Answered by Ustadh Tabraze Azam
Question: Assalam alaykum,
Some people ask why polygamy is permissible while polyandry is not. What is a practical way to answer this question?
Answer: Wa alaikum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
I pray that you are in the best of health and faith, insha’Allah.
The simplest response is that one of the most primary and central aims (maqasid) of the Shari`ah is preservation of lineage and the family (nasab). Polyandry negates this completely.
Polygamy on the other hand is not unconditionally permitted. For most people in our times, it may well be impermissible and sinful. [see: Can a Husband Marry a Second Wife Without His First Wife’s Permission?]
And Allah alone gives success.
wassalam,
Tabraze Azam
Checked & Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani