The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office deemed the fatwa issued by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims allowing four wives to be contrary to the Family and Marriage Law, according to reports from Russian publications, as cited by the national portal “Adyrna.”
The publications stated, “The Spiritual Administration of Muslims withdrew its fatwa on ‘Issues of Polygamy in the Russian Muslim Community,’ which permitted polygamy in the country.”
Media reports suggest that the Prosecutor General’s Office submitted a proposal to the head of the Spiritual Administration of Russian Muslims regarding the theological conclusion allowing polygamy. The prosecutor explained that legal marriage prohibits a person from entering into a new marriage with another individual. According to Article 14 of the Russian Federation’s Family Code, registering a new marriage is not allowed if at least one of the individuals is already in a registered marriage.
Following this proposal from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Spiritual Administration retracted its fatwa.
It is worth noting that on December 20, the Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia and Moscow’s Mufti, Eldar Alyautdinov, announced a fatwa permitting Muslims to enter into religious marriages with up to four wives.
However, this decision by the Spiritual Administration faced criticism from members of the Human Rights Council, who argued that “Russia should not become a country living under Sharia law.”
