Unjust Treatment of Wives (Qur'an 4:129): Difference between revisions

This article will examine a common [[Misinterpreted Verses|misinterpretation]] of [[Qur'an]] 4:129 and evidence in the [[Sahih]] [[hadith|ahadith]] and from [[Islam|Islamic]] scholars as to the true meaning.  

This verse is paired up with [[Dealing_Justly_with_Wives_and_Orphans | Quran 4:3]] in order to show that the apparent endorsement to [[polygamy]] is actually an injunction. The apologist will state that Qur'an 4:3 requires a man to deal justly with all of his wives if he wishes to marry more than one. To further make this point, Qur'an 4:129 is next brought up to show that the Qur'an informs Muslims that this is not possible.  

===Evidence from Tafsirs===

﴿وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَـفَتْ مِن بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْرَاضاً فَلاَ جُنَاْحَ عَلَيْهِمَآ أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحاً وَالصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ وَأُحْضِرَتِ الأنفُسُ الشُّحَّ وَإِن تُحْسِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً ﴾

(And Allah is Ever All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Wise.) is: His favor is tremendous, His bounty is enormous and He is All-Wise in all His actions, decisions and commandments.}}

{ وَإِنِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِن بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْرَاضاً فَلاَ جُنَاْحَ عَلَيْهِمَآ أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحاً وَٱلصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ وَأُحْضِرَتِ ٱلأنْفُسُ ٱلشُّحَّ وَإِن تُحْسِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً }

But if they, the married couple, separate, by way of divorce, God will compensate each of them, [from the need] of the other, out of His plenty, that is, out of His bounty, by giving her another as husband, and giving him another as wife. God is ever Embracing, of His creatures in bounty, Wise, in what He has ordained for them.}}

{ وَإِنِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِن بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزاً أَوْ إِعْرَاضاً فَلاَ جُنَاْحَ عَلَيْهِمَآ أَن يُصْلِحَا بَيْنَهُمَا صُلْحاً وَٱلصُّلْحُ خَيْرٌ وَأُحْضِرَتِ ٱلأنْفُسُ ٱلشُّحَّ وَإِن تُحْسِنُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيراً }

{{quote | {{Muslim|8|3452}} |

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of Hisham with the same chain of narrators (and the words are): When Sauda became old (the rest of the hadith is the same) and in the narration of Sharik there is an addition (of these words:" She was the first woman whom he (Allah's Apostle) married after me." }}

regarding the Verse: 'If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part ...') (4.128) It concerns the woman whose husband does not want to keep her with him any longer, but wants to divorce her and marry some other lady, so she says to him: 'Keep me and do not divorce me, and then marry another woman, and you may neither spend on me, nor sleep with me.' This is indicated by the Statement of Allah: 'There is no blame on them if they arrange an amicable settlement between them both, and (such) settlement is better." (4.128) }}

This provides an 'out' clause for Muslim men as to the obligations they have towards their multiple wives and and leaves the wives themselves with little or no recourse to the whims of her husband. This renders Quran 4:3's requirement of material justice almost meaningless (except for the Mahr). In this way, the Quran permits injustice to be served to Muslim wives in place of the justice it appears to promise.

Qur'an 4:3 and Qur'an 4:129 cannot be 'tied together' to show an injunction against polygamy because the definition of "justice" as used in both is demonstrably different and does not carry the same meaning.  

The Qur'an does not prohibit polygamy; in fact it appears to make it much easier when the implications of both of these verses are taken into consideration.  

{{Hub4|Polygamy|Polygamy}}

[[Category:Qur'an]]