Wife making dua that her husband divorces his second wife

Q: If one's husband has made nikaah without telling her and she found out about 3 months later. Her husband did not consummate the marriage and after consulting with his seniors, he regrets what he had done. However he is afraid to divorce the second wife due to backlash. The first wife wants to make dua that he leaves his second wife since he hasn't caused her to to become pregnant which will further complicate things. 

My question is, is one allowed to make a dua as such... "Oh my beloved Allah you create a good excuse for my husband to leave his second nikaah with aafiyah and you make it such that she finds a better spouse for her thereafter". 

Will this kind of dua be allowed?

A: In the Hadith, Rasulullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) has prohibited a woman from asking her husband to divorce her co-wife. From this Hadith, we understand that both wives have equal rights upon the husband, and it is not permissible for any wife to ask the husband to give her more rights compared to the other wife or to ask him to divorce the other wife. 

Now that her husband has taken a second wife, and the second wife has equal rights upon her husband as herself, it is not permissible for her to make this dua. Just as she would not like the second wife to make this dua in regard to herself, she should not make this dua for the second wife.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)