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wa-ʾin khiftum ʾallā tuqsiṭū fī l-yatāmā fa-nkiḥū mā ṭāba lakum mina n-nisāʾi mathnā wa-thulātha wa-rubāʿa fa-ʾin khiftum ʾallā taʿdilū fa-wāḥidatan ʾaw mā malakat ʾaymānukum dhālika ʾadnā ʾallā taʿūlū
If you fear that you may not deal justly with the orphans, then marry [other] women that you like, two, three, or four. But if you fear that you may not treat them fairly, then [marry only] one, or [marry from among] your slave-women. That makes it likelier that you will not be unfair.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah An-Nisa',Verse 3
3. "And, if you fear that you cannot act equitably towards orphans, then marry those women who seem good to you, two, or three, or four; but if you (still) fear that you will not act justly (between them) then ( marry ) only one or someone your right hands have acquired. That is more proper, that you may not deviate from equity."
Occasion of Revelation
Before Islam, it was customary in Arabia among many people that they took the orphan girls to their houses under the name of defraying and guardianship and then they married them and appropriated their property, too. They assigned even their dowries less than what the ordinary amount was, since everything was in their own hand, and when they felt the least inconvenience from them, they would easily leave them off. At that time the verse was revealed and instructed the guardians of the orphans that they could marry the girl orphans if they observed justice about them completely.
In this verse, another right, out of the rights of the orphans, is pointed out. It admonishes that at the time of marrying the girl orphans, if you fear that you cannot observe the right and justice about the conditions of matrimony, as well as their property, relinquish marrying them and refer to other women. It says:
Then, it adds that you may choose from among them two or three or four to marry with. It says:
So, immediately after that it continues saying that this is in the case that you keep the perfect justice. But, if you fear that you do not observe justice unto those wives of yours, you must suffice to only one wife, so that you keep away from imposing cruelty and transgression against others. It says:
Or, instead of taking a second wife, you may take advantage of the She-slave that you have, because their conditions are less heavy, although they must enjoy of their own rights, too. It says:
This action -choosing only one wife or your slave, better prevents you from cruelty and deviating from the path of equity. It says:
Justice about Wives
What a man is enjoined to observe in justice about his wife is the observance of the equity in one's practical conditions and outward aspects of life, because applying justice in heartily affections is out of the ability of man.1
Explanations
1. Islam is the supporter of the deprived class of the society, especially the orphans, and the girl orphans in particular, emphatically on the subject of chastity, matrimony, and misusing them.
2. It is not necessary to be assured of inequity of yourself to abandon marrying the orphans, but probability and fear from it of your own side, is enough either.
3. In choosing a wife, heartily willing is a principal.
4. On the whole, Islam agrees with conditioned polygamy for men.
Footnotes
1. The number of death for men in wars and accidents is larger than that of women and, therefore, some women become widows.
2. Women have monthly periods when no association occurs.
3. Few of the young men are willing to marry a widow woman.
4. Not all of the husbandless widows are pious or have the power to control them. Therefore, either, for the consent of the first husband, the rights of the widows should be ignored, or the problem must be solved by a project. Thus, basing on some conditions, men can marry a second wife in order to solve the difficulty of the both parties.