Islam allows a man to have more than one wife, but restricts the number of wives to at most how many wives?

The practice of a man having multiple wives, known as polygyny, is permitted within Islamic scripture but is governed by a specific numerical limit and a very strict condition. The Quran, in Surah An-Nisa (The Women), states that a man may marry "two or three or four" wives. This verse establishes the definitive maximum, making any marriage to a fifth wife while four are living invalid.

This ruling is often understood within its 7th-century Arabian historical context. At the time, unlimited polygyny was a common practice. The Quranic verse was therefore seen not as an encouragement of the practice, but as a significant restriction on it, introducing a firm limit where none existed before. The verse was revealed after a major battle that left many women widowed and children orphaned, and it is often interpreted as a means to ensure these vulnerable members of society were cared for and protected.

Crucially, the permission to marry more than one wife is tied to an immense condition: the husband must treat all wives with perfect justice and equality in terms of financial support, time, and kindness. The same verse continues by advising that "if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one." Because many scholars and believers consider this level of perfect justice to be practically impossible for a human to achieve, the verse is often interpreted as implicitly favoring monogamy.