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A wife may not use her co-wife's belongings without her permission

Question

Asalamualikum WArehmatullahe WAbarakatu! I am a 2nd wife of my husband we have 3 kids together then 4 kids from other wife. I used to live in Saudi Arabia with my husband 9 months ago he sent me and 2 kids back to my home country while i was 5monthspregnent with 3rd. The plan was to get us back the same month of our arrival in Pakistan but he couldn't due to our paperwork complexities. 2 weeks ago i received a message from his 3rd wife that she his new wife and then she started sending me all kind of filthy messages about how they do oral sex and how he makes her love in my bedroom( i said my bedroom because thats my home where i used to live before depature.I got my all belongings over there but he brought her in my place specially when he could get her new apartment) Then she used all bad words for me and in the end sent me her nude pictures of her privates because she wanted to prove that i am old.ugly,fat though she never saw me in pics or person. when i talked to my husband he swore that he not married to this women and he don't know her while she was sending messages and telling my bedroom stuff she using. I knew this women as my husband always look for new women and when i left he was talking to her on skype through merriage site. He don't have the ability to treat his wives equally he been doing injustices to me while his 1t was with us. He lie too much to get marry with new women and he asks them to show him their thighs and chest and one women sent him her nude pictures through internet . he says this is permisssible to have your goign to be wife show him certain parts of his intrests. he neglects me always and spend time talking to so many women over the internet and make skype calls phone calls and send them money if they ask and he lost his hard earned money one time, My question is that if his new wife is subject to some punishment from him bcz of her evil actions?if a man can bring new women at his wifes spot?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

If what you mentioned about that woman is true - that she sent you messages that included a description of sexual intercourse, or her naked pictures and tried to provoke you - then there is no doubt that she has done some extremely evil and forbidden matters as it is not permissible to disclose matters of sexual intercourse. Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "Verily, among the worst people to Allaah on the Day of Judgment is a husband who approaches his wife sexually and she responds and then he spreads her secrets.” [Muslim]

Also, it is forbidden to expose one’s private parts without a necessity. Mu'aawiyah ibn Haydah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what part of our ‘Awrah (parts of the body that must be covered in Islam) and what shall we cover of it? He said: “Preserve your ‘Awrah except from your wife or what your right hand possesses.” He said: “I said: O Messenger of Allaah, if some people are around? He said: “If it is possible to avoid anyone seeing it, then no one should see it.” He said: “I said: O Messenger of Allaah, what if one of us is alone? He said: “It is more right that you have shame before Allaah.” [Ahmad, Abu Daawood, At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah]

If that woman is really his wife, then he is obliged to prevent her from causing you any kind of harm. This is in case she is really his wife. If your husband denies that she is his wife, then, in principle, he is truthful unless the contrary is proven.

On the other hand, what you mentioned about your belongings, namely that she uses your bedroom, and your husband seeking a third wife…etc., then all of this does not prove that she is his wife. If we presume that she is his wife, then if those things belong to you, it is not permissible for your husband to allow his other wife to use them without your permission. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “The property of a Muslim is not lawful (for anyone else to take) unless he gives it with his own proper consent.” [Ahmad]

Also, the husband is obliged to be just between his wives as far as providing for them and spending nights with them, as we have already clarified in Fatwa 82124. He is also obliged to treat his wife with kindness as Allaah has commanded. Allaah says (what means): {And live with them in kindness.}[Quran 4:19] He should be affectionate with his wives and make them happy, and he should not neglect any of them. He has a good example in the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ). ‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “The best amongst yourselves are the best to their wives, and I am the best to my wives.” [At-Tirmithi] Ibn Maajah also reported the same Hadeeth as related by Ibn ‘Abbaas  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him.

What you mentioned about your husband talking to non-Mahram women and them showing their chests and thighs to him and sending him naked photographs, then if this is true, they are evil acts without any doubt, and the sin is even greater coming from a married man. He must be advised in this regard to fear the wrath of Allaah. It is very strange that he does this claiming that he is going to propose to marry these women. This is nothing but dissoluteness that is not approved by the Sharee’ah.

For information on what a man may see from his fiancée's body, please refer to Fataawa 91413 and 91507.

Allaah Knows best.

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