Was polygamy commanded by God in the Bible?

[hamba2han]

“Marry of the women that please you two, three or four. But if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly, then [marry only] one …” … al-Qur’an, Chapter an-Nisaa (4):3

Islam is the ONLY religion where the faithful are advised to marry only one woman if they are unable to deal in a just manner towards all of their wives.

And so, Islam permits polygamy but does not encourage it if unjustness would occur.

 

[Reuben_J]

“Marry of the women that please you two, three or four. But if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly, then [marry only] one …” … al-Qur’an, Chapter an-Nisaa (4):3

Islam is the ONLY religion where the faithful are advised to marry only one woman if they are unable to deal in a just manner towards all of their wives.

And so, Islam permits polygamy but does not encourage it if unjustness would occur.

So I hope you can understand why we think that this theology feeds the carnal desire.

If what you say is true, then who can practice polygamy? Practically, they are those who can afford it and those men who have big sexual appetite. The latter may not be able to afford so it will leave the rich only. Thus if you are rich and if your libido is hyperactive then polygamy is for you.

To us being rich is worldly and it will not bring you to heaven. There is nothing wrong to be rich but it is better to be spiritually rich.

Strong libido is human desire. There is nothing wrong with it but if you have the fruit of the Holy Spirit you will be able to control it so that you don’t have to go against the law of God.

Thus your theology on polygamy serves no spiritual purpose other than to legitimize it. As can be seen this kind of marriage (polygamy) brings more problem and injustice to the people concerned except to satisfy the men’s carnal desire.

Relatively it is easier to understand the LDS concept of polygamy being eternal marriage. But the Islamic version is simply humanistic and serves no purpose spiritually and that’s why I think it’s against God’s commandment. Even the LDS does not condone Mohammad’s polygamy because of the carnal nature that it subscribes to.

 

[hamba2han]

In general, men who are legally restricted to just one partner are far more likely to get involved in extramarital relationships than men who are in polygamous marriages.

In the former, the women involved are not entitled to any rights in Islam but in the latter, the women involved are accorded all the rights and protection that a wife and mother is entitled to.

In fact, many Muslim women who live in polygamous marriages are perfectly content with their marriage situation and would not have it any other way even if given the choice to be in a monogamous marriage.

 

[KathleenGee]

I can see why…there would be those women who would wish to be left alone having to live with such a libido…

I have read posts by Muslim women who admit Muslim men cannot control themselves…Muslim men can still have 3 or 4…pieces of meat…sounds like to me.

Sorry, I see and hear so many bad things about Muslim men, and you Hamba, go to bad sites about Christianity that are not truthful, you come back here, we tell you the truth, but you still promote false ideas here…

Who is promoting things which are not true…???

 

[hamba2han]

Unlike Christians, Muslims only “promote” things which are supported by scripture.

Christian opposition to polygamy is based NOT on scripture but ONLY on emotions.

 

[KathleenGee]

Hamba,

You are not drawing on the truth of Christianity…I have read your references for some time…you don’t know what is truth from falsehood. That is what is concerning me is no matter how many times, the Muslims come on here with false understanding of Sacred Scripture that no Jew or Christian would believe.

What speaks the truth is the condition of women in the Arab world. They have my prayers. And I pray for your conversion.

Your references are to be answered with prayer.

 

[Reuben_J]

In general, men who are legally restricted to just one partner are far more likely to get involved in extramarital relationships than men who are in polygamous marriages.

So you agree that you gratify what St. Paul called the **‘sinful nature’ **that leads to extramarital relationship. He warned those who live according to their sinful nature will not inherit the Kingdom of God (heaven).

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal5:19-21)

A true Christian who is strong in the faith, who surrenders himself to the grace of God, does not live according to his sinful nature. We are called not to be like the heathens or unbelievers; we are called to follow the will of God; and God who calls us strengthens us so that we overcome sins that arise from our sinful nature.

This is the hallmark of a true religion. It does not say that you do these things if you cannot prevent them. As I said we do not need a religion or the teachings of the prophets if we are to follow our sinful nature because that is our nature.

Religion requires us to follow God’s will. Polygamy is not God’s will. It is **not compatible **with his commandments.

In the former, the women involved are not entitled to any rights in Islam but in the latter, the women involved are accorded all the rights and protection that a wife and mother is entitled to.

Sure Islamic law has all what it takes to support polygamy because it allows it.

In fact, many Muslim women who live in polygamous marriages are perfectly content with their marriage situation and would not have it any other way even if given the choice to be in a monogamous marriage.

That is not what we see everyday and from the news that we read.

I have seen too many Muslim women, victims of polygamous marriages. And it is not pretty.

 

[Reuben_J]

Unlike Christians, Muslims only “promote” things which are supported by scripture.

Christian opposition to polygamy is based NOT on scripture but ONLY on emotions.

