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136 main pages and 2934 Q&A entries, arranged by menu.
Start & essentials
HomeEntry point — a summary of each section. Start hereReading paths according to your situation. Husband crash courseA 10-lesson crash course for Muslim husbands: qiwamah, maintenance, mu'asyarah bil-ma'ruf, 66:6, family prayer, debt, anger,… Wife crash courseA 10-lesson course for Muslim wives: obedience in what is right (ma'ruf), the wife's rights, menstruation & postnatal bleeding, trust, communicating, the wife's property,… Rights of husband & wifeShared rights, the wife's rights (mahr, maintenance, housing, turn) and the husband's rights according to 2:228, 4:19 and 4:34, as well as work and… Daily etiquetteEvidenced daily etiquette for spouses: mu'asyarah bil-ma'ruf (4:19), greetings, kind words, helping with housework, keeping secrets,… ʿAwrah & limits of social interactionThe ʿawrah of husband and wife before mahram and non-mahram, the hadith al-hamwu al-maut about in-laws, khalwat, mixing in the… Educating the familyEducating the family according to at-Tahrim 66:6: the roles of husband and wife, a child's prayer at the age of seven, the family halaqah, digital media and… Social media & digitalSocial media etiquette for spouses: a spouse's faults and household secrets, photos of the family and children, messaging with non-mahram,… Fiqh of menstruation & postnatal bleedingMenstruation, postnatal bleeding and istihadah according to the Shafi'i school: what is forbidden, what is permitted, the obligatory bath, making up prayer and fasting, and… Supplications & prayerThe istikharah and hajat prayers, supplications for a spouse and offspring, the bridal supplication, the first night, when angry or jealous, and the husband's supplication as well as… Wudu & ghuslA guide to wudu and the obligatory bath (Shafi'i school): conditions, pillars, sunnah acts, what breaks wudu, and the causes and method of ghusl,… Prayer guideA guide to prayer in the Shafi'i school: times, conditions, the 13 pillars, intention, the recitations in rumi with their meanings (al-Fatihah, ruku, sujud, tashahhud,… Congregational prayerA guide to congregational prayer in the Shafi'i school: its merit, conditions for imam and followers, the rows, the latecomer (masbuq), women and the congregation, and… Techniques of persuasionTechniques for persuading wife and husband according to Islam: the example of the Prophet ﷺ, example verses, things to avoid, polygamy and when an arbiter (hakam) is needed… GlossaryGlossary — polygyny, maintenance, turn, ʿIddah, sulh, faraid and the rest.
Before & during marriage
CriteriaThe foundations of a happy household — monogamy and polygamy. KhitbahThe ruling on khitbah and engagement: seeing the prospective spouse, limits of interaction, a proposal over another's proposal and during ʿIddah,… Love scamsA guide to preventing love scams for men and women seeking a spouse: the stages of approach, the scripts that… KafaahKafa'ah (compatibility): its meaning, its elements according to the four schools, the rights of the wali and the woman, the hadith at-Tirmidhi 1084 (hasan), as well as current practice… Marriage waliThe marriage wali: conditions, the order of the wali nasab, wali hakim, wali adhal, wali mujbir, the Hanafi view, the hadith la nikaha illa bi wali… MahramMahram through lineage, suckling and affinity, the prohibition of combining, the limit of four wives, as well as forbidden marriages: nikah mut'ah,… MahrThe mahr in Islam: the proof-text an-Nisa' 4:4, musamma and mithil, cash and deferred, the schools' minimum amount, half the mahr, and… Age · Wali · MahrThree things that determine whether a marriage can take place. The marriage contract (akad)The marriage contract: the wording of offer and acceptance (ijab qabul), ittisal and the sitting (majlis), language, a proxy, the conditions and number of witnesses according to the schools, online contracts… WalimahThe walimatul urus (wedding feast): the ruling of emphasised sunnah or obligatory, even with a single goat, accepting the invitation, etiquette, wrongdoing (mungkar), wastefulness and… Conditions & taʿliqTypes of conditions in the marriage contract according to the four schools, a condition not to practise polygamy, the taʿliq of Talaq in Malaysia, example wordings and how to… The four schoolsA comparison of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: the wali, witnesses, kafa'ah, mahr, contract conditions, triple Talaq, suckling, resumption (rujuk),… InterfaithMarriage with the People of the Book, the prohibition on a Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim, the status of a marriage after embracing Islam in Malaysia,… Nikah siri & misyarNikah siri, urfi, misyar, nikah mut'ah and syndicate marriage: the ruling, the risks to wife and children, the duty of registration and…
Household
