In the pre-Islamic time which is known as the Pagan Era, the number of wives were not restricted. One man could have as many wives that he wanted or he could afford and supervise! On the other hand, marriage for a woman was not necessarily leaving her family house in order to live in the husband's. The man could pay her visits, in times, short or long. In many instances too, the case was easy for a woman to have two or more husbands at a time!
Even after the spread of Islam, some of the pagans kept on with their old customs. It was not important to the Pagan Arab, for the most purposes to know who the father of a child was! It could be enough only to know the mother, and the child did belong to the mothers family!
We know many famous Arabs contemporary to our prophet whose fathers were unknown because the mother had made love with several men at a time! As an instance we may mention, ZIAD-IBN-ABIH, which means ZIAD the son of his father. He was one of the famous courtiers of MOAVIYEH the founder of Ommayid Dynasty orcaliphate.
It was due to such backgrounds that the marriage reforms of the prophet restricted the number of wives to a maximum of four to accord with the above verse and its relatively hard condition:
``If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with orphan, females, then marry a woman of your choice - two, three, or four. But if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with all of them, then only one or that whom your right hand possess.''
Therefore, the unrestricted number of wives has been strictly limited to a maximum of four, provided you could treat them justly and in perfect equality in material things, as well as in immaterials. And as the condition is indeed difficult to fulfill, the recommendation turns towards monogamy and having one wife only! To confirm this idea, there is another verse in the glorious Qurän saying: ``You are never able to be equitable as between women, even if it be your ardent desire. Then turn not all your attention and inclination to one, leaving the other hanged as a divorced.'' Qurän - S 4:129 (TRANSLATOR'S NOTE)
