Fatwa ID: 08084
Answered by: Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
My question is what do scholars of Darul Ifta Birmingham think about marrying a second time without the permission of the wife? Is it for them? Or is it necessary to get permission? If you send an answer as early as possible, I shall be grateful to you as I have to include your response in my thesis.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
First and foremost, this response is provided solely for the benefit of the questioner (Mustaftī) and should not be cited or referenced in academic or research work. The role of a Darul Iftā is to offer guidance and answers tailored to personal circumstances, which are often subjective in nature. For references or citations related to your project, we recommend consulting local scholars and Imams for appropriate recommendations and relying on published books and scholarly papers for research and academic purposes.
Permissibility of Polygamy in the Quran
Allah SWT says in the Quran:
﴿فَٱنكِحُوا۟ مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ مَثۡنَىٰ وَثُلَـٰثَ وَرُبَـٰعَۖ فَإِنۡ خِفۡتُمۡ أَلَّا تَعۡدِلُوا۟ فَوَٰحِدَةً أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُكُمۡۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدۡنَىٰۤ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا۟﴾
“Then marry other women of your choice—two, three, or four. But if you are afraid you will fail to maintain justice, then ˹content yourselves with˺ one.” [Surah An-Nisa 4:3] [2]
This verse establishes the permissibility of polygamy in Islam, provided the man can fulfill the rights of his wives and treat them with justice. The Shariah permits a man to marry more than one wife under these conditions, as long as he can fulfill their rights and maintain justice. Although seeking permission from the existing wife is not technically required in the Shariah, this matter falls under social dealings and welfare (Mu’āsharah). Marriage in Islam encompasses more than mere legalities. It involves respect, care, and maintaining peace and harmony within the household. The Prophet SWS emphasized this, saying:
«خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِي»
“The best of you is the best to his wives, and I am the best of you to my wives.” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3895, Book 49, Hadith 295] [3]
Muslims should aim towards upholding excellence (Ihsān) in all that they do and are required to behave with justice (‘Adl) and wisdom (Hikmah). Although legally not required, if seeking permission would lead to strain and conflict in the existing marriage and possible divorce, seeking permission would be highly recommended to prevent ruining existing relationships and causing future complications.
Requirements of Nikāh
The validity of a Nikāh depends on fulfilling its essential conditions and requirements. These include the consent of both parties (the man and the new woman), the presence of two trustworthy Muslim witnesses, and the offer and acceptance (Ijab and Qabool). Permission from the existing wives is not a condition for the validity of the second marriage.
(وَأَمَّا شُرُوطُهُ) فَمِنْهَا الْعَقْلُ وَالْبُلُوغُ وَالْحُرِّيَّةُ فِي الْعَاقِدِ إلَّا أَنَّ الْأَوَّلَ شَرْطُ الِانْعِقَادِ فَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ نِكَاحُ الْمَجْنُونِ وَالصَّبِيِّ الَّذِي لَا يَعْقِلُ وَالْأَخِيرَانِ شَرْطَا النَّفَاذِ؛ فَإِنَّ نِكَاحَ الصَّبِيِّ الْعَاقِلِ يَتَوَقَّفُ نَفَاذُهُ عَلَى إجَازَةِ وَلِيِّهِ هَكَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ
(وَمِنْهَا) الْمَحَلُّ الْقَابِلُ وَهِيَ الْمَرْأَةُ الَّتِي أَحَلَّهَا الشَّرْعُ بِالنِّكَاحِ، كَذَا فِي النِّهَايَةِ
(وَمِنْهَا) سَمَاعُ كُلٍّ مِنْ الْعَاقِدَيْنِ كَلَامَ صَاحِبِهِ هَكَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ وَلَوْ عَقَدَا النِّكَاحَ بِلَفْظٍ لَا يَفْهَمَانِ كَوْنَهُ نِكَاحًا يَنْعَقِدُ، وَهُوَ الْمُخْتَارُ هَكَذَا فِي مُخْتَارِ الْفَتَاوَى
(وَمِنْهَا) الشَّهَادَةُ قَالَ عَامَّةُ الْعُلَمَاءِ: إنَّهَا شَرْطُ جَوَازِ النِّكَاحِ هَكَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ وَشُرِطَ فِي الشَّاهِدِ أَرْبَعَةُ أُمُورٍ: الْحُرِّيَّةُ وَالْعَقْلُ وَالْبُلُوغُ وَالْإِسْلَامُ …
كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ وَيُشْتَرَطُ الْعَدَدُ فَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ النِّكَاحُ بِشَاهِدٍ وَاحِدٍ هَكَذَا فِي الْبَدَائِعِ وَلَا يُشْتَرَطُ وَصْفُ الذُّكُورَةِ حَتَّى يَنْعَقِدُ بِحُضُورِ رَجُلٍ وَامْرَأَتَيْنِ، كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ وَلَا يَنْعَقِدُ بِشَهَادَةِ الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ
(As for its conditions), they include sanity, maturity, and freedom in the contracting party … (And from it) is the eligible party, which is a woman whom the Shariah has made lawful for marriage … (And from them) is each of the two contracting parties hearing the words of the other … (And among them) is testimony. Most scholars said: It is a condition for the permissibility of marriage … Four conditions are stipulated for the witness: freedom, reason, puberty, and Islam … The number is required, so the marriage is not valid with one witness … The quality of being male is not required, so that it [Nikāh] is valid with the presence of a man and two women … It is not valid with the testimony of two women. (Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyya, vol. 1, pg. 267, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah) [1]
Conclusion
Legally, within the framework of Islamic law, a second marriage contracted without the permission of the first wife is valid, provided all the essential conditions of Nikāh are met. However, from an ethical and social perspective, proceeding without informing or considering the feelings and potential impact on the first wife is generally discouraged and can lead to significant hardship and injustice within the family. While the Shariah permits polygamy under specific conditions of justice, it also emphasizes kindness, fairness, and maintaining harmonious relationships within the family unit. A man should carefully consider his ability to fulfill the rights of all his wives and the potential consequences of his actions on his existing marriage.
Only Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) knows best.
Written by Mawlana Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
