Is there any textual evidence that the leader or high-ranking individual in Islam marries more than one wife, or that whoever marries two or more wives must be a leader?
The noble verse (then marry such women as seem good to you, two, three, or four) permits polygyny for all men without exception, unless there is a legitimate impediment. The people of knowledge have unanimously agreed on its permissibility, and that it is not permissible for anyone in the Ummah to combine more than four wives. Al-Qasim bin Ibrahim dissented, permitting nine, using the verse and the Prophet's marriage to nine wives as evidence. However, this is baseless because it violates the consensus and contradicts the Sunnah, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded anyone who embraced Islam and had more than four wives to keep four and divorce the rest. The verse came to offer a choice between two, three, and four, not for combining them. As for the Prophet (peace be upon him), this was特 (specific to him). What has been mentioned about the permissibility of polygyny for a leader only, without others, has no legal evidence.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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