▁Q ur an ▁and ▁the ▁had ith . ▁In ▁Arab ic , ▁the ▁term ▁sh ar ī ʿ ah ▁refers ▁to ▁God ' s ▁( A rab ic : ▁ال ل ه ‎ ▁All ā h ) ▁imm utable ▁divine ▁law ▁and ▁is ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁fi q h , ▁which ▁refers ▁to ▁its ▁human ▁scholar ly ▁interpret ations . ▁ ▁Pol yg yn y ▁is ▁more ▁w ides p read ▁in ▁Africa ▁than ▁on ▁any ▁other ▁continent , ▁especially ▁in ▁West ▁Africa , ▁and ▁some ▁sch ol ars ▁see ▁the ▁ ▁slave ▁trade ' s ▁impact ▁on ▁the ▁male - to - f em ale ▁sex ▁ratio ▁as ▁a ▁key ▁factor ▁in ▁the ▁emer gence ▁and ▁fort ification ▁of ▁pol yg yn ous ▁practices ▁in ▁regions ▁of ▁Africa . ▁ ▁Anth rop ologist ▁Jack ▁Go ody ' s ▁compar ative ▁study ▁of ▁marriage ▁around ▁the ▁world ▁util izing ▁the ▁Eth n ographic ▁Atlas ▁demonstrated ▁an ▁historical ▁correlation ▁between ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁extensive ▁ ▁sh ifting ▁h ort icult ure ▁and ▁pol yg amy ▁in ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁sub - S ah aran ▁African ▁soci eties . ▁Draw ing ▁on ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁E ster ▁Bos er up , ▁Go ody ▁notes ▁that ▁the ▁sexual ▁division ▁of ▁labour ▁var ies ▁between ▁the ▁male - domin ated ▁int ensive ▁ ▁pl ough - ag ric ulture ▁common ▁in ▁E uras ia ▁and ▁the ▁extensive ▁sh ifting ▁h ort icult ure ▁found ▁in ▁sub - S ah aran ▁Africa . ▁In ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁sp