Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/12)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

the breakup of the family. For when he has more than one wife, the family becomes divided: there are children from this wife and children from that wife, and estrangement may arise between them because of the estrangement between their mothers, as is sometimes observed. It is also more conducive to fulfilling her rights of maintenance and the like, and easier for a person than observing fairness; for observing fairness is a grave matter requiring effort. This is the well-known position of the madhhab.

If someone were to say: Does not Allah’s saying, “Marry women of your choice, two, three, or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one, or those whom your right hands possess” [al-Nisa’ 4:3], support the view of those who say that plural marriage is preferable? For He said, “But if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one,” thus making restriction to one wife applicable when one fears being unjust. Does this not imply that, if one is able to be just, it is preferable for him to marry four?

We say: Yes, those who consider plural marriage preferable have indeed cited this verse as evidence. They say that the point of evidence is that Allah, the Most High, says, “But if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one” [al-Nisa’ 4:3], thus making restriction to one wife applicable when one fears being unjust.

Yet, upon reflection, we find no proof for this in the verse. For Allah says: “If you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls, then marry women of your choice, two, three, or four” [al-Nisa’ 4:3]. It is as though He is saying: If you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls in your care, then the door is open before you to marry up to four women. A man might have under his care an orphan girl who was his cousin’s daughter or the like, and he would treat her unjustly: he would keep her for himself, while people proposed to her but he would not give her in marriage. So Allah, the Most High, said: “If you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls, then marry women of your choice, two, three, or four.”

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، ولأنه أقرب إلى القيام بواجبها من النفقة وغيرها، وأهون على المرء من مراعاة العدل، فإن مراعاة العدل أمر عظيم، يحتاج إلى معاناة، وهذا هو المشهور من المذهب. فإن قال قائل: قوله تعالى: ﴿فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَلِكَ﴾ [النساء: ٣] ألا يرجح قولَ من يقول بأن التعدد أفضل؟ لأنه قال: ﴿فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً﴾، فجعل الاقتصار على واحدة فيما إذا خاف عدم العدل، وهذا يقتضي أنه إذا كان يتمكن من العدل فإن الأفضل أن ينكح أربعاً؟ قلنا: نعم، قد استدل بهذه الآية من يرى التعدد، وقال: وجه الدلالة أن الله تعالى يقول: ﴿فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً﴾ [النساء: ٣] فجعل الاقتصار على واحدة فيما إذا خاف عدم العدل. ولكن عند التأمل لا نجد فيها دلالة على هذا؛ لأن الله يقول: ﴿وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ﴾ [النساء: ٣] كأنه يقول: إن خفتم ألا تعدلوا في اليتامى اللاتي عندكم، فإن الباب مفتوح أمامكم إلى أربع، وقد كان الرجل تكون عنده اليتيمة بنت عمه أو نحو ذلك، فيجور عليها، ويجعلها لنفسه، ويخطبها الناس ولا يزوجها، فقال الله تعالى: ﴿وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلاَّ تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