Misconception # 2: There is no equality between genders in Islam, as Islam gives men the right to have more than one wife, but does it not give the same right to women to have more than one husband.

Answer:

A lot of people, including some Muslims, question the logic of allowing Muslimmen to have more than one spouse while denying the same ‘right’ to women.Let me first state emphatically, that the foundation of an Islamic society isjustice and equity. Allah has created men and women as equal, but withdifferent capabilities and different responsibilities. Men and women aredifferent, physiologically and psychologically. Their roles and responsibilitiesare different. Men and women are equal in Islam, but not identical.Surah Al Nisaa’ Chapter 4 verses 22 to 24 gives the list of women with whomyou can not marry and it is further mentioned in Surah Al Nisaa’ Chapter 4verse 24,

“Also (prohibited are) women already married”[Al-Qur’an 4:24]

The following points enumerate the reasons why polyandry is prohibited inIslam:

1. If a man has more than one wife, the parents of the children born of suchmarriages can easily be identified. The father as well as the mother caneasily be identified. In case of a woman marrying more than one husband,only the mother of the children born of such marriages will be identifiedand not the father. Islam gives tremendous importance to theidentification of both parents, mother and father. Psychologists tell us thatchildren who do not know their parents, especially their father undergosevere mental trauma and disturbances. Often they have an unhappychildhood. It is for this reason that the children of prostitutes do not have a healthy childhood. If a child born of such wedlock is admitted in school,and when the mother is asked the name of the father, she would have togive two or more names! I am aware that recent advances in science havemade it possible for both the mother and father to be identified with thehelp of genetic testing. Even if we agree that the test is 100% accurate,this test was discovered recently and this is not the only reason for notallowing Polyandry.

2. Man is more polygamous by nature as compared to a woman.

3. Biologically, it is easier for a man to perform his duties as a husbanddespite having several wives. A woman, in a similar position, havingseveral husbands, will not find it possible to perform her duties as a wife.A woman undergoes several psychological and behavioural changes due todifferent phases of the menstrual cycle and also due to the release of sexhormones, oestrogen. The mental state of a woman is not as stable ascompared to normal times. According to a report, most crimes committedby women in USA, are done during their menstrual periods.

A woman has more chances of having a quarrel or disagreement with thehusband during these periods. Therefore, Islam prohibits a man to givedivorce to his wife while she undergoes her menstrual cycle. Thus, inpolyandrous marriages, for a woman to have good relations with morethan one husband at the same time will be too much of a mental trauma.

4. A woman who has more than one husband will have several sexualpartners at the same time and has a high chance of acquiring venereal orsexually transmitted diseases, which can also be transmitted back to herhusband even if all of them have no extra-marital sex. This is not the casein a man having more than one wife, and none of them having extramarital sex.The above reasons are those that one can easily identify. There are probablymany more reasons why Allah, in His Infinite Wisdom, has prohibitedpolyandry.