QUESTION

If a man wants to take a second wife, is it permissible for him to not mention the fact that he is already married? And if he does not tell the second wife about the existing first marriage, is his marriage to the second woman valid?

ANSWER by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

It is not a required condition to marry a second wife that one must inform her of an existing marriage. However, from good manners of living together, and from the ettiquettes of cooperation upon good things, is that she should be informed. I am not saying that a man must seek permission from his wife (to marry a second wife), but she should be informed.

And the man must fear Allaah, the Glorified and Exalted, regarding his first wife and he must act justly between them. The Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) mentioned a man who will come on the Day of Judgement and one side of his face will be dropped to the ground, a result of his lack of fairnes between his wives. [1]

So we advise this man to fear Allaah, the Glorified and Exalted, regarding his first wife, and to be sure that he acts justly between them.

His marriage to the second wife is valid, even if he did not inform the first wife, or let the second wife know. But from kind interaction and mutual cooperation upon good affairs, he should make her aware, and Allaah knows best.

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a cassette recording with the knowledge and permission of the shaykh, file no. AAMB016, dated 1423/6/25.

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