Why are religious obligations such as prayer, fasting, Hajj, and Jihad compared to polygyny, even though polygyny is not obligatory? Furthermore, why is polygyny permissible for a man who is happy with his wife, without any clear reason for it, under the pretext of satisfying his desires?

The questioner did not understand the intent of the fatwa (definition), which stated that the rulings of the Sharia (definition) are often accompanied by some hardship. We did not compare polygyny to the pillars of Islam; rather, our aim was to respond to those who say that polygyny causes hardship for the first wife. This is because the rulings of the Sharia often involve hardship, but they contain benefits that accrue to the servants of Allah. As for the sister’s objection to the first point, the permissibility of polygyny is a benefit for women before men. If polygyny is forbidden, it pushes both men and women towards haram (definition). And because women outnumber men, polygyny is better for a woman than remaining a spinster, a widow, or a divorcee. As for the ruling on polygyny without a reason, polygyny is never devoid of a legitimate benefit, even if the man intends to satisfy his desires, such as providing a chaste life for a woman.