Mental health & supportMental health support in a troubled family: helplines (999, HEAL line 15555, Befrienders, Talian Kasih… MaintenanceZahir and batin, who is entitled, turn-taking, and what can be claimed. Maintenance guideA collection of all the maintenance pages on this site: rates, child maintenance, parental maintenance, when maintenance lapses, claims after divorce,… Maintenance amountsMaintenance amounts in Malaysia: assessment under Act 303 s.61, the differences between the schools, ʿiddah and child maintenance, arrears as… Child maintenanceThe father's duty to support the child (Act 303 s.72), what is covered, the period for sons and daughters as well as the juristic difference… Parental maintenanceThe child's duty to support parents who are without means, when it arises and upon whom when there are several children,… When maintenance lapsesNushuz in fiqh and in Act 303 s.59: confirmation by the court and not by the husband, accrued maintenance as a debt (s.69),… Claims after divorceWhat a woman can claim after her marriage ends: ʿIddah maintenance and for which type of divorce,… Family financesIslamic family finances: halal and doubtful (syubhah) income, daily maintenance, the wife's property, budgeting, debt and riba, savings, the rights… ResponsibilitiesThe rights and duties of the husband, the wife, and the new wife. Intended second wifeFor the prospective second wife and for the existing wife. Marital etiquetteIntimacy as a right of both husband and wife, the supplication before intimacy, the prohibitions during menstruation and of anal intercourse, keeping private matters private, the polygyny rotation and… In-lawsParents' rights after a child marries, obedience only in what is ma'ruf, the wife's right to accommodation, service to parents-in-law… Trials in a marriageThe concept of trials (2:155–157, 29:2), caring for a spouse who is ill, childlessness and miscarriage, job loss and maintenance… Communication & emotionsThe etiquette of speaking in the home according to the Qur'an (33:70–71, 4:5, 17:53, 2:263, 4:19, 20:44) and the Sunnah; listening and consulting… Fertility & IVF'Azl and contraception, rulings on abortion by stage of pregnancy, IVF between husband and wife, the prohibition of donors and surrogacy, embryos… ChildrenLineage, maintenance, hadhanah — and the true measure of justice. Hadhanah & lineageCustody (hadhanah) in Islam: the order of carers, conditions, the age of discernment and the child's choice, loss of the right, child maintenance, lineage and illegitimate children… Impulse & decisionsImpulse versus a weighed decision: what drives spending and big decisions, the 30-day cooling-off rule,… CounsellingWhere to turn, and a form for sending a message to the site administrator. SAKINAH (family system)SAKINAH, the Family Head Centre at MYPolygyny.com: the husband manages the rotation and fairness checks, the family calendar, maintenance for each…
Polygyny
RulingThe evidence, and why the ruling varies between permissible, recommended, disliked and forbidden. ConditionsThe five pillars of marriage, the conditions for polygyny in Islam, and the conditions set by the courts. Fiqh of polygynyFiqh of polygyny: the condition of justice, the rotation of nights, the 7/3 nights, drawing lots for travel, housing, maintenance, the limit of four and the prohibition… The Prophet's ﷺ householdThe marriages of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: monogamy with Khadijah, the context of his later marriages, his justice, the exception of more… Managing the rotationThe polygyny rotation in practice: schedule models, travel and drawing lots, shift work, Hari Raya, school holidays, illness, childbirth and… Two-household financesPolygyny finances: a 2–4-household budget model, each wife's maintenance, separate homes, debt, takaful, wills, hibah, faraid… Co-wife relationsEtiquette between co-wives in Islam: jealousy in the Prophet's ﷺ household, the prohibition on asking for a co-wife to be divorced (Bukhari 5152), communication,… Children & polygynyChildren in polygyny: justice between children (Bukhari 2587), telling the children, stepchildren and mahram, faraid of paternal half-siblings, effects… Existing wifeA guide for the existing wife when her husband applies for polygyny: court procedure, the four conditions of s.23, documents, maintenance, property… Intended second wifeThe intended second wife: essential questions before the contract, rights to mahr, maintenance, rotation and inheritance, the risks of border or secret marriages,… Secret polygynySecret polygyny: fiqh vs the law, Selangor and Kelantan data, penalties in Malaysia and Indonesia, how to register and… Wisdom & criticismThe wisdom of polygyny according to scholars, criticisms and concerns, Islam's answer through the condition of justice and the courts, and reasons that… Myths & facts16 myths about polygyny corrected with sources: is it sunnah, the wife's permission (Malaysia vs Indonesia), marrying in Thailand, rights… Readiness quiz Rotation planner CalculatorIncome, commitments, and the cost of a second household. Practical toolsSelf-check, two-household calculator, court checklist by state and example letters.
