Q: A man in Abyssinia called (...) started to call people to true Tawhid (monotheism) and fighting superstitions. He holds lesson circles especially in the field of Hadith. In fact, he became influential and achieved great success in his call to Tawhid that his followers grew much in number here and there. Your Eminence, he recently did some things that may not be overlooked, including:He deems it permissible for a man to marry five wives and up to nine, seeking support of his claim in the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) married nine women and thus set an example for us. Moreover, he judged the Hadith stating that the Companion, who, on converting to Islam, had ten wives, was ordered to divorce six of them, to be Da`if (weak).

A: The view of the man mentioned above regarding the issues you mentioned is an evident mistake that contradicts the Qur'an, Sunnah and scholars' consensus. Thus, he has to reconsider his situation and return to the truth and the right position. We ask Allah (Exalted be He) to guide him to do so. (Part No. 18; Page No. 261) It is impermissible for a Muslim man to marry more than four wives. Allah (Exalted be He) said, ...then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four Accordingly, it is impermissible to marry women more than the number limit set by Allah, i.e. four women. This is supported by the fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered the man who, on converting to Islam, had ten wives, to choose four from among them and leave the other six. Actually, this is agreed upon unanimously by all scholars whose opinions are considered. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.