Glossary
Terms & definitions
Polygyny, polygamy, polyandry
Polygyny is a man being married to more than one wife. This is what is permitted in Islam, and this is what this site discusses.
Polyandry is a woman being married to more than one husband — haram in Islam.
Polygamy is the umbrella term for both. In everyday speech in Malaysia, "poligami" (polygamy) is used to mean polygyny, and this site follows that usage.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Akad nikah | Ijab and qabul (offer and acceptance) — the words that make the marriage valid. |
| Wali | The party who gives the bride in marriage. The wali nasab (kin guardian) in order of priority; the wali hakim if there is none or he refuses. |
| Mahar / maskahwin | An obligatory gift from the husband to the wife. The wife's absolute right, not her family's. |
| Hantaran | A Malay custom, not a Sharia requirement. Distinct from the mahar and not obligatory. |
| Nafkah zahir | Food, clothing, housing, medical care — the material necessities. |
| Nafkah batin | The right to marital intimacy between husband and wife. |
| Giliran (qasm) | The division of nights among the wives. It must be fair and can be counted. |
| Iddah | The waiting period of a woman after divorce or the death of her husband. She may not be married during this period. |
| Darar syarie | Harm with regard to religion, life, body, mind, or property. |
| Sulh | The mediation process at the Syariah Court before a full trial. Free of charge. |
| Fasakh | Dissolution of marriage by the court on the wife's application on specific grounds. |
| Taklik | Conditions pronounced after the akad; if breached, the wife may claim a divorce. |
| Harta sepencarian | Matrimonial property acquired jointly during the marriage, whose division may be claimed. |
| Faraid | The distribution of an estate according to Hukum Syarak. |
| Bikr | A woman who has never been married (a virgin). |
| Thayyib | A woman who has previously been married (divorcee or widow). |
| Qawwam | Pemimpin dan penanggung — kedudukan suami dalam rumah tangga (an-Nisa' 4:34). |
| Sakinah, mawaddah, rahmah | Tranquillity, affection, mercy — the purposes of marriage (ar-Rum 30:21). |
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Sekilas pandang
Istilah asas
Poligini, poliandri, poligami
PoliginiSeorang lelaki dengan lebih seorang isteri. Diharuskan dalam Islam.
PoliandriSeorang wanita dengan lebih seorang suami — haram dalam Islam.
PoligamiIstilah payung bagi kedua-duanya; di Malaysia lazim bermaksud poligini.