Al-Hasan said: A man of Medina might have orphan girls in his care, among whom would be one whom he was permitted to marry. He would marry her for her wealth even though he was not attracted to her, lest an outsider marry her and thereby share her wealth with him. Then he would mistreat her and wait for her to die so that he might inherit from her. Allah the Exalted censured this practice and revealed this verse.
‘Ikrimah said: A man of Quraysh would marry ten women or even more. Then, when he became unable to meet the expenses of his wives, he would turn to the property of the orphan under his care and spend it. They were therefore told: Do not marry more than four, lest this drive you to take the wealth of orphans. This was also the narration of Tawus from Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him.
Others said: They were scrupulous concerning the wealth of orphans but lenient regarding women: they would marry as many as they wished, and they might deal justly or might not. So, when Allah the Exalted revealed concerning the wealth of orphans, “Give the orphans their property,” He revealed this verse: “And if you fear that you will not deal justly with orphan girls.” That is, just as you fear failing to deal justly with orphans, likewise fear failing to deal justly with women. Therefore, do not marry more women than you are able to fulfill their rights, for women, in their weakness, are like orphans. This was the view of Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, Qatadah, al-Dahhak, and al-Suddi (1).
He then permitted marriage to up to four, saying: “Marry such women as please you: two, three, or four. But if you fear that you will not be just” toward them, “then marry only one.” Mujahid said: Its meaning is: If, out of faith, you are scrupulous concerning the guardianship of orphans and their property, then likewise be scrupulous concerning fornication. Marry lawful women in a proper marriage. He then specified a number for them, whereas they had previously married as many women as they wished without any limit.
His saying, Exalted is He, “Marry such women as please you,” means: whomever is suitable. The expression rendered “please you” means: those women who are lawful for you. “Two, three, and four” are distributive forms derived from “two,” “three,” and “four”; for this reason, they are diptotes. The conjunction “and” here carries the meaning of “or,” indicating a choice, as in His saying: “That you stand before Allah, two by two or singly” (Saba’, 46), and, “Possessing wings: two, three 77/b, and four” (Ghafir, 1).
There is consensus that no member of this ummah may marry more than four women. Permission to exceed that number was among the exclusive privileges of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him; no one from the ummah shared that privilege with him. It is related that Qays ibn al-Harith had eight wives when this verse was revealed, and the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said to him: “Divorce four and retain four.” He said: I began saying to the woman who had not borne a child, “So-and-so, go away,” and to the one who had borne a child, “So-and-so, come forward.” (2)
It is also related that Ghaylan ibn Salamah al-Thaqafi embraced Islam