True, but we do not believe in your scripture.

As far as we are concerned, polygamy is merely a tool for Mohammad’s to achieve his own intention to have many wives. Obviously to satisfy his huge sexual appetite which he could not rein in. He was living in sin; the revelation that commanded him to marry many wives including his own daughter in law could not have come from God. It could be from anything else but certainly not from God because God does not contradict himself.

Even the LDS who also belief in polygamy do not accept polygamous marriage purely for the sake of satisfying one’s lust. For them the reason is spiritual and not carnal. Not that I agree with them.

 

[seraphime2008]

Unlike Christians, Muslims only “promote” things which are supported by scripture.

Christian opposition to polygamy is based NOT on scripture but ONLY on emotions.

Ham…
Would you ponder whether this scripture was given by God to Muhammad? This is not a teaching to lower the gaze for him,nor to be chaste and self restrain or control but to get any woman as much as he desired because it was legal under the obligation of just giving her so called rights of dowry which was not set as some sort of live long supply and the same time leaving aside the women /wives whom he displeased, which shows how convenient for him to do so under the permission of his (I am keen to think as an) alter ego Allah?:

*Qur’an (33:37) - “But when Zaid had accomplished his want of her, We gave her to you as a wife, so that there should be no difficulty for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished their want of them; and Allah’s command shall be performed.”
*
*Quran (33:50) -"O Prophet! surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a believing woman if she gave herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to marry her-- specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you;

Qur’an (33:51) - “You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you; this is most proper, so that their eyes may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased”

Qur’an (4:24) - “And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.”
*

As these of ur scriptures are taken, it only stresses that in Islam marriage is just a commodity or an action of transactions of who can buy or purchase of provide in terms of legitimating the marriage, thus polygamy is just another legit transaction of who can buy, purchase or provide more.

Btw, in Islam, many cases have shown that it’s not only the haves who practice polygamy, many people of less fortune with high libido also manage to purchase many wives.

I am also curious on whether the husband must get permission from his wife to get another wife, is there any verse in Koran that says so because I once discussed it with a Muslim that say that it was not obligatory?

 

[RebeccaJ]

Even the LDS who also belief in polygamy do not accept polygamous marriage purely for the sake of satisfying one’s lust. For them the reason is spiritual and not carnal. Not that I agree with them.

Perhaps that is how LDS must view it today. But I don’t see much difference between Muhammad and Smith in the inability to reign in the sinful nature, and the root of new “scripture” that conforms to that nature.

 

[Reuben_J]

Perhaps that is how LDS must view it today. But I don’t see much difference between Muhammad and Smith in the inability to reign in the sinful nature, and the root of new “scripture” that conforms to that nature.

So either way it’s a no go.

All the while Christians were monogamous. I guess something needed to be done to circumvent that.

Interesting how new ‘scriptures’ were required for polygamy to become a commandment.

 

[hamba2han]

So you agree that you gratify what St. Paul called the **‘sinful nature’ **that leads to extramarital relationship. He warned those who live according to their sinful nature will not inherit the Kingdom of God (heaven).

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal5:19-21)

A true Christian who is strong in the faith, who surrenders himself to the grace of God, does not live according to his sinful nature. We are called not to be like the heathens or unbelievers; we are called to follow the will of God; and God who calls us strengthens us so that we overcome sins that arise from our sinful nature.

This is the hallmark of a true religion. It does not say that you do these things if you cannot prevent them. As I said we do not need a religion or the teachings of the prophets if we are to follow our sinful nature because that is our nature.

Religion requires us to follow God’s will. Polygamy is not God’s will. It is **not compatible **with his commandments.

Sure Islamic law has all what it takes to support polygamy because it allows it.

That is not what we see everyday and from the news that we read.

I have seen too many Muslim women, victims of polygamous marriages. And it is not pretty.

"Religion requires us to follow God’s will. Polygamy is not God’s will. It is not compatible with his commandments."

Your own Christian scriptures disagrees with what you have written here.

If, as you say, polygamy is not compatible with the commandments, then how come the Biblical Prophets (peace be upon them all) including Jesus (pbuh) himself, never condemn nor dissociated themselves from the practice?

What are Muslims suppose to believe to be the truth then i.e. EITHER that which is written in the Old and New Testaments… OR… the emotions of Christians like yourself with little or no scriptural basis to support your negative views on polygamy?

