1 00:00:04,515 --> 00:00:06,500 Look at these shocking statistics: 2 00:00:06,715 --> 00:00:13,800 The percentage of men who admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they have had is 57%. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:20,700 The percentage of marriages that end in divorce in the United States is 53%. 4 00:00:20,900 --> 00:00:28,900 The percentage of marriages that last after an affair has been admitted to or discovered is 31%. 5 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:32,800  The Islamic Attitude to Polygamy 6 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,850 These statistics are not surprising 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:37,800  In its continuous pursuit of pleasure 8 00:00:37,889 --> 00:00:41,000 humanity has not succeeded in regulating relations 9 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,600 between men and women outside divine religions. 10 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,800 Islam,the final divine religion 11 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,350 has superseded earlier religions. 12 00:00:50,550 --> 00:00:55,200 Anyone who thinks that Muslims give paramount importance to pleasure 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:01:01,000 because Islam allows a man to marry up to four wives at the same time should have a careful 14 00:01:01,050 --> 00:01:03,084 look at the following figures 15 00:01:03,300 --> 00:01:06,500 They confirm that the overwhelming majority 16 00:01:06,702 --> 00:01:10,000 of men in the United States have more than one partners 17 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,800 The number of partners may go up to 21 18 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:17,130  And we need to look at this table 19 00:01:17,300 --> 00:01:23,441 Moreover,2-3%of children are brought up by men who are not their real fathers 20 00:01:23,641 --> 00:01:26,750 because they are the result of adulterous relationships 21 00:01:26,950 --> 00:01:30,600 Islam protects society against such abuse 22 00:01:30,700 --> 00:01:33,800 but does not give man any absolute authority 23 00:01:33,950 --> 00:01:35,889 It lays down certain controls 24 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,526 the first of which is to set a maximum of four wives 25 00:01:39,726 --> 00:01:42,970 Secondly, for a man to marry more than one wife 26 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:46,900 he should be able to support them and fulfil his marital duties 27 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,900 Thirdly,he must treat them with absolute fairness 28 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:52,500 God says in the Qur’an 29 00:01:52,700 --> 00:02:01,800 If you fear that you will not be able to maintain fairness between them,then marry only one’.(4:3) 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,700 Fairness includes dividing nights equally between one’s wives 31 00:02:05,900 --> 00:02:08,090 and giving them the same standard of living 32 00:02:08,300 --> 00:02:10,900 as well as all other areas of marital life 33 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:15,300 Moreover,according to a large number of Islamic scholars 34 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:17,845 a woman may stipulate in her marriage contract 35 00:02:18,000 --> 00:02:23,300 that her husband may not marry another woman.Even if she does not do so 36 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,130 and her husband marries another woman and treats her unfairly 37 00:02:27,300 --> 00:02:28,700 depriving her of some of her rights 38 00:02:28,900 --> 00:02:32,650 she may apply for the termination of her marriage 39 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:36,200 This means that Islam permits polygamy provided 40 00:02:36,300 --> 00:02:39,900 that it does not lead to unfairness to anyone 41 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:42,400 By what right can anyone say 42 00:02:42,500 --> 00:02:46,400 We shall deprive these people of what their free choice? 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:51,350 Some people claim that polygamy constitutes an insult to women 44 00:02:51,353 --> 00:02:55,650 Here we ask a question that may be answered by anyone whose vision 45 00:02:55,750 --> 00:03:00,090 is not blurred by pornographic films or casual relationships 46 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:04,010 Which is a greater insult to a woman 47 00:03:04,200 --> 00:03:08,500 to be party to an adulterous secretive relationship or 48 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:13,400 to be a respected wife of a man who looks after her? 49 00:03:13,900 --> 00:03:18,200 I do not think we need to wait for an answer.