Can a Man Keep More Than Four Wives at One Time? Q&A

Short answer: No. Keeping more than four wives at the same time is not permitted in Shariah.

Marry women of your choice — two, three or four. — (Surah An-Nisa, 4:3)

The importance of the word "at one time"

The limit is the number of wives in the marriage bond at one time. If someone marries several times in a lifetime one after another — after death or divorce — there is no problem, as long as at no time are there more than four in the marriage bond.

A fifth marriage during the iddah

If someone divorces one of four wives (revocable / irrevocable), in the discussions of the Hanafi jurists a fifth marriage is not proper until the iddah ends. Because during the iddah some rulings of the marital relationship remain in force with the divorced woman. For detailed situations, take a scholar's advice.

If one has more than four wives at the time of accepting Islam

Ghaylan ibn Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) had ten wives when he accepted Islam. The narration says the Prophet ﷺ instructed him to choose four and separate from the rest. (Musnad Ahmad, Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1128, Sunan Ibn Majah 1953) There are discussions among hadith scholars about the chain of this narration, but the limit of four is established by the Qur'anic verse and the unanimous understanding of the Ummah.

Why this limit?

In the pre-Islamic era an unlimited number of wives and violation of their rights were prevalent. The limit of four set responsibility and protection. The condition of justice must certainly be observed along with it (The Islamic ruling on multiple marriages, Justice).

The law of Bangladesh

In Bangladesh the written permission of the Arbitration Council is needed for each additional marriage — see the legal process.

Three common misconceptions

1. "2+3+4 = 9" — according to Arabic usage this is not a sum; they are alternative numbers (Explanation of 4:3).
2. "One cannot marry more than four times in total in a lifetime" — wrong; the limit is on the number of wives kept together.
3. "Keeping four is best" — wrong; if one lacks the ability to uphold justice, one wife is enough.

The count after the death of a wife

If one of four wives dies, the husband may marry again; because the marital bond ends with death and now three are married. However, the matter of iddah applies to the wife (a wife's iddah on her husband's death), not to the husband.

When a fifth marriage is proper after divorce

• Revocable divorce: when the iddah ends, the marital bond ends, then a new marriage.
• Irrevocable divorce: in Hanafi fiqh there is discussion of a special prohibition on a new marriage during the iddah (especially when four are complete).
• The time limit for a divorce to take legal effect (in Bangladesh, 90 days after notice) and the Shariah iddah calculation are separate ideas — verify both (Talaq and khula).

Marrying two sisters together and other limits

Besides the limit on number, there are some prohibited combinations — such as keeping two sisters in the marriage bond together, or a maternal aunt and her niece / a paternal aunt and her niece together (Surah An-Nisa 4:23 and the relevant hadith). In these matters take the advice of a fiqh book or a mufti (Al-Hidaya and Radd al-Muhtar).

The legal side: permission for each additional marriage

Even within the four at one time, in Bangladesh the Arbitration Council's permission is needed before each additional marriage. If a man divorces an old wife and marries anew, and the number of existing wives is counted afresh, the legal process may differ; so take a lawyer's advice in every case (the legal process).

A brief table

Situation	The limit of four
Four wives existing	No fifth marriage
One dies	A new marriage is possible in place of the fifth (three remain)
One divorced and iddah ongoing	Caution in Hanafi fiqh; considered after the iddah
More wives at the time of accepting Islam	Keep four and separate from the rest

If you have questions, contact us.