The Council of Ulema (Islamic scholars) of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of the Russian Federation has allowed Russian Muslims to enter into up to four religious marriages, provided the husband treats all wives fairly and equally. Ildar Alyautdinov, Deputy Chairman of the Council and Deputy Chairman of the SAM of Russia, and the Mufti of Moscow, announced this in an interview with RIA Novosti.
An extended meeting of the Council, which issued a fatwa (theological ruling) titled "The Issue of Polygamy in the Muslim Community of the Russian Federation," took place on December 18, he said.
"A decision has been made to allow a man to simultaneously enter into a second, third, or even fourth religious marriage," Alyautdinov stated.
The mufti explained that a Muslim man could enter into a new religious marriage under certain circumstances: if the wife is unable to bear children due to health issues, has reached the end of reproductive age, or for other objective reasons, such as sexual incompatibility. Another justification is if the wife does not wish to have children.
The main condition for the permissibility of polygamy, according to Alyautdinov, is the husband's fair and equal treatment of all his wives.
"This includes providing equal material support for all wives, offering separate housing for each of them, and spending equal time with all wives according to an agreed-upon schedule. If these conditions are not met, a man is not allowed to enter into a polygamous marriage," the mufti added.
He also noted that a married man must inform his wife of his intention to marry another woman.
"It is unacceptable to hide the existence of a wife. If the second wife is not informed about this and is not ready to accept it, she has the right to demand the annulment of her nikah (Islamic marriage contract)," Alyautdinov said.
Additionally, he stated that a married man entering into another religious marriage must adopt all children from the union and formally notarize his will.
The mufti emphasized that the provisions of the fatwa do not replace the norms of the Russian Family Code but rather clarify the rights and responsibilities of spouses in a religious marriage. Alyautdinov pointed out that Russian law recognizes only one marriage registered through civil registry offices, but "since polygamous families in religious marriages do exist in practice, it is necessary to define the rights of women in such unions," RIA Novosti reported.
"The rights of a woman who is only in a religious marriage are not legally protected. Our theological ruling will help her take the necessary steps to secure her rights," the mufti added.
Russian laws do not allow two or more simultaneous marriages. The Russian Family Code stipulates that a marriage cannot be concluded if either party is already in another registered marriage, according to Meduza.
In the past, authorities in Chechnya have advocated for the legalization of polygamy in Russian legislation. In 2015, Magomed Daudov ("Lord"), a close associate of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, argued that "since this practice is widespread, it would be good to regulate it somehow."
Daudov's stance was supported by the then-human rights ombudsman in Chechnya, Nurdi Nukhazhiyev.
The topic of polygamy was widely discussed in 2015 against the backdrop of a high-profile wedding in Chechnya between 17-year-old Luiza Goylabieva and a 46-year-old police chief who, according to media reports, already had a wife.
The publication Proekt reported in 2021 that Ramzan Kadyrov has two wives. In its 2024 investigation, Proekt claimed that the Chechen leader is the father of children from at least four women who have been referred to as his "wives" at different times.
Recall, Moscow Mufti Ildar Alyautdinov told reporters on September 25, 2019 that the legalization of polygamy in Russia would solve a number of social problems because women outnumber men.
“In my opinion, the law of polygamy should be legalized, especially since some religions, including Islam, allow it,” Alyautdinov said, noting that the polygamy legislation would become a guarantee of women's rights, because such women are not protected socially today.
