Russia’s top Islamic body, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia (DUM), has retracted a controversial fatwa permitting Muslim men to marry multiple wives. The decision, announced on December 18, comes after widespread backlash on social media, as well as criticism from Russian officials, who pointed out that polygamy is illegal under Russian law.
The fatwa, issued just a day earlier on December 17, had outlined the conditions under which Muslim men could engage in religious marriages with more than one woman. According to the document, a man could have up to four wives, provided that he could offer “equal material support,” separate living spaces, and “an equal amount of time” to each wife. The fatwa emphasized that the key condition for allowing polygamy was “fair and equal treatment” of all wives.
However, the document also clarified that while such marriages could be recognized in Islamic terms, they held no legal standing in Russia. “Religious Islamic marriage is not recognized by the state and creates no legal consequences,” it stated, and stressed that the fatwa did not override Russian civil law.
The ruling quickly sparked criticism, particularly from human rights advocates and political leaders. Kirill Kabanov, a member of Russia’s presidential Human Rights Council, accused the DUM of attempting to impose Sharia law and disrespecting the Russian Constitution, which guarantees the country’s secular nature. “This is an attempt to bypass Russian law and impose a system based on religious rules,” Kabanov said, calling the fatwa a “brazen disrespect” of the nation’s constitution.
Nina Ostanina, head of the parliamentary family affairs committee, also voiced her concerns, calling the fatwa an affront to Russian secularism. “Polygamy goes against our core morals and traditional values,” Ostanina said, adding that the move was particularly troubling given Russia’s secular constitution.
In response to the criticism, Ildar Alyautdinov, the mufti of Moscow and one of the key figures behind the fatwa, denied any intent to legalize polygamy in Russia. He argued that the fatwa was simply meant to “clarify” the Islamic canon and stated that it did not undermine the constitutional principle of secularism. “Religious marriage has no legal power in Russia,” Alyautdinov asserted, emphasizing that the fatwa only applied to religious practices within the Muslim community.
Despite these reassurances, the fatwa drew the attention of Russia’s legal authorities. On December 18, the Prosecutor General’s Office issued a formal notice to the DUM, stating that the fatwa violated Russian law and contravened state family policies, which prohibit polygamy.
In response to the legal challenge and mounting public outrage, the DUM announced that it was withdrawing the fatwa. “It is God’s will. The Council of Scholars sees no sense in joining a debate on the matter,” wrote Shamil Alyautdinov, chairman of the DUM, in a Telegram post. He added that the decision to retract the fatwa was made in light of the reaction from both the Russian public and the legal notice from prosecutors.
Polygamy remains illegal in Russia, where civil marriage law prohibits men from marrying more than one woman. However, the country has a sizable Muslim population, around 10% of the total population, primarily concentrated in the Muslim-majority regions of Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan. Many Russian cities, including Moscow, also have large Muslim communities, some of whom are migrant workers from Central Asia.
The controversy surrounding the fatwa underscores the tension between Russia’s secular legal framework and the country’s diverse religious communities, particularly in its Muslim-majority regions. While Islamic law permits polygamy under certain conditions, Russian law and societal norms remain firmly opposed to the practice.
The withdrawal of the fatwa is seen as a significant moment in the ongoing debate over the role of religion in Russian public life. It also highlights the challenges faced by Russia’s Muslim community, particularly in balancing religious practices with the laws of the state.
While the DUM has retracted its controversial ruling, the issue of polygamy continues to be a sensitive topic in Russia, where discussions about religious rights, secularism, and social values often intersect.
