OCCASION OF REVELATION (VERSE NO. 3)

      It was customary before Islam that people took the female orphan to look after them as a guardian. When they matured, the guardian took them for wife with much less dower. When married, the husband owned her properties, and by a least annoyance gave her a divorce! The verse was sent down to put the marriage with the orphans on conditions of justice and equity:

      ``And if you fear that you may not treat the orphans justly and with fairness in marrying them; then marry other women who are good and lawful to you, two, three, or four.''

      This verse revealed after the bitter incident of Ohud, when the Muslim new community was left with many orphans, widow, and captives. Their treatment was some how to be governed by justice and equity; and so says the verse to marry the orphans if you are quite sure that you will in that way protect them and their property with justice and fairness. If not so; and you doubt to do that, then make other arrangements for the orphans and your marriage. Marry other women of your choice who are good - two, three or four - a maximum of four provided you could treat them with equality and equity, both in material things and in immaterial things. But if you think that you cannot, then suffice with one wife only:

      And if you fear you will not be equitable to them all, then marry only one.''

POLYGAMY IS A NEED IN THE SOCIETY

      The above verse has admitted polygamy on the hard and heavy condition of JUSTICE.

      There are objections and questions around this matter that are aroused enthusiastically and not scientifically, and reasonably. The westerns accuse Islam of supporting and enjoining women's apartments, and gynaeceums, while Islam has neither permitted woman's apartments as they think, nor the polygamy is accepted without strict and hard conditions.

      Islamic laws are legislated on the basis of natural needs and wants of man. No one can deny that man passes away more than women in the community, due to the wars, hardship of works, and industrial accidents. The second world war proved this clearly.

      On the other hand the sexual life of man is much logner than that of the woman. The woman has also sexual stops during their menstrual discharge, and other cases such as maternity. There is also - sometimes - the problem of being barren with both sexs and the want of children in one side.

      Consisting these, and many other moral and spiritual reasons, we come to the conclusion that polygamy is a need - a serious need of the community and it should not be ignored. In this relation we have to answer so many questions that are among the most important ones of human beings and their society. Should we neglect and ignore the

instinct and natural needs of millions of widows, and if we do so, should we believe that our negligence will cancel and nullify the consequences of such an important need?

      Should we adhere to secret relationship and create freedom of illicit sexual intercourse and fornications, taking illegal mistresses and violate the sanctity of the sacred territory of marriage and wedlock through picking up girl-friends and boy-friends of the sort you know well?

      Should we lead them to the brothels and to the bawdy houses? Or should we marry them lawfully and with decency, and observe their rights by justice and equity?

SOME MORE DETAILS OF THIS MATTER

      In the pre-Islamic time which is known as the Pagan Era, the number of wives were not restricted. One man could have as many wives that he wanted or he could afford and supervise! On the other hand, marriage for a woman was not necessarily leaving her family house in order to live in the husband's. The man could pay her visits, in times, short or long. In many instances too, the case was easy for a woman to have two or more husbands at a time!

      Even after the spread of Islam, some of the pagans kept on with their old customs. It was not important to the Pagan Arab, for the most purposes to know who the father of a child was! It could be enough only to know the mother, and the child did belong to the mothers family!

      We know many famous Arabs contemporary to our prophet whose fathers were unknown because the mother had made love with several men at a time! As an instance we may mention, ZIAD-IBN-ABIH, which means ZIAD the son of his father. He was one of the famous courtiers of MOAVIYEH the founder of Ommayid Dynasty orcaliphate.

      It was due to such backgrounds that the marriage reforms of the prophet restricted the number of wives to a maximum of four to accord with the above verse and its relatively hard condition:

      ``If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with orphan, females, then marry a woman of your choice - two, three, or four. But if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with all of them, then only one or that whom your right hand possess.''

      Therefore, the unrestricted number of wives has been strictly limited to a maximum of four, provided you could treat them justly and in perfect equality in material things, as well as in immaterials. And as the condition is indeed difficult to fulfill, the recommendation turns towards monogamy and having one wife only! To confirm this idea, there is another verse in the glorious Qurän saying: ``You are never able to be equitable as between women, even if it be your ardent desire. Then turn not all your attention and inclination to one, leaving the other hanged as a divorced.'' Qurän - S 4:129   (TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)