TwoCents | Nigerian Muslims and Abuse Of Polygamy

Nowadays, the rate at which Muslim men abuse the practice of polygamy (polygyny) is likely unprecedented in history. In Northern Nigeria, polygamy has become more of a customary practice than a socio-religious responsibility. Many Muslims in Yorubaland who subscribe to plural marriages are equally abusing this right. And sadly enough, this trend of abuse does not exclude several followers what went wrong, and where lies the way out? To start with, Islamic Scholars have laid down a golden principle which states "It is forbidden for anyone to engage in any activity until he or she knows about its ruling." Thus, before a Muslim performs Salat, Sawm, Umrah, Hajj, etc., he or she must learn the rulings about these acts of worship. This helps to avoid destructive errors which may render the worship fruitless. The condition attached to marrying one wife is equally attached to marrying multiple wives, except that additional wives necessitate additional responsibilities and requirements, as they say, more honour comes with more responsibility. For instance, a monogamous man who struggles to satisfy his single wife sexually is prohibited from marrying more, likewise, a man who can hardly maintain one wife (in terms of feeding, clothing, and accommodation) is not qualified to add extra due to the economic challenges. Today many people have taken these factors for granted, giving them little or no concern. Another important requirement includes wisdom and piety. These two criteria assist in fairness and maintaining equity between co-wives. Many married men often fall into “accidental polygamy” as a result of careless interaction with ladies. They keep eyeing the food they can't buy. But the fact remains that allowing men to marry up to four wives is both rational and natural. Polygamy remains the best solution to certain needs and challenges. It is indeed a great favor to men and women alike. Nevertheless, the incessant abuse of polygamy has culminated in a geometric increase in broken homes, leading to implicit and explicit divorce cases. Perhaps we need to realize that monogamy is never a curse and that polygamy shouldn't be a do-or-die affair. Therefore, we say: “What is worth doing is worth doing well”.