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Bayhaqi Q13845 — Collected chapters on the free women who are lawful

قَالَ اللهُ تَعَالَى: {قَدْ عَلِمْنَا مَا فَرَضْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِي أَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ} [الأحزاب: 50]، وَقَالَ: {فَانْكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ} [النساء: 3] قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: " فَأَطْلَقَ اللهُ مَا مَلَكَتِ الْأَيْمَانُ فَلَمْ يَحُدَّ فِيهِنَّ حَدًّا يُنْتَهَى إِلَيْهِ وَانْتَهَى مَا أَحَلَّ اللهُ بِالنِّكَاحِ إِلَى أَرْبَعٍ " قَالَ الشَّيْخُ: وَيُذْكَرُ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي قَوْلِهِ: {مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ} [النساء: 3] يَعْنِي مَثْنَى أَوْ ثُلَاثَ أَوْ رُبَاعَ قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: وَدَلَّتْ سُنَّةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْمُبَيِّنَةُ عَنِ اللهِ أَنَّ انْتِهَاءَهُ إِلَى أَرْبَعٍ تَحْرِيمًا مِنْهُ لِأَنْ يَجْمَعَ أَحَدٌ غَيْرَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَرْبَعٍ.
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)."
Hadith Reference السنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب النكاح / Q13845