ABSTRACT
Islam allows a man up to four wives, and polygyny is found in all Muslim populations. However, because of legal, social and economic obstacles, polygyny is usually practised on a very limited scale in Muslim societies, including Malaysia. Among ordinary people in the Malay-Muslim world, in contrast, polygamy has not been very prevalent. The dominant marriage pattern was one of monogamy, reinforced by easy divorce for both sides, which allowed unsatisfactory polygamous marriages to be ended quickly. Women rarely referred to this right as an explanation for polygamy. That right was considered conditional and next to impossible for a mortal man to live up to. All in all, polygamy appears to serve some very particular needs for the people practising it, and people tend to have a very instrumental view of polygamy. Justification of polygamy on the grounds that men just follow a natural instinct, which should then be made legal to avoid sin, is very common, even among women.
