How common is polygamy in Saudi?

Question

Assalamualikom, my friend and I were having a conversation the other day about culture in the Middle East and so on and we got onto the subject of polygamy... apparently it is common in saudi? Obviously permitted by Qur'an to be the exception rather than actively encouraged and for good reason... so how common is it?

Not to offend anyone, i'm Arab Muslim myself!

Answer 1

very common.

Answer 2

its not common at all

usually families now days don't accept their children to have more than one wife, and the wife's family won't accept their daughter's husband to have other wife

b/c if that happens, lot of problems will occur between the families, not only the couples.

but I heart it is common it rural areas, south of saudi, and some northern areas.

I'm Saudi and I lived all my life there, and I have an uncountable extended family members and there is no one there has more than one wife.

btw, educated people usually are not polygamies

Answer 3

I think it's much less common now than it was say 20 or 30 years ago.  I know some women who's father had 2 wives or their husbands father had 2 wives, but they are all the only wife in their marriages.  In my husband's family, only one of his uncles married 2 women.  I think that it's probably more common in some areas than others.

Answer 4

It is becoming less and less ................

almost all the People at the age of  70 and above must  have had one or two in their life......................

People at the age of 50-70 ,,1% may had 2 ,although no such statistic ( basing my statistic on relatives count )

people  20 -50 of age,,you might  get  0.1% polygamy

Education and tribal origins  play very important rule here...

Polygamy is really an exception rather than the rule in Saudi

Most Saudi men ,talk about it , flirt about it ,but they don't want to do it........

Answer 5

According to the UN, fewer than 2% of Saudi families are involved on polygamy.

Why?

It's a huge responsibility for the man.  He has to treat each wife and family the same way.  They have to have the same housing, clothes, food, entertainment, etc.  If he takes one on vacation, he has to take the others on similar vacations.  If he sends one child to private school or buys one a bicycle, he has to do the same thing for all.  If he buys one wife a new dress or takes her out to dinner, he has to do the same for the others.

For religious, responsible men, polygyny is more a trial than a hedonist fantasy.

Answer 6

.....I think the trend nowadays is having one wife only (but I dont know for the Royal Family who can afford to have as many as he likes)......the new generation are more open minded to change, to follow what is mentioned in Islam and not the culture that were practised for years.....

Answer 7

First of all, polygamy in the Qur'an is not "obviously the exception" rather its the opposite..

This is the original state of marriage and not only in Islam. In the Bible, the Old testement ( Torah ) and new testement this is clear, and it is what prophets as well practiced before Islam. They also had concubines.

When Islam came, it didnt allow four, it LIMITED the number to four and set conditions and restrictions such as being just etc and asking for a wife's permission if he decides to spent a day with another and its her day and so on....

So thats the issue in context. Those who say its not encouraged and its the exception etc , I feel they are ashamed and try to change interpretation and history based on what they like and the culture they were raised in.

But if we look at it in context, and history, we find it makes sense, and that Islam limited the number to four 1400 years ago and set conditions etc ...

In the Bible its the same but with no number restriction or any other type, but most Christians are secularists so they find no problem in not accepting it ( even in theory although its perfectly bibical )

As for how common it is in Saudi, its not common at all in western Saudi, which is known for its women being "strong", in Riyadh, which is a melting pot, id say one in every ten marriages maybe...

In the south or qaseem maybe more....

Depends on the area... the people and so on

My grandfather had two wives.

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Later addition :

Yes I understand the way you put it. "I accept it but wouldnt like it for myself"

But just to comment on the links you gave ...

First guy of answering Christianity is the only one that states that its an exception ( and hes no scholar )

As for the submission site, these guys arent Muslim, and totally and completely deny Sunnah and dont accept it and therefore have many many unislamic practices and beliefs.

Jamal Badawi kinda says what I said  only in detail... and the last site, skimming through it, seems to say what I said as well, only its a shia site with links  to "the 12 infallibles"

Far from people stating their personal opinions on "givens" and basics, being influenced by society today.....