Conflict & divorce
ʿIddah calculator Family faraidA complete guide to faraid: pillars, causes of and bars to inheritance, the shares of the fixed-share heirs (ashab al-furud) under an-Nisa' 4:11, 4:12 and 4:176,… Managing an estateA guide for heirs managing a Muslim estate in Malaysia: checklist for the first 100 days, debts and bequests before faraid,… Domestic violenceA safety guide for victims of domestic violence in Malaysia: 999, Talian Kasih 15999 and OSCC; types of violence in… Abandoned by a husbandA guide for wives left in limbo (digantung tak bertali): the Shariah prohibition (an-Nisa' 4:129, al-Baqarah 2:229 and 2:231), first steps… Maintenance enforcementSteps when a Syariah Court maintenance order is not obeyed: maintenance as a debt (Act 303 s.69), payment records, summons… Example lettersExample letters claiming maintenance and applying for help, for you to edit yourself. Matrimonial propertyJointly acquired matrimonial property (harta sepencarian) under Act 303: definition in s.2, claims on divorce (s.122), on a polygamy application (s.23(9)(b)) and… Single mothers' guideA step-by-step guide for single mothers after divorce: document checklist, ʿiddah maintenance, mut'ah, maintenance arrears,… Zakat & JKM aidZakat aid in every State and the Department of Social Welfare (JKM) for wives without maintenance, single mothers, widows and families… Nushuz & conflictNushuz of the wife and of the husband (an-Nisa' 4:34, 4:128), graduated steps, arbiters (hakam), Syariah Court sulh, domestic violence and… TalaqTalaq in Islam: pillars and wording, raj'i and ba'in talaq, triple talaq, khulʿ, fasakh, li'an, zihar, ila' and procedure… ʿIddah & rujukʿIddah in Islam: table of ʿiddah periods, maintenance and accommodation during ʿiddah, a widow's mourning (ihdad), conditions for rujuk (reconciliation), witnesses, registration… RemarriageRaj'i vs ba'in talaq, rujuk or a new contract, triple talaq (2:230), the prohibition of muhallil marriage, triple talaq in one pronouncement and… Death & widowsThe ʿiddah of death, 4 months 10 days, mourning (ihdad), pregnant widows, deferred dower, matrimonial property, faraid 1/4 or 1/8 shared… FaraidThe wives' share is shared, not multiplied. Preparing for deathWills, gifts (hibah), faraid and EPF/takaful nominations — the differences; the 1/3 limit; what is settled before the estate is divided; documents…
Malaysia & ASEAN
Syariah Court procedureA guide to Syariah Court proceedings in family cases: levels of court, summons or application, e-Syariah, service, sulh,… Islamic family lawAn introduction to Malaysian Islamic family law: Act 303 and the state enactments, how to read section references (s.X(Y)(Z)), and… Choose a countryMalaysia, ASEAN, Saudi Arabia & the Middle East — and other countries. Polygyny in MalaysiaPolygyny in Malaysia: Act 303 s.23/s.123, the 13 state enactments, the court tests, penalties, and JKSM and state statistics… Procedure by StateSteps for applying for permission to practise polygamy in the Syariah Court of each State: forms, documents, fees, the hearing and what happens after… GuideStep by step: the first time, and the next time. ProcedureA full list of documents for both routes. Court casesSummaries of Syariah Court cases on polygyny: Aishah v Wan Mohd Yusof, Zambri, the Alor Setar case of 2020–2022, Bung Moktar,… The states13 states + the Federal Territories — 14 Islamic family laws, departments and enactments. State enactments (text)The texts of the 14 Islamic family laws held: title, number, the polygamy section and penalty, and where each text was obtained. IndonesiaPolygyny in Indonesia: UU 1/1974 Article 3–5, PP 9/1975, KHI Article 55–59, civil servant rules, the KUA, the Pengadilan Agama and guidance for… SingaporePolygyny in Singapore: AMLA s.96, ROMM, the Kadi, the Syariah Court and MUIS; statistics 0.18% (2020) and guidance for Malaysians. BruneiPolygyny in Brunei: Syariah Court permission (s.23, Chapter 217), penalties under s.123, the Emergency Order (Islamic Family Law… PhilippinesPolygyny in the Philippines: PD 1083 Article 27 & 162, the Agama Arbitration Council, the Shari'a Courts, BARMM, RA 11596, bigamy and… ThailandPolygyny in Thailand: the Act of 1946 for the four provinces, the Dato' Yutitham, the Islamic Organisations Act 1997, Civil Code s.1452, marriages of Malaysian… Marrying abroadMarriage abroad (Thailand, Indonesia and others): advantages and risks, the duty to register within 6 months (Act 303 s.31,… Myanmar & IndochinaPolygyny in Myanmar (Monogamy Law 2015, Rohingya), Cambodia (Constitution Article 45) and Vietnam (Law on Marriage…
