Religious Rationalizations and Community Perceptions of Polygamous Marriage: A Qualitative Study of Sociocultural Interpretations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62843/jrsr/2025.4d172Keywords:
Marital Justice, Kinship System, Social Norms, Cultural Expectations, PolygynyAbstract
Despite the religious acceptability of polygamy (polygyny) under circumstances of fairness and justice, the practice is strongly influenced by socio-economic and cultural realities. This study scrutinizes the justifications of societal understanding and religion of polygamous marriage in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The required data were collected through a qualitative research design that comprised key informant interviews (16 KIIs) and focus group discussions (4 FGDs) administered among community elders, religious scholars, men, and women. To explore the way in which participants generate meanings about polygamy regarding family duties, faith, and social norms, the narrative analysis was used. The study results depicted that polygamy is commonly presented by men as a religious and moral duty, and women face relational, practical, and emotional issues that arise in polygamous families. The sustainability and acceptance of the practice are significantly affected by community pressure and economic capacity. This study concludes that polygamy in Swat is a socially negotiated process, which is a response to the dynamic interplay among religion, culture, gender relations, and the evolving generational attitudes.
References
Ajakor, E., & Chukwudebelu, I. A. (2025). The cultural and religious dynamics of polygamy in Igboland. Journal of Arts, Religion, Philosophy and Cultural Studies, 1(1), 56–63. https://nigerianjournalsonline.org/index.php/JARPCS/article/view/105
Alhuzail, N. A., Besser, A., & Zeigler-Hill, V. (2024). Sharing your husband: Adult attachment styles and emotional responses of Israeli Bedouin-Arab women to potential polygynous marriage. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(10), 1281. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21101281
Chiagozie, A., & Akpofure, A. (2024). An analysis of Islamic law on polygamy without court permission: Legal, ethical, and social perspectives. SYARIAT: Akhwal Syaksiyah, Jinayah, Siyasah and Muamalah, 1(3), 156–164. https://doi.org/10.35335/wh2zd103
Dahli, Z. M., Umar, M., Mujiburohman, M., Rusdiyah, R., Sa’adah, S. A., & Seff, N. K. (2024). Delegitimization of religious motives in polygamy in Banjar society. Syariah: Jurnal Hukum dan Pemikiran, 24(1), 119–135. https://doi.org/10.18592/sjhp.v24i1.12392
Galieva, G. I. (2021). Polygamy as a form of marriage: Based on sociological research. In XXIII International Conference “Culture, Personality, Society in the Conditions of Digitalization: Methodology and Experience of Empirical Research” (pp. 532–541). Knowledge E.
Geletu, Y. G. (2024). Experiences of women in polygamous marriage: A phenomenological study from Lode Hetosa Woreda, Arsi Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. Ethiopian Journal of Gender Research, 4, 1–15. https://journal.mu.edu.et/index.php/ejgr/article/view/1208
Hasan, H., Jahar, A. S., Umar, N., & Abdullah, I. (2022). Polygamy: Uncovering the effect of patriarchal ideology on gender-biased interpretation. HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies, 78(4), Article 7970. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7970
Imran, I., Muhammad, N., Alam, I., & Khan, N. U. (2020). Gauging the impact of modernization on marriage institution in Swat, Pakistan: A qualitative approach. Pakistan Journal of Society, Education and Language, 6(2), 95–106.
Janur, N. A. (2025). Polygamy in family law: Gender perspectives and its implications for women's rights. HUMANISMA: Journal of Gender Studies, 9(1), 95–110. https://doi.org/10.30983/humanisma.v9i1.9367
Kumar, S., & Kumar, T. P. (2024). Exploring the transformation of polyandrous marriage tradition in contemporary Shillai Tehsil. Library of Progress – Library Science, Information Technology & Computer, 44(3), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.48047/phmvm142
Mahmud, J. R. (2025). Polygamy and socioeconomic factors in Islamic family law: Legal interpretations and social outcomes. Journal of Islamic Family Law, 1(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.59784/jifl.v1i1.1
Motiejune, G. S. (2025). Polygamy in Islam: A study on its religious justifications and empowerment of women within Islamic teachings. QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies, 4(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.23917/qist.v4i1.6948
Nugroho, R. S., Ulami, M. D., Hadi, S., & Handajani, M. (2025). Household justice in the view of polygamy practitioners. International Journal of Religion, Humanity and Cultural Heritage, 1(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.53935/jomw.v2024i4.546
Ogunbiyi, D. O., Adeyemo, A. A., Olajugbagbe, O. M., & Oyebanji, I. T. (2025). Polygamy and its implications on Christianity in Southwest Nigeria: A sociological perspective. MAHABBAH: Journal of Religion and Education, 6(1), 45–69. https://doi.org/10.47135/mahabbah.v6i1.111
Okeke, R. C., & Onwuasoigwe, C. A. (2024). Disabled polygamy and nation-building in Nigeria. Journal of Political Science and Leadership Research, 10(3), 1–12.
Ridwan, M. S., Abdullah, W., & Idham, I. (2024). Public perception of polygamy in Makassar, Indonesia: Cultural perspective and Islamic law. Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga dan Hukum Islam, 8(1), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v8i1.15419
Ruwandoruwa, A. U. (2025). Community trust and political influence in family law: Property allocation in polygamous marriages in Gusau metropolis. Journal of Social Review and Development, 4(3), 66–72. https://doi.org/10.64171/JSRD.4.3.66-72
Setiyani, W. (2025). Polygamy, power, and patriarchy: Gendered social mobility and symbolic capital in Madura’s blater culture. Ulum Islamiyyah, 37(2), 78–92. https://doi.org/10.33102/uij.vol37no02.700
Sriwannawit, P. (2025). Why is traditional polygamy unjust? Implications for egalitarian nonmonogamy. Journal of Family Theory & Review, 17(3), 446–464. https://doi.org/10.1111/jftr.12537
Uddin, M. S. (2025). Polygamy and gender dynamics in Islam: A critical examination. AR Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Studies (FARJAHSS), 2(7), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17068613
Yodanis, C. (2010). The institution of marriage. In Dividing the domestic: Men, women, and household work in cross-national perspective (pp. 175–191). Oxford University Press.
Youngmevittaya, W. (2024). Should polygamous marriage be legal? Philosophia, 52(3), 825–844. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11406-023-00660-7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