You can look into books written before 1000 AH in Arabic.... no one ever considered it strange, or an exception or not encouraged. It was normal (  just as it was with non Muslims, not only Jews and Christians, but interesgingly from the site you gave, Hindus as well )

Today people argue about basics, like that lady who said in Islam men and women are equal therefore I will be the Imam and give the Friday Khutbah

So seeing what was written before 1000 and by the four Imams for instance would give a much more accurate picture, and they have no reason at all to be apologetic.

Answer 8

why ask

Answer 9

i have lived in middle east (uae) married to a local and it is common in all m.e. countries in my experience, even amongs the younger generation, my husbands cousin who was 30 was on his second wife, the first wife agrees cos divorce is prett non existent there and shameful so they agree for him to bring new young wife and still be looked after and be able to keep their kids.    a lot also secretly marry second wife if first doesnt agree and keep them in separate house.  i have met several people who are doing this.   the original idea was in the time of mohammed when there were wars and a lot of women left widowed the idea was that men could marry more than one so they would be cared for and looked after.

Answer 10

very common

Answer 11

Would you like to be my 3rd wife bby?

Answer 12

One  Imam said  that  polygamy is mentioned only once in the Quran and that it immediately after in reference to orphans who need to be looked after and provided for. All the prophet`s wives were either widows or divorcess with the exception of Aisha.  

Marrying secretly is surely a big deception and obviously not fair to the wife or families. If it's a righteous man marrying for the right reasons with mutual consent it's only right that they should be allowed.

Adultery is forbidden in Islam too but alot of men commit this.  So it's only expected that some men will abuse the polygamy system too.

Answer 13

No it is not common. Only 95% of Muslims are polygamists. On the contrary, Saudi Arabia doesn't have a lot of men who are in Polygamous relationships because the Saudi women are forbidding what God has allowed and forbidding their husbands to get married again to other women, so there are actually a lot of single unwed women in Saudi Arabia. Also it doesn't help that to marry a woman in Saudi Arabia the man has to have a lot of money to marry a woman because the marriage gift is as high as $50,000 USD.

Answer 14

it is a fantasy for so many men

but in reality it is very rare

in the past, like 40 years ago, it was not uncommon

but today, it is very exceptional, it can happen. but then, it becomes the talk of the society .. extremely uncommon

Answer 15

I spent eight years in the Kingdom, working with the public. In that time I met very few 'regular' guys who had more than one wife. By 'regular' I mean not the royal family. Most told me that one wife was more than enough. LOL. So while it is permitted I don't think it is very common at all.

Answer 16

it is  common in the small cities more than the big ones

and in rich people more than poor

and in religious people

Answer 17

Saudi Arabia's strict interpretation of Islamic law gives men and women different rights with respect to education, marriage and participation in public life.

Not all of the restrictions are based on formal laws, but customs such as the prohibition on women driving are nevertheless widespread for cultural reasons.

Saudi officials told the committee last month that the kingdom was taking measures to address numerous issues, from domestic violence to promoting education and job opportunities for women.

But the officials said the country would not be able to adhere to a number of aspects of the U.N. charter because they run contrary to Islamic Sharia law, which is the basis of all legislation in the country.

Under Sharia law, men are permitted to have up to four wives, and g*y relationships are forbidden.

The U.N. panel said Saudi Arabia should clarify whether it accepts that international law takes precedence over domestic legislation, and ensure that the protection of women is firmly enshrined in the country's constitution and everyday court decisions.

Answer 18

not common.. thats just a romantic myth of the western ideal of the middle east and arabs in general.. all this from hollywood tv.. it glamorizes arabs. like sheiks on white horses who have tons of women back home in a harem. all the 1001 arabian nights movies,  Ali Baba and the 40 theives,  Alladin, etc ....

We Saudi citizens live like everyone else.. one husband, one wife.. a few kids.. We all want the same things. to work, raise our families.. have a decent life... .. the men here dont have 2 wives... its just not common.. Maybe 100years ago, but not anymore.. Islam allows up to 4.. (but remember, UP TO doesnt mean you have to) and there are strict. VERY strict guidelines and rules from God before some man might attempt this... If you dont qualify under the rules. God says only marry ONE....