A Common Misconception Related to Polygyny

I once heard a lecture advocating for polygyny in which the speaker claimed that in monogamy, a husband effectively shares his wife’s menstrual period—meaning intimacy is unavailable—whereas this issue supposedly does not exist in polygyny. I consider this reasoning weak for two key reasons. First, if all of a man’s wives happen to have synchronised menstrual cycles, the same limitation would still apply. Second, even in that scenario, is a husband actually permitted to be intimate with a wife outside of her allocated turn? https://t.me/Menzbenefits/147 https://t.me/Menzbenefits/148 ------- Summary: A man with more than one wife must treat them fairly, including giving each wife her proper “turn” for time and intimacy. The question: A ḥadīth says the Prophet ﷺ visited all of his wives in one night/day. How does this fit with the rule about taking turns? Scholars’ answers: They gave several reasonable explanations so there is no contradiction: 1. Special allowance for the Prophet ﷺ: Some scholars say the Prophet ﷺ was not required to divide time exactly like other men. This is one scholarly opinion. 2. Permission from the wives: It may have happened with the consent of the wife whose turn it was, similar to how his wives allowed him to stay in ʿĀʾishah’s home during his illness. 3. After finishing everyone’s turn: He may have completed each wife’s allotted time first, then visited them again afterward. 4. After returning from travel: When returning from a journey, he may have visited them all before restarting the normal schedule. 5. Before the rule existed: This may have occurred before the obligation of equal time was formally established. A rejected extreme view: One scholar suggested the Prophet ﷺ had a daily “free hour” with no restrictions, but other scholars say this claim has no solid evidence. Bottom line: Scholars agree this ḥadīth does not cancel the rule of fairness in marriage. Either the Prophet ﷺ had special rulings, or this event happened in a way that did not violate justice (such as permission, timing, or special circumstances). The general rule of fairness still applies to everyone else.