 

[hamba2han]

Ham…
Would you ponder whether this scripture was given by God to Muhammad? This is not a teaching to lower the gaze for him,nor to be chaste and self restrain or control but to get any woman as much as he desired because it was legal under the obligation of just giving her so called rights of dowry which was not set as some sort of live long supply and the same time leaving aside the women /wives whom he displeased, which shows how convenient for him to do so under the permission of his (I am keen to think as an) alter ego Allah?:

*Qur’an (33:37) - “But when Zaid had accomplished his want of her, We gave her to you as a wife, so that there should be no difficulty for the believers in respect of the wives of their adopted sons, when they have accomplished their want of them; and Allah’s command shall be performed.”
*
*Quran (33:50) -"O Prophet! surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your paternal aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a believing woman if she gave herself to the Prophet, if the Prophet desired to marry her-- specially for you, not for the (rest of) believers; We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess in order that no blame may attach to you;

Qur’an (33:51) - “You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you; this is most proper, so that their eyes may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased”

Qur’an (4:24) - “And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.”
*

As these of ur scriptures are taken, it only stresses that in Islam marriage is just a commodity or an action of transactions of who can buy or purchase of provide in terms of legitimating the marriage, thus polygamy is just another legit transaction of who can buy, purchase or provide more.

Btw, in Islam, many cases have shown that it’s not only the haves who practice polygamy, many people of less fortune with high libido also manage to purchase many wives.

I am also curious on whether the husband must get permission from his wife to get another wife, is there any verse in Koran that says so because I once discussed it with a Muslim that say that it was not obligatory?

Muslims who wish to practice polygamy need to follow guidelines which are laid down in Islam but unfortunately, many Muslims do not follow these divine guidelines and the result of this is that unjustness do indeed occur in their marriages.

Muslim women however do have the right to stipulate in their marriage contracts that their husbands cannot marry another woman without their consent.

 

[Reuben_J]

**“Religion requires us to follow God’s will. Polygamy is not God’s will. It is not compatible **with his commandments.”

Your own Christian scriptures disagrees with what you have written here.

If, as you say, polygamy is not compatible with the commandments, then how come the Biblical Prophets (peace be upon them all) including Jesus (pbuh) himself, never condemn nor dissociated themselves from the practice?

What are Muslims suppose to believe to be the truth then i.e. EITHER that which is written in the Old and New Testaments… OR… the emotions of Christians like yourself with little or no scriptural basis to support your negative views on polygamy?

The Biblical verses that purport to support polygamy have been dealt with in this thread. They are not, if you read our posts properly, support polygamy.

These are examples of some of the commandments,

Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before ] me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

**Mt 22:37-40 **
Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang ALL the law and the prophets.”

Commandments are what God commands us to do or not to do. If it’s not in the commandments then you have to find out whether it is in the spirit of the commandments.

Polygamy is about marriage. Whether it is allowed or not you have to see what does God commands about marriage.

The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, for she was taken out of man.”
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Gen 2:23-24

This is confirmed by Jesus when he repeated this in Mt 19:5-6

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Polygamy is not compatible with God’s commandment in Genesis 2:24 which state that the husband and wife will become one flesh. This does not mean that their flesh merges together; it can’t be done. What merge together? It’s their soul that we cannot see. When they marry there is an intricate bond between their souls that God commands no man shall separate.

When a spouse marries more than one partner that bond is damaged because it is separating that merger to merge to another soul. That’s against the commandment of God. You possibly cannot understand or internalize this because as a Muslim you are probably taught more on carnal matter and less about the spiritual.

From the way you said it I don’t think that you are able to differentiate between spiritual and emotional reality.

Spiritual is the state of our soul in relation to God and emotion is the state of our mind. If you accuse me of being emotional then there is no sense in continuing a discussion because an emotional person will be dictated by his mind and not with reasons. It is perhaps the easiest way to shut off a person but that will not make your argument right.

However as you have disclosed, there are Quranic verses that specifically commands polygamy and with details. There is none whatsoever in the Bible. The absence of such command does not make it to be allowed by God.

I have asked in a post for someone to explain how polygamy is commanded in the polygamous marriages of the some of the prophets which I mentioned. That post is not answered until now.

 

[Reuben_J]

Muslims who wish to practice polygamy need to follow guidelines which are laid down in Islam but unfortunately, many Muslims do not follow these divine guidelines and the result of this is that unjustness do indeed occur in their marriages.

Why legitimize it when in the first place God did not command it?

Please tell us how the command of polygamy came about and under what background and circumstances in the Quran? I have heard it but it would be interesting for the readers to discover for themselves the genius of Mohammad.

Muslim women however do have the right to stipulate in their marriage contracts that their husbands cannot marry another woman without their consent.

You know this is a lie and a modern invention to make polygamy looks good. What’s so great about marriage contract? Film stars and the riches do that all the times to protect their money and to avoid responsibility.

Islam also has marriage contract which is purely for sex purpose. In the Bible this is call fornication which St.Paul did not water down the sin of profaning marriages.

 

[RebeccaJ]

Interesting how new ‘scriptures’ were required for polygamy to become a commandment.

Exactly! If polygamy were commanded by God in the Bible, there would be no need to create scripture that commands it. Just as we don’t need new scripture to command us to not commit adultery.

