Polygamy is a very ancient practice among the majority of
humanity. The introduction of monogamy has been only gradually accomplished by
the Manifestations of God. Jesus, for example, did not prohibit polygamy, but
abolished divorce except in the case of fornication; Muhammad limited the
number of wives to four, but making plurality of wives contingent on justice,
and reintroducing permission for divorce; Bahá'u'lláh, Who was revealing His
Teachings in the milieu of a Muslim society, introduced the question of
monogamy gradually in accordance with the principles of wisdom and the
progressive unfoldment of His purpose. The fact that He left His followers with
an infallible Interpreter of His Writings enabled Him to outwardly permit two
wives in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas but uphold a condition that enabled 'Abdu'l-Bahá to
elucidate later that the intention of the law was to enforce monogamy.
(The
Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, the Notes section of the
Kitab-i-Aqdas)
