Emir Sanusi got it right

Recently media houses report (Daily Trust included) that His Royal Highness the Emir of Kano Muhammad Sunusi II, proposed a law that will ban Kano Muslim citizens from marrying more than one wife except those who are capable both morally and financially. As expected the preposition generates media hype and become daily issue of discussions not knowing such a ban got the blessings of the classic Islamic scholars with backings from the holy book and under Islamic marital jurisprudence.

In our communities men success is measured by the number of women one marries, and more often the new one has the floor while the older ones undergo both physical and psychological torture which denied them the scriptural rights and increase the tally of the divorcee in the state which is close to three million. Unknown to the public, is that unlawful acts may arise from the lawful, and misinterpretations by others might not also be an excuse for believers to do as they wish.

As narrated by the reverend Emir in the Kano Chronicle, a woman lodge a complaint at the palace about her husband having ten children with her, and additional wife with eight and base on the findings of the Palace the man relies on shoe shining as his main source of livelihood. As every category of exchange rate, the daily income of the man in question is below a dollar, and is not even enough to take care of him not to talk of eighteen children plus a wife.

The emir explained that the proposed law provides that any Muslim that marries more than one wife and was not taking good care of them, a court of law would take a portion from your wealth and feed the family and would restrict those who their earnings cannot take care of more than one wife from having additional.

Those who oppose the good intention of the Kano Emir argue that the law if passed would deny them Godly rights quoting Verse 3 of Surah 4 An-Nisa which says “If ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly the orphans, marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them) , then only one or( a captive) that your hands possess, that will be more suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.”

The Verse in context was revealed after the battle of Uhud where by many

Muslims were killed living behind widows and orphans. Thus many scholars argued that the verse has been revealed because of God’s concern the wellbeing of women and orphans who were left without husband and fathers who died fighting for the holy prophet. The verse is about compassion, it is not about men or their sexuality.

Justice to women is far beyond ability to marry, but provision of shelter, feeding and offering what the wife so deserves and anything less than that the union is said to be null and void as reported from Aisha (RA), in which she says “it is forbidden to marry them (women) unless you do justice to them.”

In modern world, most Muslim countries view the polygamy as lawful, but not recommended. Several countries banned polygamy citing two men reasons: first the Koran limited the practice of polygamy, thus it did not support the practice. Secondly, the Koran demands equal treatment of all wives in polygamy, which is impossible, thus making the practice illegal. Many countries like Turkey and Tunisia ban polygamy and others like Sudan, India, Morocco, Iran, Kuwait and Algeria put restrictions on it.

To achieve a healthy and productive family, one has no point in castigating the emir by proposing the so ban in which women rights would be protected and so the rights of the children whose without proper care turn to a threat to the society their belong to.

Auwal A. Dankano, Kano