If a man wants to marry a second wi...

Egypt's Dar Al-Ifta

If a man wants to marry a second wife, isn't it a must that the first wife knows? Should he seek her permission or just inform her?

Question

If a man wants to marry a second wife, isn't it a must that the first wife knows? Should he seek her permission or just inform her?

Answer

Informing one's first wife of his wish to marry a second wife or he already did is from among good character and kind companionship. And this also recommended and more appropriate for stable marital life. This is because marital life is based on love, mercy and good companionship. Informing one's first wife of the second marriage helps the man achieving justice required by Islamic law.

In this regard, the Egyptian personal law, which is mainly derived from shari'ah, obligates the marriage notary (ma'zun) to inform the first wife of her husband's second marriage. However, this does not mean that taking the first wife's consent is a condition for the validity of the husband's second marriage.

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