⚖️ Polygyny: rulings & justice · #17
What is the ruling on a man who marries a fifth wife?
A marriage contract with a fifth wife while still having four wives is void and invalid, and the relationship is forbidden.
The limit of four wives is set by Surah an-Nisa' verse 3, and the Prophet ﷺ told Ghailan ath-Thaqafi, who embraced Islam with ten wives, to choose only four (narrated by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, sahih). The couple must be separated immediately. If intercourse took place out of ignorance, questions of mahr, ʿiddah and the child's lineage must be referred to the Syariah Court for determination. A man who wishes to marry again must divorce one of his wives and wait for her ʿiddah to end (see the school-of-law note). See Ruling on polygyny.
The limit of four wives is set by Surah an-Nisa' verse 3, and the Prophet ﷺ told Ghailan ath-Thaqafi, who embraced Islam with ten wives, to choose only four (narrated by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, sahih). The couple must be separated immediately. If intercourse took place out of ignorance, questions of mahr, ʿiddah and the child's lineage must be referred to the Syariah Court for determination. A man who wishes to marry again must divorce one of his wives and wait for her ʿiddah to end (see the school-of-law note). See Ruling on polygyny.
Sources
Surah an-Nisa' 4:3Narrated by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah (sahih) — the story of Ghailan ath-Thaqafi