Multiple Marriages
What I am saying is that there is no basis for that argument in the Quran. What our experience teaches us is a different matter. I am using ghamidi sahab’s own technique here. I could argue that Allah creating One Hawwa for Adam does not say anything about future generations keeping one wife or many. It w as the start of a creation, the beginnings of anything are different. I think ghamidi sahab made an intellectual leap here. Just like the Qur’an neither allows nor prohibits several wifes… So too, It does not argue over one wife being the intended way for a good or bad family life. I agree with ghamidi sahab’s interpretation of the aayaat of Surah Nisa. But I could not find the place where the Quran made such a suggestion that he claims regarding one man and one wife.
It is very clear that it is very difficult for any man to treat all wives alike, financially he may but emotionally it is very natural to feel more strongly for one compared to the others. Where does it leave the other wives?
I don’t care about what you or I want. I don’t find it in the Quran, the demand to love the wives equally or the suggestion that good house holds are formed with one husband and one wife. If you don’t want it, you don’t need to be a part of such a family. But you or I don’t have the right to close that door to other men and women who would be willing to adopt that life style.
I agree with you Faisal, the population is approximately evenly divided between genders. Perhaps there will be more males than females soon due to gender selection. Without gender selection there has been more females than males. But that ratio can changes fast. In case of wars or disease males die more. It is still possible that in some cities or countries the ratio may be imbalanced in favor of females anytime. We are digressing from the topic. The point is that regardless of the ratio, having multiple wives in Islam is primarily allowed to provide support and protection to women who need it. Even if there were more males than females but if women were suppressed or abused, the permission still applies for the benefit of the society.