ited ▁for ▁pol yg yn y ▁is ▁that ▁it ▁allows ▁a ▁man ▁to ▁give ▁financial ▁protection ▁to ▁multiple ▁women , ▁who ▁might ▁otherwise ▁not ▁have ▁any ▁support ▁( e . g . ▁wid ows ). ▁However , ▁the ▁wife ▁can ▁set ▁a ▁condition , ▁in ▁then ▁marriage ▁contract , ▁that ▁the ▁husband ▁cannot ▁marry ▁another ▁woman ▁during ▁their ▁marriage . ▁In ▁such ▁a ▁case , ▁the ▁husband ▁cannot ▁marry ▁another ▁woman ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁he ▁is ▁married ▁to ▁his ▁wife . ▁According ▁to ▁traditional ▁Islam ic ▁law , ▁each ▁of ▁those ▁w ives ▁keeps ▁their ▁property ▁and ▁assets ▁separate ; ▁and ▁are ▁paid ▁ma har ▁and ▁maintenance ▁separately ▁by ▁their ▁husband . ▁Usually ▁the ▁w ives ▁have ▁little ▁to ▁no ▁contact ▁with ▁each ▁other ▁and ▁lead ▁separate , ▁individual ▁lives ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁houses , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁in ▁different ▁cities , ▁though ▁they ▁all ▁share ▁the ▁same ▁husband . ▁ ▁In ▁most ▁Muslim - major ity ▁countries , ▁pol yg yn y ▁is ▁legal ▁with ▁K uw ait ▁being ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁where ▁no ▁restrictions ▁are ▁im posed ▁on ▁it . ▁The ▁practice ▁is ▁illegal ▁in ▁Muslim - major ity ▁Turkey , ▁Tun is ia , ▁Alban ia , ▁Kos ovo ▁and ▁Central ▁Asian ▁countries . ▁ ▁Count ries ▁that ▁allow ▁pol yg yn y ▁typically ▁also ▁require ▁a ▁man ▁to ▁obtain ▁permission ▁from ▁his ▁previous ▁w ives ▁before ▁marry ing ▁another , ▁and ▁require ▁the ▁man ▁to ▁prove ▁that ▁he ▁can ▁finan cially ▁support ▁multiple ▁w ives . ▁In ▁Malays ia ▁and