What is the interpretation of the two noble verses: "Then marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, or four; but if you fear that you will not be able to deal justly [with them], then only one" and "And you will never be able to deal equally [with your wives]", and how is polygyny permitted on condition of justice, then it is asserted that justice is impossible?
Perhaps the intention behind combining the two verses, "You will never be able to do justice" and "but if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one," is to demonstrate the impossibility of achieving justice between wives, rather than combining them in recitation. This is because the arrangement of verses is divinely ordained, and altering it would be a distortion of the Book of Allah. The questioner's understanding of the statement might be different from what was intended.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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