Razavi University of Islamic Sciences Quranic Doctrines 2251-9378 21 39 2025 02 19 The Active Role of the Holy Qurʾān in Limiting the Number of Wives a Man Can Have The Active Role of the Holy Qurʾān in Limiting the Number of Wives a Man Can Have 255 282 1866 10.30513/qd.2024.5892.2333 FA Hamid Naderi Ghahfarokhi Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Sciences, Faculty Of Letters and Humanities, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran Journal Article 2024 02 27 At the beginning of the revelation (Arabic: اَلْنُّزول, Romanized: al-nuzūl) of the Holy Qurʾān, men in Ḥijāz (Arabic: ٱلْحِجَاز) were allowed to marry (have a permanent marriage in) an indefinite number of women without respecting their rights. However, in the ninety-second chapter revealed (Arabic: ٱلنِّسَاء, An-Nisāʾ; meaning: The Women), men could marry a maximum of four women, provided they observed justice; otherwise, they could only marry one woman. Given the wisdom of the gradual revelation of the Qurʾān, the question arises: What pattern did the active role of the Holy Qurʾān play in establishing this limitation during its revelation? An examination of the wise aspects of the Qurʾān’s revelation and the significance of a gradual approach in cultural transformations necessitates an investigation of this issue. Analytical Examination of Various Evidence Shows: The Holy Quran institutionalized this limitation in three stages: Stage One: A wise silence in response to the prevailing culture, aiming to revive women’s status and establish the desirability of marriage through the Prophet’s practical example (Arabic: اَلْسّیرةُ الْنَبَویَّة, Romanized: Al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya, prophetic biography). Stage Two: Prohibiting new marriages for the Prophet ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhī wa-ʾālihī wa-sallama in sūrat al-Aḥzāb (Arabic: الأحزاب, meaning: the confederates, or “the clans”, “the coalition”, or “the combined forces”). Stage Three: Limiting the marriages of believers as stated in sūrat an-Nisāʾ. In this process, the first two stages set the groundwork for realizing the third stage. At the beginning of the revelation (Arabic: اَلْنُّزول, Romanized: al-nuzūl) of the Holy Qurʾān, men in Ḥijāz (Arabic: ٱلْحِجَاز) were allowed to marry (have a permanent marriage in) an indefinite number of women without respecting their rights. However, in the ninety-second chapter revealed (Arabic: ٱلنِّسَاء, An-Nisāʾ; meaning: The Women), men could marry a maximum of four women, provided they observed justice; otherwise, they could only marry one woman. Given the wisdom of the gradual revelation of the Qurʾān, the question arises: What pattern did the active role of the Holy Qurʾān play in establishing this limitation during its revelation? An examination of the wise aspects of the Qurʾān’s revelation and the significance of a gradual approach in cultural transformations necessitates an investigation of this issue. Analytical Examination of Various Evidence Shows: The Holy Quran institutionalized this limitation in three stages: Stage One: A wise silence in response to the prevailing culture, aiming to revive women’s status and establish the desirability of marriage through the Prophet’s practical example (Arabic: اَلْسّیرةُ الْنَبَویَّة, Romanized: Al-Sīra al-Nabawiyya, prophetic biography). Stage Two: Prohibiting new marriages for the Prophet ṣallā llāhu ʿalayhī wa-ʾālihī wa-sallama in sūrat al-Aḥzāb (Arabic: الأحزاب, meaning: the confederates, or “the clans”, “the coalition”, or “the combined forces”). Stage Three: Limiting the marriages of believers as stated in sūrat an-Nisāʾ. In this process, the first two stages set the groundwork for realizing the third stage. https://qd.razavi.ac.ir/article_1866_be382ae662673362c5d60c9c3222740f.pdf