Why Men Hide Secret Second Wives The Qur'an allows Muslim men to take up to four wives as long as they can be fair and just between the co-wives. The permission to practice polygyny has been interpreted differently across cultures by religious scholars. Some say it is permissible, others say it's disliked, others say it is a sunnah (recommended religious practice). In Western societies, where plural marriages are illegal, a growing trend has emerged of Muslim men taking additional wives in secret. The popular and controversial YouTuber, Ali Dawah, discusses this phenomenon amongst British Muslims. Whilst some Muslims claim it is "technically permissible" to have a secret second wife, it must be emphasised that the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) never said men should have a secret wife, and there is no evidence that the Prophet hid wives from other women. The Prophet was a morally upright, ethical, and transparent man who never deceived any woman to accept a polygynous marital relationship. He also gave women the choice whether they wanted to stay with him in a polygynous marriage. Credit: @kazimsrahman featuring @alidawah - @habeeb_akande1