Q: Is it permissible for a man to take a second wife without his first wife’s approval?
A: It is permissible for the husband to marry a second wife without the approval of the first wife. However, to avoid complications, he should inform his first wife at the time of taking a second wife.
NOTE: We totally discourage performing secret nikaahs as this leads to suspicion being created in the minds of people regarding the man and woman whose nikaah has not been publicized as well as a lot of confusion and complications in many masaail i.e. the husband not being able to maintain equality between the wives in regard to their night turns, wealth and other aspects, laws of inheritance in the case of death, etc.
فَانكِحُوا مَا طَابَ لَكُم مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ مَثْنَىٰ وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَلَّا تَعُولُوا ﴿النساء: ٣﴾
روي عن عمر رضي الله عنه من سلك مسالك الظن اتهم (كشف الخفاء 1/44)
( وينعقد ) ملتبسا ( بإيجاب ) من أحدهما ( وقبول ) من الآخر ( وضعا للمضي ) لأن الماضي أدل على التحقيق ( كزوجت ) نفسي أو بنتي أو موكلتي منك ( و ) يقول الآخر ( تزوجت و ) ينعقد أيضا ( بما ) أي بلفظين ( وضع أحدهما له ) للمضي ( والآخر للاستقبال ) أو للحال فالأول الأمر ( كزوجني ) أو زوجيني نفسك أو كوني امرأتي فإنه ليس بإيجاب بل هو توكيل ضمني (الدر المختار 3/ 9)
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