexual partners,
04:21or if she is involved in polygynyny's marriages, she has multiple husbands,
04:25and all of them are truthful, there is no extramarital sex, but if one woman has three, four husbands,
04:32there is chances of venerial or sexual diseases emerging in the woman,
04:38which can be transmitted back to the husbands.
04:41Which is not the case if a man has multiple wives, and all of them are lawful to each other.
04:48Just because each woman has only one sexual partner,
04:51there is no chances of venerial and sexual diseases emerging.
04:55So that's the reason in Islam,
04:58polygyny is allowed that a man can have more wives,
05:01where even if there is multiple wives,
05:03there will be no venerial disease, there will be no sexual disease.
05:06But if a woman has multiple husbands,
05:08which Islam does not allow,
05:10and if there is more than one sexual partners,
05:12there will be venerial and sexual diseases,
05:14which can emerge and be transmitted back
05:17to the husband.
05:19So these are few reasons that we can think logically,
05:22why Islam and Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
05:25has not permitted polyandry.
05:27Allah knows there will be multiple more reasons
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