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128 main pages and 624 Q&A entries, arranged by menu.
Start & essentials
HomeEntry point — a summary of each section. Start hereReading paths according to your situation. Husband crash courseA 10-lesson crash course for Muslim husbands: qiwamah, maintenance, mu'asyarah bil-ma'ruf, 66:6, family prayer, debt, anger,… Wife crash courseA 10-lesson course for Muslim wives: obedience in what is right (ma'ruf), the wife's rights, menstruation & postnatal bleeding, trust, communicating, the wife's property,… Rights of husband & wifeShared rights, the wife's rights (mahr, maintenance, housing, turn) and the husband's rights according to 2:228, 4:19 and 4:34, as well as work and… Daily etiquetteEvidenced daily etiquette for spouses: mu'asyarah bil-ma'ruf (4:19), greetings, kind words, helping with housework, keeping secrets,… ʿAwrah & limits of social interactionThe ʿawrah of husband and wife before mahram and non-mahram, the hadith al-hamwu al-maut about in-laws, khalwat, mixing in the… Educating the familyEducating the family according to at-Tahrim 66:6: the roles of husband and wife, a child's prayer at the age of seven, the family halaqah, digital media and… Social media & digitalSocial media etiquette for spouses: a spouse's faults and household secrets, photos of the family and children, messaging with non-mahram,… Fiqh of menstruation & postnatal bleedingMenstruation, postnatal bleeding and istihadah according to the Shafi'i school: what is forbidden, what is permitted, the obligatory bath, making up prayer and fasting, and… Supplications & prayerThe istikharah and hajat prayers, supplications for a spouse and offspring, the bridal supplication, the first night, when angry or jealous, and the husband's supplication as well as… Techniques of persuasionTechniques for persuading wife and husband according to Islam: the example of the Prophet ﷺ, example verses, things to avoid, polygamy and when an arbiter (hakam) is needed… GlossaryGlossary — polygyny, maintenance, turn, ʿIddah, sulh, faraid and the rest.
Before & during marriage
CriteriaThe foundations of a happy household — monogamy and polygamy. KhitbahThe ruling on khitbah and engagement: seeing the prospective spouse, limits of interaction, a proposal over another's proposal and during ʿIddah,… Love scamsA guide to preventing love scams for men and women seeking a spouse: the stages of approach, the scripts that… KafaahKafa'ah (compatibility): its meaning, its elements according to the four schools, the rights of the wali and the woman, the hadith at-Tirmidhi 1084 (hasan), as well as current practice… Marriage waliThe marriage wali: conditions, the order of the wali nasab, wali hakim, wali adhal, wali mujbir, the Hanafi view, the hadith la nikaha illa bi wali… MahramMahram through lineage, suckling and affinity, the prohibition of combining, the limit of four wives, as well as forbidden marriages: nikah mut'ah,… MahrThe mahr in Islam: the proof-text an-Nisa' 4:4, musamma and mithil, cash and deferred, the schools' minimum amount, half the mahr, and… Age · Wali · MahrThree things that determine whether a marriage can take place. The marriage contract (akad)The marriage contract: the wording of offer and acceptance (ijab qabul), ittisal and the sitting (majlis), language, a proxy, the conditions and number of witnesses according to the schools, online contracts… WalimahThe walimatul urus (wedding feast): the ruling of emphasised sunnah or obligatory, even with a single goat, accepting the invitation, etiquette, wrongdoing (mungkar), wastefulness and… Conditions & taʿliqTypes of conditions in the marriage contract according to the four schools, a condition not to practise polygamy, the taʿliq of Talaq in Malaysia, example wordings and how to… The four schoolsA comparison of the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali schools: the wali, witnesses, kafa'ah, mahr, contract conditions, triple Talaq, suckling, resumption (rujuk),… InterfaithMarriage with the People of the Book, the prohibition on a Muslim woman marrying a non-Muslim, the status of a marriage after embracing Islam in Malaysia,… Nikah siri & misyarNikah siri, urfi, misyar, nikah mut'ah and syndicate marriage: the ruling, the risks to wife and children, the duty of registration and…
Household
