Is it permissible for a husband to practice polygyny and stipulate to the new wife that he will not be just, exploiting her circumstances? And is it the first wife’s right to demand the divorce of the new wife, whose marriage to her husband has harmed her psychologically and physically, or is it her right to demand a divorce or to move to an independent home to preserve her life?
It is permissible for a husband to practice polygyny if the new wife agrees to waive some of her right to equal division (of nights). She has the right to retract her waiver and demand her right. It is not permissible for the first wife to ask her husband to divorce his second wife, or to abandon her husband's home and seek a divorce merely because he married another, unless she stipulated this in their marriage contract. If the wife is unable to remain with her husband under these circumstances, she may seek a khul' (divorce initiated by the wife). It is advisable to be patient and not destroy the home due to jealousy, as divorce is not an easy matter and has psychological and social harms on the family and children.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/163005