From:
http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showpost.php?p=545272&postcount=4
"If you fear that you might not treat the orphans justly, then marry the women that seem good to you: two, or three, or four. *4 If you fear that you will not be able to treat them justly, then marry (only) one, *5 or marry from among those whom your right hands possess. *6 This will make it more likely that you will avoid injustice." [Quran 34:4]
>>>>> Meaning
*4.
Commentators have explained this in the following ways:
(i) There is the view of 'A'ishah who says that men tended to marry orphan girls who were under their guardianship out of consideration for either their property, beauty or because they thought they would be able to treat them according to their whims, as they had no one to protect them.
After marriage such men sometimes committed excesses against these girls. It is in this context that the Muslims are told that if they fear they will not be able to do justice to the orphan girls, then they should marry other girls whom they like. (This interpretation seems to be supported by verse 127 of this surah.)
(ii) The second view is that of Ibn 'Abbas and his disciple 'Ikrimah who expressed the opinion that in the Jahiliyah period there was no limit on the number of wives a man could take.
The result was that a man sometimes married as many as ten women and, when expenses increased because of a large family, he encroached on the rights either of his orphan nephews or other relatives. It was in this context that God fixed the limit of four wives and instructed the Muslims that they may marry up to four wives providing they possessed the capacity to treat them equitably.
(iii) Sa'id b. Jubayr, Qatadah and some other commentators say that while the Arabs of the Jahiliyah period did not approve of subjecting orphans to wrong, they had no concept of justice and equity with regard to women. They married as many women as they wanted and then subjected them to injustice and oppression. It is in this context that people are told that if they fear perpetrating wrongs on orphans they ought to be equally worried about perpetrating them on women.
In the first place they should never marry more than four, and of those four, they should marry only as many as they can treat fairly.
Each of the three interpretations is plausible and all three may possibly be correct. Moreover, the verse could also mean that if a person does not find himself able to treat orphans in a fair manner, then he might as well marry the women who are looking after those orphans.
*5.
Muslim jurists are agreed that according to this verse the maximum number Of wives has been fixed at four. This conclusion is also supported by traditions. It is reported that when Ghaylan, the chief of Ta'if, embraced Islam he had nine wives. The Prophet (peace be on him) ordered him to keep only four wives and divorce the rest.
Another person, Nawfal b. Mu'awiyah, had five wives. The Prophet (peace be on him) ordered him to divorce one of them. (For the relevant traditions see the comments of Ibn Kathir and Qurtubi on this verse - Ed.)
This verse stipulates that marrying more wives than one is permissible on the condition that one treats his wives equitably. A person who avails himself of this permission granted by God to have a plurality of wives, and disregards the condition laid down by God to treat them equitably has not acted in good faith with God.
In case there are complaints from wives that they are not being treated equitably, the Islamic state has the right to intervene and redress such grievances.
Some people who have been overwhelmed and overawed by the by the Christians of the west They say that the Quran is also against polygamy but it did not ablish it directly because it did not consider it expedient at the time for the custom had not beome very common. Instead of this, it allows polyamy provided that justice is done to all th wives.
As this condition is most difficult to fulfill, the recommendation is towards monogamy. Obviously, this way of thinking is the result of mental slavery, becasue polygamy in itself in not an evil for in some cases it becomes a real cultural and moral necessity.
There are some people,who,even if they wished, cannot remain content with one wife. Polygamy comes to their rescue and saves them and the society in general from the harms of unlicensed sexual indulgences.
That is Why the Quran allows polygamy to such people with the explicit condition of doing justice to all the wives.
As regards those who consider polgamy to be an evil, they are free to oppose the Quran and condemn polygamy, but they have no right to ascribe their own perverted views to the Quran, for it makes this lawful in vry clear language without employing any words that might be stretched in any way to imply that the Quran means to abolish it.
(for further explanation please consult my(Maududi) book Suunat Ki a'ini haithiyyat pp.307-316
*6.
This expression denotes 'slave-girls', i.e. female captives of war who are distributed by the state among individuals.
The purpose of this verse is to tell men that if their financial circumstances do not permit them to support a free woman as their wife then they may marry a slave-girl (see verse 25 below); if they consider it necessary to have more than one wife and it would be difficult for them to treat their free wives equitably they may resort to slave-girls, for here the burden of obligations is lighter by comparison.
(For further injunctions regarding slave-girls seen. 44 below.)