Collected chapters on the free women who are lawful, the slave not taking concubines, and other matters -- Chapter: The number of free women and slave women who are lawful

Allah Almighty says: "Indeed, We know what We have made obligatory upon them (the believers) concerning their wives and those their right hands possess" [Surah al-Ahzab: 50].
And He said: "Then marry those that please you of women, two or three or four; but if you fear that you will not be just, then (marry only) one, or those your right hands possess" [Surah al-Nisa': 3].
Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "So Allah Almighty left (the matter of) those the right hands possess unrestricted, and did not set any limit for them at which one must stop; and He set the limit of those (women) whom Allah made lawful through marriage at four."
The Shaykh (Imam al-Bayhaqi) (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "It is mentioned from Ali bin al-Husayn (Imam Zayn al-Abidin) (may Allah have mercy on him) that, concerning the saying of Allah Almighty: 'Two or three or four' [Surah al-Nisa': 3], he said: That is, two, or three, or four."
Imam al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "And the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which makes clear what Allah Almighty intends, indicates that limiting it (the number) to four is a prohibition from Allah Almighty against anyone other than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) combining more than four (wives in marriage at the same time)."

Sayyiduna Salim bin Abdullah bin Umar narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man called Ghaylan bin Salamah al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him) had ten wives in the Time of Ignorance. When he became Muslim, those women also became Muslim, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Choose four of them."

Sayyiduna al-Harith bin Qays bin Amirah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I accepted Islam while I had eight wives. I mentioned that to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Choose four of them."
(b) All the hadiths mentioned in this chapter concern the man who had more than four wives.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said concerning this saying of Allah: "And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those women who please you, two, three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then (marry only) one, or those your right hands possess." [Surah al-Nisa: 3] They used to marry ten widows in the Days of Ignorance, and they used to regard the matter of the orphan girl as weighty. So they became mindful of their religion concerning the orphan girls, and they left what they used to marry in the Days of Ignorance. Allah said: "And if you fear that you will not deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry those women who please you, two, three or four." [Surah al-Nisa: 3] And He forbade them what they used to marry in the Days of Ignorance.

Ikrimah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) concerning this saying of Allah Almighty: "And (forbidden to you are) married women, except those your right hands possess. (This is) the decree of Allah upon you." [Surah al-Nisa: 24] He said: It is not permissible for a Muslim to marry more than four; if he does, then she is (forbidden) to him like his mother and his sister.
Ubaydah al-Salmani (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning this saying of Allah Almighty, "the decree of Allah upon you": It means four women. The same is narrated from al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him).

Umm Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with her) was the umm walad of Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). She says: I was helping Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) perform ablution when Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "I want to get married." Umm Sa'id says: I said: "O Commander of the Believers, what is stopping you?" He said: "After four?" She says: I said: "Divorce one of them and marry another." He said: "Divorce is an ugly thing; I dislike it."