 

[RebeccaJ]

You know this is a lie and a modern invention to make polygamy looks good. What’s so great about marriage contract? Film stars and the riches do that all the times to protect their money and to avoid responsibility.

So, a man can get a woman to sign a contract that he’ll remain faithful. That’s just so totally and completely awesome! Sign me up!

 

[hamba2han]

The Biblical verses that purport to support polygamy have been dealt with in this thread. They are not, if you read our posts properly, support polygamy.

These are examples of some of the commandments,

Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words:
2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
3 "You shall have no other gods before ] me.
4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
8 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
13 "You shall not murder.
14 "You shall not commit adultery.
15 "You shall not steal.
16 "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

**Mt 22:37-40 **
Jesus said unto him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang ALL the law and the prophets.”

Commandments are what God commands us to do or not to do. If it’s not in the commandments then you have to find out whether it is in the spirit of the commandments.

Polygamy is about marriage. Whether it is allowed or not you have to see what does God commands about marriage.

The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, for she was taken out of man.”
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Gen 2:23-24

This is confirmed by Jesus when he repeated this in Mt 19:5-6

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? 6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

Polygamy is not compatible with God’s commandment in Genesis 2:24 which state that the husband and wife will become one flesh. This does not mean that their flesh merges together; it can’t be done. What merge together? It’s their soul that we cannot see. When they marry there is an intricate bond between their souls that God commands no man shall separate.

When a spouse marries more than one partner that bond is damaged because it is separating that merger to merge to another soul. That’s against the commandment of God. You possibly cannot understand or internalize this because as a Muslim you are probably taught more on carnal matter and less about the spiritual.

From the way you said it I don’t think that you are able to differentiate between spiritual and emotional reality.

Spiritual is the state of our soul in relation to God and emotion is the state of our mind. If you accuse me of being emotional then there is no sense in continuing a discussion because an emotional person will be dictated by his mind and not with reasons. It is perhaps the easiest way to shut off a person but that will not make your argument right.

However as you have disclosed, there are Quranic verses that specifically commands polygamy and with details. There is none whatsoever in the Bible. The absence of such command does not make it to be allowed by God.

I have asked in a post for someone to explain how polygamy is commanded in the polygamous marriages of the some of the prophets which I mentioned. That post is not answered until now.

If, as you say, a polygamous marriage damages the “spiritual” bond between a man and his wife and is against God’s commandment, then why did some of the Prophets like Abraham and Jacob (pbut) marry more than one wife?

Were they spiritually weak that they disobeyed the command of their Lord?

Nay, your explanation on this “spiritual” bonding between man and wife just does not add up when measured against actual accounts on the marriages of the Prophets as told in the Bible.

Is this “intricate bond between their souls” of a man and his wife actually taught in the Bible or is this quaint concept merely the fruit of someone’s emotional creativeness?

I would suspect it to be the latter.

 

[Reuben_J]

If, as you say, a polygamous marriage damages the “spiritual” bond between a man and his wife and is against God’s commandment, then why did some of the Prophets like Abraham and Jacob (pbut) marry more than one wife?

Were they spiritually weak that they disobeyed the command of their Lord?

That’s a good question. I hope you got a copy of the Bible and you can take your time to really read it, about how Abraham married to Hagar and Jacob to Leah and Rachel. I have summarized them in my earlier post but you can really read them up. It is all in Genesis.

As for Abraham, his legal wife is Sarah. God blessed this marriage and even though Sarah and Abraham were very old at an age that they were unable to bear children, God performed a miracle and gave Sarah a son. However before that Sarah did not believe that God actually could do that; she laughed at that promised. She in her desperation, asked Abraham to impregnate Hagar, her maid servant so that Abraham could have descendant through her servant. God chided her for the unbelief. Abraham marriage to Hagar was not God’s command but because of Sarah’s insecurity and lack of belief, and for that she was chided. So that’s about Abraham polygamous marriage – not commanded by God but Sarah.

I had explained Jacob’s marriage to the two sisters. These marriages were forced upon him due to the trickery of Laban, the girls’ father who wanted him to marry the older daughter first. **So the marriages were not God’s command but one arises out of deceit.
**

In essence, both men were trapped in a circumstance where marriage happened not because they wanted it but because it was imposed by someone else. They may be culpable and if that is so it amounts to weakness though they were not totally at fault.

Hope that helps.

 

[KathleenGee]

True, it was Sarah who requested this, not Abraham…she lost her faith…but she did eventually have a son.

Hamba, you do not read Sacred Scripture correctly. You need to study it from a learned Catholic Christian, better yet a Hebrew Catholic.

Every time you and other Muslims draw from it, it is so wrong we can see it…you do not understand the message and the universal experience of those who turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

The initial experience is the same even though people do not end up in the same churches.