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Psychosocial Impact of Polygamy in the Middle East pp 51–74Cite as

Polygamy, Islam, and Marital Justice

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Abstract

This chapter discusses marriage in Islam, both according to the Qur’an and according to various traditions. Yamani (Polygamy and law in contemporary Saudi Arabia. Ithaca Press, Reading, Berkshire, 2008) distinguishes between (1) laws drawn from a generally accepted current Islamic interpretation and (2) laws enacted by the “Islamic” state, imposed in the name of religion, while emanating from sources other than the traditional, some even contradicting the traditional context.

The main purposes of an Islamic marriage are long-term cohabitation, procreation, the satisfaction of physical needs and the need for companionship that God has created within humanity. It is not a spiritual union, but a civil one.

Some Arab traditions that play a central role in marriage are male dominance, bride-price, mahr, kuhl, family law, laws of inheritance, and more.

In new marriage contracts there are more negotiated matters, which if broken can be grounds for divorce. In addition there are several alternative types of marriages such as the urfi, misyar, misyaf, badal, and hiba. These are all discussed with their ramifications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Alean Al-Krenawi Ph.D.

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  1. Alean Al-Krenawi Ph.D.
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Al-Krenawi, A. (2014). Polygamy, Islam, and Marital Justice. In: Psychosocial Impact of Polygamy in the Middle East. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9375-4_3

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