Mental health & supportMental health support in a troubled family: helplines (999, HEAL line 15555, Befrienders, Talian Kasih… MaintenanceMaterial and intimate, who is entitled, turns, and what can be claimed. Maintenance guideAll the maintenance pages on this site in one place: rates, child maintenance, maintenance of parents, when maintenance lapses, claims after divorce,… Maintenance ratesMaintenance rates in Malaysia: assessment under Act 303 s.61, differences between the schools, ʿiddah and child maintenance, arrears of maintenance as… Child maintenanceThe father's obligation to maintain his children (Act 303 s.72), what it covers, its duration for sons and daughters, and the differences of opinion… Maintenance of parentsA child's obligation to support parents who are without means, when it arises and on whom it falls when there are several children,… When maintenance lapsesNushuz in fiqh and in Act 303 s.59: confirmation by the court, not by the husband, maintenance accruing as a debt (s.69),… Claims after divorceWhat a woman can claim after her marriage ends: ʿiddah maintenance and for which types of divorce,… Family financesIslamic family finances: halal and doubtful income, daily maintenance, the wife's property, budgeting, debt and riba, savings, rights… ResponsibilitiesThe rights and duties of the husband, the wife and the new wife. Prospective second wifeFor the prospective second wife and for the existing wife. Marital etiquetteIntimacy as a right of both husband and wife, the supplication before intimacy, the prohibitions concerning menstruation and the anus, keeping private matters private, turns in polygamy and… In-lawsParents' rights after a child marries, obedience only in what is right, the wife's right to accommodation, service to parents-in-law… Trials in marriageThe concept of trial (2:155–157, 29:2), caring for a sick spouse, childlessness and miscarriage, loss of employment and maintenance… Communication & emotionsThe etiquette of speech at home according to the Qur'an (33:70–71, 4:5, 17:53, 2:263, 4:19, 20:44) and the Sunnah; listening and consultation… Fertility & IVF'Azl and contraception, the ruling on abortion by stage of pregnancy, IVF between husband and wife, the prohibition of donors and surrogate mothers, embryos… ChildrenLineage, maintenance, custody — and the true measure of fairness. Custody & lineageCustody (hadhanah) in Islam: the order of guardians, conditions, the age of discernment and the child's choice, loss of the right, child maintenance, lineage and illegitimate children… Impulse & decisionsImpulse versus considered decisions: what drives spending and big decisions, the 30-day cooling-off rule,… CounsellingWhere to seek referral, and a contact form. SAKINAH (family system)A preview of polygyny101's polygamous household management system: a monthly maintenance tracker, a register of the husband's requests and complaints and…
Polygyny
RulingThe evidence, and why the ruling varies between permissible, recommended, disliked and forbidden. ConditionsThe five pillars of marriage, the conditions for polygyny in Islam, and the conditions set by the courts. Fiqh of polygynyFiqh of polygyny: the condition of justice, the rotation of nights, the 7/3 nights, drawing lots for travel, housing, maintenance, the limit of four and the prohibition… The Prophet's ﷺ householdThe marriages of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: monogamy with Khadijah, the context of his later marriages, his justice, the exception of more… Managing the rotationThe polygyny rotation in practice: schedule models, travel and drawing lots, shift work, Hari Raya, school holidays, illness, childbirth and… Two-household financesPolygyny finances: a 2–4-household budget model, each wife's maintenance, separate homes, debt, takaful, wills, hibah, faraid… Co-wife relationsEtiquette between co-wives in Islam: jealousy in the Prophet's ﷺ household, the prohibition on asking for a co-wife to be divorced (Bukhari 5152), communication,… Children & polygynyChildren in polygyny: justice between children (Bukhari 2587), telling the children, stepchildren and mahram, faraid of paternal half-siblings, effects… Existing wifeA guide for the existing wife when her husband applies for polygyny: court procedure, the four conditions of s.23, documents, maintenance, property… Intended second wifeThe intended second wife: essential questions before the contract, rights to mahr, maintenance, rotation and inheritance, the risks of border or secret marriages,… Secret polygynySecret polygyny: fiqh vs the law, Selangor and Kelantan data, penalties in Malaysia and Indonesia, how to register and… Wisdom & criticismThe wisdom of polygyny according to scholars, criticisms and concerns, Islam's answer through the condition of justice and the courts, and reasons that… Myths & facts16 myths about polygyny corrected with sources: is it sunnah, the wife's permission (Malaysia vs Indonesia), marrying in Thailand, rights… Readiness quiz Rotation planner CalculatorIncome, commitments, and the cost of a second household.