Middle East & world
Saudi ArabiaPolygyny in Saudi Arabia: the Personal Status Law 2022, the wife's conditions in the contract, Najiz, khulʿ, foreign wives and… Gulf & IranPolygyny in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Iran: personal status laws, wives' rights, sourced statistics and… Egypt, Jordan, MoroccoPolygyny in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon: laws, conditions, sourced official statistics… PakistanPolygyny in Pakistan: MFLO 1961 s.6 and s.7, the Arbitration Council, fasakh under the DMMA 1939, Supreme Court decisions, the nikahnama and… BangladeshPolygyny in Bangladesh: MFLO 1961 s.6, the Registration Act 1974, the Kazi, the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, Court decisions… IndiaPolygyny in India: the Shariat Act 1937, Shayara Bano, the Triple Talaq Act 2019, the Uttarakhand UCC, bills to prohibit… Sri LankaPolygyny in Sri Lanka: MMDA 1951 s.24, notice to the Quazi, Quazi courts, the Board of Quazis, the amendment debate of 2009–2026 and… MaldivesPolygyny in the Maldives: Family Act 4/2000 s.12, Registrar approval, the MVR 15,000 test, the Family Court, the highest divorce rate… Central AsiaPolygyny in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan: laws, penalties,… China, Japan, KoreaPolygyny in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong: monogamy, bigamy as a crime, marriage registration and guidance… AfricaPolygyny in Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan: civil, customary and Islamic marriage, kadhi courts and… Muslims in the WestBigamy, unregistered marriages, civil divorce vs talaq and the role of sharia councils for Muslims in the UK, US, Canada and… Marriage abroad & registrationRecognition of foreign marriages, spouse visas, legalisation of documents, re-registration in Malaysia after marrying abroad and… Across bordersCross-border marriage: jurisdiction, wali and documents, spouse visas, registering in Malaysia, polygyny, divorce, citizenship… World tableA comparison of polygyny laws in Malaysia, ASEAN, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the West: status, conditions, penalties… DirectoryDirectory of Islamic marriage authorities: JAKIM, JKSM, MUIS, ROMM, Kemenag, KUA, Badilag, KHEU, NCMF and courts and bodies…
Data & more
ChecklistsPrintable checklists: a first marriage, a polygyny application, notice to an existing wife, registration, divorce and the family… StatisticsOfficial polygyny figures for Malaysia and the region — in charts, with sources. Law updatesA timeline of polygyny law 2017–2026: Kelantan 2025, UAE 41/2024, Indonesia's KUHP Article 402, Uttarakhand, Saudi 2022,… Review datesThe version and date of every legal source read: Act 303 ("As at 1 January 2014", amendment A1261 1 Nov 2010) and texts… Reference databaseThe polygamy site's central reference base: 668 entries from 1548 citations across 100 pages, grouped by type,… Figures & eventsWell-known individuals and key events — with sources. History of polygynyThe history of polygyny before Islam, the Qur'anic reform, the practice of the early generations and the codification of law from 1917 to the present,… Scholars' viewsThe views of Muhammad Abduh, al-Azhar, al-Qaradawi, Ibn Baz, Malaysian muftis, MUI, the Constitutional Court and SIS/Musawah on… ResearchSummaries of peer-reviewed research on polygyny: wives' mental health, children, child health and economics, with citations… Free e-bookFree e-book: a short guide to marriage — one wife or more. About UsWho we are, our basis of reference and editorial policy. PsychologyWhat fitrah is, and what happens to the hearts of wife and husband. StoriesShared experiences and press reports. GuestbookTwo positions, one page. FAQShort answers to the most common questions. AskSend a question; answers are published if they are useful to others. SitemapThis page.
Q&A & reading
Not sure where to start? If you are a man considering polygyny, start with the Calculator and the Guide. If you are a woman — whether an existing wife or an intended wife — start with Women's Rights. Outside Malaysia? Choose a country.
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