The Benefits Of Polygamy, By Ibn ‘Uthaymeen

1) He may have a need in some cases. For instance, the wife may be  very old or sick or if he restricts himself with her only, he may not be able to keep himself chaste. And if she has children from him and he keeps her, he will fear difficulty for himself by abandoning the marriage or perhaps he fears committing adultery and if he divorces her, she would then be separated from her children. Thus, this problem is not solved except by polygamy.

2) That marriage is a cause of strengthening ties of relations between people, thus Allaah (swt) has made it a co-partner to lineage [25:54]. Hence, plural marriages help too create bonds between many families connecting them to one another and this is one of the (many) reasons which prompted the Prophet (saw) to marry a number of women.

3) It results in protecting a large number of women, establishing their needs with regards to maintenance, housing, many children and an increased progeny; and this is a matter required by the All-Wise Lawmaker (Allaah).

4) There are some men who possess strong desire and one (woman) may not be enough, fearing adultery, he protects his chastity. At the same time, he wishes to fulfil his sexual needs by permissible enjoyment.

Hence it is from the mercy of Allaah (swt) that He permitted for His creation plurality in a safe and sound way.

[A Concise Manual Of Marriage, by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, pp. 38-40]

Advice To Parents Who Wish To Marry Their Daughters Off, By Ibn Taymiyyah

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“It is an obligation upon the guardian of a woman to fear Allaah with respect to who he marries her to. He must look at the prospective husband and see if he is compatible and qualified for her or not. He is marrying her to someone for her benefit, and not for his own benefit.

He cannot marry her to someone who is deficient so that guardian himself may attain some other benefit. For example, the guardian himself may wish to marry someone whom the prospective groom is a guardian for and hence he marries the woman to that man so he can himself marry the other woman.

This is a type of marriage known as ash-shigaar and the Prophet (saw) prohibited this type of marriage. Or he may marry her to a man simply to have some alliance with his people or for some evil purpose. Or he may marry her to a man who will give him some wealth in exchange even though other men who are more appropriate for her have proposed to her.”

[Majmoo Fataawaa, 32/40]