Conflict & divorce
ʿIddah calculator Family faraidA complete guide to faraid: pillars, causes of and bars to inheritance, the shares of the fixed-share heirs (ashab al-furud) under an-Nisa' 4:11, 4:12 and 4:176,… Managing an estateA guide for heirs managing a Muslim estate in Malaysia: checklist for the first 100 days, debts and bequests before faraid,… Domestic violenceA safety guide for victims of domestic violence in Malaysia: 999, Talian Kasih 15999 and OSCC; types of violence in… Abandoned by a husbandA guide for wives left in limbo (digantung tak bertali): the Shariah prohibition (an-Nisa' 4:129, al-Baqarah 2:229 and 2:231), first steps… Maintenance enforcementSteps when a Syariah Court maintenance order is not obeyed: maintenance as a debt (Act 303 s.69), payment records, summons… Matrimonial propertyJointly acquired matrimonial property (harta sepencarian) under Act 303: definition in s.2, claims on divorce (s.122), on a polygamy application (s.23(9)(b)) and… Single mothers' guideA step-by-step guide for single mothers after divorce: document checklist, ʿiddah maintenance, mut'ah, maintenance arrears,… Nushuz & conflictNushuz of the wife and of the husband (an-Nisa' 4:34, 4:128), graduated steps, arbiters (hakam), Syariah Court sulh, domestic violence and… TalaqTalaq in Islam: pillars and wording, raj'i and ba'in talaq, triple talaq, khulʿ, fasakh, li'an, zihar, ila' and procedure… ʿIddah & rujukʿIddah in Islam: table of ʿiddah periods, maintenance and accommodation during ʿiddah, a widow's mourning (ihdad), conditions for rujuk (reconciliation), witnesses, registration… RemarriageRaj'i vs ba'in talaq, rujuk or a new contract, triple talaq (2:230), the prohibition of muhallil marriage, triple talaq in one pronouncement and… Death & widowsThe ʿiddah of death, 4 months 10 days, mourning (ihdad), pregnant widows, deferred dower, matrimonial property, faraid 1/4 or 1/8 shared… FaraidThe wives' share is shared, not multiplied. Preparing for deathWills, gifts (hibah), faraid and EPF/takaful nominations — the differences; the 1/3 limit; what is settled before the estate is divided; documents…
Malaysia & ASEAN
Syariah Court procedureA guide to Syariah Court proceedings in family cases: levels of court, summons or application, e-Syariah, service, sulh,… Islamic family lawAn introduction to Malaysian Islamic family law: Act 303 and the state enactments, how to read section references (s.X(Y)(Z)), and… Choose a countryMalaysia, ASEAN, Saudi Arabia & the Middle East — and other countries. Polygamy in MalaysiaPolygamy in Malaysia: Act 303 s.23/s.123, the enactments of 13 states, the court's tests, penalties, and JKSM and state statistics… Procedure by stateSteps to apply for permission for polygamy at the Syariah High Court of each state: forms, documents, fees, the hearing and what happens… GuideStep by step: the first time, and subsequent times. ProcedureThe full list of documents for both routes. Court casesSummaries of Syariah Court cases on polygamy: Aishah v Wan Mohd Yusof, Zambri, the Alor Setar case of 2020–2022, Bung Moktar,… The states13 states + the Federal Territories — 14 Islamic family laws, departments and enactments. IndonesiaPolygamy in Indonesia: UU 1/1974 Article 3–5, PP 9/1975, KHI Article 55–59, civil service (PNS) rules, KUA, the Religious Courts and guidance for… SingaporePolygamy in Singapore: AMLA s.96, ROMM, the Kadi, the Syariah Court and MUIS; statistics 0.18% (2020) and guidance for Malaysians. BruneiPolygamy in Brunei: Syariah Court permission (s.23, Chapter 217), penalties under s.123, the Emergency Order (Islamic Family Law… PhilippinesPolygamy in the Philippines: PD 1083 Art. 27 & 162, the Agama Arbitration Council, the Shari'a Courts, BARMM, RA 11596, bigamy and guidance… ThailandPolygamy in Thailand: the Act of 1946 for the four provinces, Dato' Yutitham, the Islamic Organisations Act 1997, Civil Code s.1452, marriages of nationals… Myanmar & IndochinaPolygamy in Myanmar (Monogamy Law 2015, Rohingya), Cambodia (Constitution, Article 45) and Vietnam (Law on Marriage…
Middle East & world
