Islam permits four wives. What does Sikhi say about polygamy?

The Sikh position is clear, consistent, and rooted in both Gurbani and the Sikh Rehat Maryada. Sikhi permits only one marriage at a time and does not allow polygamy in any form.

The Sikh Rehat Maryada, The Explicit Ruling

The Rehat Maryada states directly:

"Under normal circumstances, a Sikh should not remarry while their first spouse is still alive."

A Sikh is bound to one spouse for the duration of that spouse's life. Remarriage is only permitted after the death of a spouse.

The Anand Karaj, One Light in Two Bodies

The Sikh marriage ceremony, the Anand Karaj, is built on the teaching that husband and wife become "one light in two bodies", a singular, exclusive spiritual union modeled on the soul's union with God. This framework cannot be multiplied across several simultaneous marriages without completely destroying its spiritual meaning.

Guru Amar Das Ji's Teaching

Guru Amar Das Ji, the Third Guru, explicitly condemned the practice of taking multiple wives:

"They are not said to be husband and wife, who merely sit together. They alone are called husband and wife, who have one light in two bodies." (Ang 788)

The Historical Context

The first five Gurus and Gurus 8, 9, and 10 were monogamous. The Gurus deliberately and consciously rejected polygamy as part of their broader teaching on the equality of all human beings before God.

The position: Polygamy is absolutely not permitted in Sikhi. A Sikh can only have one spouse.