Does the second wife inherit from the house that the husband registered in the name of his first wife? And is the husband obligated to register a house in the name of his second wife to achieve justice, or is what happened before his marriage to her not her concern?
A husband must be just among his wives regarding overnight stays. However, there is a difference of opinion concerning justice in matters other than overnight stays, such as financial support (nafaqah), clothing (kiswah), and housing (sakan):
- The First View: Equality is not obligatory for anything beyond what is due. A man may favor one of his wives with more than the obligatory financial support if the other wife is sufficiently provided for. Accordingly, a man is not obligated to register a house in the name of his first or second wife, nor to buy gold for either of them, unless it is a gesture of generosity. - The Second View: Equality and justice are obligatory among wives in all matters. They cite the hadith: "Whoever has two wives and inclines to one of them more than the other, will come on the Day of Resurrection with one of his sides leaning."
The husband is not obligated to give the new wife what he gave the first wife before marrying the second.
A man's gift of a house to his wife is not considered valid and effective unless he vacates it, empties it, and the wife takes possession of it in a recognized manner and it is witnessed. If he does not do so and lives with her in it until his death, the house is considered part of his inheritance and is distributed among the heirs, and the gift becomes void. This is because the man's dwelling in the house with his wife prevents the validity of her possession of the house, and the dwelling is considered to be for him, not for her.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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