Saudi ArabiaPolygyny in Saudi Arabia: the Personal Status Law 2022, the wife's conditions in the contract, Najiz, khulʿ, foreign wives and… Gulf & IranPolygyny in the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Iran: personal status laws, wives' rights, sourced statistics and… Egypt, Jordan, MoroccoPolygyny in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon: laws, conditions, sourced official statistics… PakistanPolygyny in Pakistan: MFLO 1961 s.6 and s.7, the Arbitration Council, fasakh under the DMMA 1939, Supreme Court decisions, the nikahnama and… BangladeshPolygyny in Bangladesh: MFLO 1961 s.6, the Registration Act 1974, the Kazi, the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017, Court decisions… IndiaPolygyny in India: the Shariat Act 1937, Shayara Bano, the Triple Talaq Act 2019, the Uttarakhand UCC, bills to prohibit… Sri LankaPolygyny in Sri Lanka: MMDA 1951 s.24, notice to the Quazi, Quazi courts, the Board of Quazis, the amendment debate of 2009–2026 and… MaldivesPolygyny in the Maldives: Family Act 4/2000 s.12, Registrar approval, the MVR 15,000 test, the Family Court, the highest divorce rate… Central AsiaPolygyny in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan: laws, penalties,… China, Japan, KoreaPolygyny in China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong: monogamy, bigamy as a crime, marriage registration and guidance… AfricaPolygyny in Nigeria, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Somalia and Sudan: civil, customary and Islamic marriage, kadhi courts and… Muslims in the WestBigamy, unregistered marriages, civil divorce vs talaq and the role of sharia councils for Muslims in the UK, US, Canada and… Marriage abroad & registrationRecognition of foreign marriages, spouse visas, legalisation of documents, re-registration in Malaysia after marrying abroad and… Across bordersCross-border marriage: jurisdiction, wali and documents, spouse visas, registering in Malaysia, polygyny, divorce, citizenship… World tableA comparison of polygyny laws in Malaysia, ASEAN, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the West: status, conditions, penalties… DirectoryDirectory of Islamic marriage authorities: JAKIM, JKSM, MUIS, ROMM, Kemenag, KUA, Badilag, KHEU, NCMF and courts and bodies…
Data & more
ChecklistA printable checklist: first marriage, polygamy application, notice to the existing wife, registration, divorce and filing… StatisticsOfficial polygamy figures in Malaysia and the region — in charts, sourced. Legal updatesA timeline of polygamy law 2017–2026: Kelantan 2025, UAE 41/2024, Indonesia Penal Code (KUHP) Article 402, Uttarakhand, Saudi 2022,… Review dateThe version and date of every legal source read (Act 303 "As at 1 January 2014", amendment A1261 1 Nov 2010), the cycle… Reference baseThe polygamy site's central reference base: 489 entries from 1264 citations across 85 pages, grouped by type, with… Figures & eventsWell-known individuals and important events — sourced. History of polygamyThe history of polygamy before Islam, the Qur'anic reform, the practice of the early generations and the codification of law from 1917 to the present,… Scholars' viewsThe views of Muhammad Abduh, al-Azhar, al-Qaradawi, Ibn Baz, the Malaysian muftis, MUI, the Constitutional Court and SIS/Musawah on… StudiesA summary of peer-reviewed studies on polygamy: the mental health of wives, children, child health and the economy, with citations… Free e-bookA free e-book: a concise guide to marriage — one wife or more. About UsWho we are, the sourcing basis and the editorial policy. PsychologyWhat fitrah is, and what happens to the heart of the wife and the heart of the husband. StoriesShared experiences and news reports. GuestbookTwo stances, one page. FAQBrief answers to the most frequent questions. AskSend a question; the answer is published if it is useful to others. Site MapThis page.
Q&A & reading
Not sure where to start? If you are a man considering polygyny, start with the Calculator and the Guide. If you are a woman — whether an existing wife or an intended wife — start with Women's Rights. Outside Malaysia? Choose a country.
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