Polygyny explores the practice of multiple-wife marriage among African American Muslims who follow the leadership of Imam W. D. Mohammed. The dominant voices in this work are those of my female informants--some who welcome polygyny, some who oppose it, others who acquiesce to it, and still others who locate their negotiating power within the practice. This book examines husband sharing as one remedy for and a demographic challenge to the absence of marriageable African American men and/or the high number of female-led households. A core feature of this work is the attention devoted to Qur’anic ... More

Polygyny explores the practice of multiple-wife marriage among African American Muslims who follow the leadership of Imam W. D. Mohammed. The dominant voices in this work are those of my female informants--some who welcome polygyny, some who oppose it, others who acquiesce to it, and still others who locate their negotiating power within the practice. This book examines husband sharing as one remedy for and a demographic challenge to the absence of marriageable African American men and/or the high number of female-led households. A core feature of this work is the attention devoted to Qur’anic interpretation that posits husband sharing as a cultural struggle that good Muslim women endure for the maintenance of community life. The book promotes the exercise of agency among women and explores the contradictions and paradoxes that abound for those who share their husbands. It recognizes the pluralities of polygyny as practiced in the United States and invites readers to acknowledge realities and choices experienced by individuals who are often loathed because of them. Polygyny expands debates about the regulation and recognition of consenting adult relationships beyond questions related to same-sex marriage. It further draws attention to other ways multiple-wife marriage, coupled with a certain cultural and religious consciousness, can constrain and/or liberate women.