Kenapa lelaki hanya boleh berkahwin maksimum empat isteri?

Had empat isteri ditetapkan oleh Surah an-Nisa' ayat 3 dan diperjelaskan oleh Sunnah; ia dipegang oleh keempat-empat mazhab. Ayat tersebut menyebut "dua, tiga atau empat". Sunnah memperincikannya: apabila Ghailan ath-Thaqafi memeluk Islam dengan sepuluh orang isteri, Nabi ﷺ menyuruhnya memilih empat dan berpisah dengan selebihnya (riwayat at-Tirmidhi dan Ibn Majah, dinilai sahih). Hikmahnya, had ini membataskan keizinan itu kepada keupayaan sebenar untuk berlaku adil dan menanggung nafkah, sambil melindungi hak wanita daripada pengabaian; ia had maksimum, bukan sasaran. Tambahan lebih daripada empat yang berlaku pada Nabi ﷺ adalah kekhususan baginda dan tidak boleh diikuti umatnya. Lihat Hukum poligami .

Q&A › Polygyny: rulings & justice

⚖️ Polygyny: rulings & justice · #3

Why may a man marry a maximum of four wives?

The limit of four wives is set by Surah an-Nisa' verse 3 and clarified by the Sunnah; it is held by all four schools.
The verse says "two, three or four". The Sunnah details it: when Ghailan ath-Thaqafi embraced Islam with ten wives, the Prophet ﷺ told him to choose four and separate from the rest (narrated by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah, graded sahih). The wisdom is that this limit restricts the permission to a real ability to be just and provide maintenance, while protecting women's rights from neglect; it is a maximum, not a target. The more-than-four that applied to the Prophet ﷺ was a special exemption for him and may not be followed by his community. See Ruling on polygyny.

Sources

Surah an-Nisa' 4:3Narrated by at-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah (sahih) — the story of Ghailan ath-Thaqafi

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This answer is general reference, not a fatwa. For your situation, consult the religious affairs office, a Syarie lawyer or your state Syariah Court.

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