Husband took second wife and neglected first wife
Fatwa No: 86094

Question

A husband married a second wife and ignored his first wife and he neglected his responsibilities at home and bills start piling up. He took this other wife while his first wife suffered. Then he kicked the first wife out of the house and said that they were divorced. Can he do that? Is that considered as Fitna?

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Allah, The Exalted, permitted a man to marry more than one wife provided he should deal justly with them and fulfill their rights.  Allah Says (what means):{…then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one…} [Quran 4:3]

Besides, the Prophet said: "When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them, he will come on the Day of Resurrection with one side hanging down." [Ahmad, and the compilers of the Sunan relate this Hadith].

No doubt, whoever does not deal justly with his wives commits sin and falls into temptation. Nonetheless, the wife should be patient and fear Allaah and the injustice of the husband should not lead her to do what displeases Allaah.

Finally, we comfort her by saying that the rights that she lost in this life, she will find them with Allaah on the Day of Judgment when she will be most in need for them.

Allaah Knows best.

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