An Examination of Dr. Seha's Doubts about the Multiplicity of Wives in the Holy Quran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.A student in Qur'anic Sciences and Hadith & M.A in Human Resources Management (author in charge), Tehran, Iran.

2 Associate professor at Islamic Sciences and Culture Academy, Qom, Iran.

Abstract

The fight against the Holy Quran has been pursued by enemies in a variety of ways, including casting the doubt on the laws and its rulings since the beginning of Islam until now. Marriage of a man to several women, or "multiple wives," are important and sensitive issues for women and the family., Surah Nisa, verse 3, the Qur'an issues the authorization of polygamy if they are able to consider justice among them and in verse 129 of this surah states that considering justice is not possible among the wives. Dr. Seha, in the book "Criticism of the Qur'an", while instilling doubts about "the multiplicity of wives" and considering it not to be reasonable, claims that verse 129 has abrogated verse 3 and that the provider of the ruling has regretted its continuation. The present study is a descriptive-analytical one with a critical approach and a documentary method to examine this doubt. The findings suggest that the rulings of the Holy Qur'an, including permission for the multiplicity of wives, have been formulated on the basis of human wisdom and the real need of the human being, and the reasons brought by critic of the Qur'an cannot undermine the rulings. There is also no Nasikh (abrogator) and Mansukh (abrogated) relation between the two verses mentioned.

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