The Ruling on Marrying More Than Four Wives
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
And the question is: What is the ruling on five wives if they are with one man, still in his possession, but they are with their families? We have already advised him, but he says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married more than four. So may Allah reward you all with good?
The Shaykh:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered nine, and this is one of his specific attributes (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the Ummah, it was forbidden for any of them to marry more than four. When some of the Companions embraced Islam and had five wives, they were ordered to separate from the fifth. Another embraced Islam and had more than four, and he was ordered to separate from the excess. The point is that the Shari'ah, and scholarly consensus, have settled on the prohibition of anything exceeding four. The nine who were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were among his specific attributes, and he had specific attributes (peace and blessings be upon him); this is one of them (peace and blessings be upon him). The one who has five: the marriage of the last one is invalid. The last one he contracted with is the one whose marriage is invalid, whether she is with him or with her family. The last one who came as the fifth: her contract is invalid according to the scholars. And it is obligatory for him, if he did this intentionally and he is of the type who knows, that he be disciplined and punished, and that he be separated from this fifth wife. And the one who helped him with it, if he also knew, should be disciplined. We ask Allah for guidance and safety from the evil of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Yes.
The questioner:
Meaning, do you pray with her in secret?
The Shaykh:
It is not permissible. Yes, adornment. Yes, yes.
The questioner:
And meaning, and he is punished.
The Shaykh:
The fifth one.
The questioner:
And his curtain is hidden.
The Shaykh:
If he is of the type who knows. Alive. Yes.
And the question is: What is the ruling on five wives if they are with one man, still in his possession, but they are with their families? We have already advised him, but he says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) married more than four. So may Allah reward you all with good?
The Shaykh:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered nine, and this is one of his specific attributes (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for the Ummah, it was forbidden for any of them to marry more than four. When some of the Companions embraced Islam and had five wives, they were ordered to separate from the fifth. Another embraced Islam and had more than four, and he was ordered to separate from the excess. The point is that the Shari'ah, and scholarly consensus, have settled on the prohibition of anything exceeding four. The nine who were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) were among his specific attributes, and he had specific attributes (peace and blessings be upon him); this is one of them (peace and blessings be upon him). The one who has five: the marriage of the last one is invalid. The last one he contracted with is the one whose marriage is invalid, whether she is with him or with her family. The last one who came as the fifth: her contract is invalid according to the scholars. And it is obligatory for him, if he did this intentionally and he is of the type who knows, that he be disciplined and punished, and that he be separated from this fifth wife. And the one who helped him with it, if he also knew, should be disciplined. We ask Allah for guidance and safety from the evil of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). Yes.
The questioner:
Meaning, do you pray with her in secret?
The Shaykh:
It is not permissible. Yes, adornment. Yes, yes.
The questioner:
And meaning, and he is punished.
The Shaykh:
The fifth one.
The questioner:
And his curtain is hidden.
The Shaykh:
If he is of the type who knows. Alive. Yes.
Source
ندوات الجامع الكبير مع الأسئلة - 48 — archive.org (19:45)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.