is my division concerning what I can control; so do not hold me accountable for what You control and I do not,” meaning the heart’s inclination and affection.

Thus a man is not blameworthy if he loves one of his wives more than another, for that is beyond his capacity. He is blameworthy only when he prejudices the division of time and fails to be equitable in it; that is what incurs sin, and in that situation he is not permitted to have multiple wives.

Question: The limit is four—do the scholars differ about that?

Answer: The limit of four is not disputed among the scholars; no one maintains that it is fewer. There is, however, an anomalous opinion permitting more than this number, but it is an isolated view contravened by the consensus.

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Refraining from Marriage

Question: I have had a chronic illness since childhood that causes sudden nervous collapses several times a day. I hold a good job and, praise be to Allah, my means of living are easy. Yet this illness has made me a miserable person, for I have been unable to find a cure and I have now reached an advanced age. Nevertheless, I do not like marriage, I do not think about it, and I do not allow anyone to discuss it with me, despite my family’s persistent urging—although marriage is Allah’s way for His creation. In your view, what is the ruling of the Sacred Law regarding abstaining from marriage, and am I sinning by doing so? Please advise me, and may Allah bless you.