maritime activities economy and social customs of the muslims of ...

can reconcile so that the divorce can be avoided. If no reconcilliation takes place.
the divorce become absolute and both parties are free to contract another marriage.
Similarly the wife is not satisfied with the husband she can obtain divorce from him
(Khula) on condition of glvlng her right to mshare2.
Polygamy is not an institution of Islam. It is an allowance made for the
ardant human nature. The Holy Quran does not enjoin it but recommends in
certain circumstances as better than leaving women helpless and without
protectors83. So Polygamy is an emergency law in Islam. It does not at all
represent the fundamental principles of Islamic law. Holy Quran says "
Marry a woman who seem good to you, two or three or four and if you fear
that you cannot do justice (to so many) then one only"84. The Prophet has
made it clear that if a man marry more than one wife he has to treat them with
equal status socially and and economically. Thus the injunction virtually comes to
imply that one should contract with one wife only. Thus the Islamic law favours in
normal life monogamy rather than Polygamy. During the life time of the Prophet
Mohamed, in the wars (especially at Badr and Uhadh) a large number of men were
decimated and the balance of sexes was seriously shaken. In such circumstances
polygamy became a social necessity as it may save the society from sexual anarchy
that follows the decimation of (men) life partners. So the Prophet Mohamed
encouraged men to marry the poor widows in addition to one wife. Thus perhaps
the institution of polygamy was instituted in Islam. But in later times men married
more than one wife in the case of over active sexually, cronic disease and sterility.
But a majority of the population continued to be monogamouss5.
In the Muslim society of Coromandel Coast, the influence of the Hindu
culture infiltrated into this field also and most of the muslims considered the marriage
as a sacrament. They want to be monogamous. The incidence of polygamy was
at a very low percentage only. This is true even in the present day society.