The decision comes after widespread criticism on social media and from officials, who pointed out that Russian law prohibits polygamy.
Russia's top Islamic body has withdrawn a contentious document that allowed Muslim men to have multiple wives.
The decision comes after widespread criticism on social media and from officials, who pointed out that Russian law prohibits polygamy.
The document, issued on December 17 by the Council of Scholars of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Russia, outlined conditions for Muslim men to enter into "religious marriages" with up to four women.
The conditions included providing equal material support, separate living spaces, and devoting equal time to each wife.
“The main condition for allowing polygamy is a fair and equal treatment of all wives by their husband,” the document had said.
It acknowledged that “religious Islamic marriage is not recognized by the state and creates no legal consequences,” stressing that the fatwa “does not replace the norms of Russian marital law.”
The ruling was criticized online. Kirill Kabanov, a member of the presidential Human Rights Council, accused the DUM of attempting to impose Sharia law and “brazenly disrespecting” the Russian Constitution.
Nina Ostanina, the head of the parliamentary family affairs committee, said the fatwa undermines Russian secularism, while polygamy “goes against our core morals and traditional values.”
Ildar Alyautdinov, the mufti of Moscow, has denied that the document legalized polygamy and undermined the constitutional principle of secularism. He insisted that the ruling merely “clarified” Islamic canons and reiterated that “religious marriage has no legal power in Russia.”
According to RT, several Russian news agencies on Monday, reported that the Prosecutor General’s Office notified the DUM that the fatwa is illegal under Russian law and goes against “the state family policies.”
Several hours later, the DUM announced the withdrawal of the fatwa, citing the notice from prosecutors and “the reaction of the Russian public.”
“It is God’s will. The Council of Scholars sees no sense in joining a debate on the matter,” the council’s chairman, Shamil Alyautdinov, wrote on Telegram.
However, the backlash prompted the Islamic body to retract the document, acknowledging that Russian law takes precedence over religious rulings. This move highlights the tension between religious practices and secular laws in Russia.
Around 10% of Russians are Muslims. Muslim-majority regions include Chechnya, Dagestan, and Ingushetia in the North Caucasus, and Tatarstan and Bashkortostan in western Russia. Many large cities have a sizable Muslim minority, some of whom are migrant workers from Central Asia.