Excerpt from: Ahkām wa Masā’il – Kitāb wa Sunnat kī Roshnī mein by Shaykh Mubashshir Ahmad Rabbānī
If a man, at the time of his second marriage, promises certain items to his second wife and concludes the marriage based on these conditions, is it obligatory for him to fulfill those promises after the marriage or not?
If someone desires to enter into a second marriage, he must be completely honest and transparent during the process of arranging the proposal. One must not deceive or commit fraud, nor make false promises to conclude a marriage. Any conditions that are not against the Qur’an and Sunnah must be fulfilled.
If a person ends up making a statement or commitment that contradicts the pure Sharīʿah, then he should repent and seek forgiveness. A marriage conducted with permissible conditions is entirely valid and correct.
Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله has established a chapter in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī titled:
“Bāb al-Shurūṭ fī al-Nikāḥ” – The Chapter on Conditions in Marriage (Before ḥadīth no. 5151).
This means that any conditions agreed upon in marriage must be fulfilled.
Within this chapter, he quoted a statement of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه:
"Fulfilling the truth occurs when the condition is honored."
He also narrated from Masʿūd bin Makhramah رضي الله عنه that he said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mention his son-in-law Abū al-ʿĀṣ, and praised him, saying:
‘He fulfilled the right of kinship, spoke truthfully, and fulfilled his promise.’”
Then, the following noble statement of the Prophet ﷺ was quoted:
"Among all conditions, the ones most deserving to be fulfilled are those through which you make the private parts lawful (i.e., through nikāḥ)."
(Bukhārī, Book of Nikāḥ, Chapter: Conditions in Marriage [5151])
Therefore, any permissible conditions that are agreed upon must be fulfilled. For example, if a man promises a woman during the nikāḥ that he will give her a certain amount of money, or a particular house, or a specific plot of land as mahr, then fulfilling such conditions is obligatory upon the man.
However, if a condition contradicts Sharīʿah – for example, a man says: "I will divorce my first wife," or "I will deprive her of her rights," then such a condition must not be fulfilled, as it is impermissible.
For more details, refer to:
Fatḥ al-Bārī (Volume 9, Page 218)
Whether it is the second marriage or the first, the commitments made at the time of the contract should be honest, clear, and free from all forms of deceit and falsehood. The conditions must be Sharʿī-compliant and practically possible to fulfill.
(And Allah knows best!)
❖ Question:
If a man, at the time of his second marriage, promises certain items to his second wife and concludes the marriage based on these conditions, is it obligatory for him to fulfill those promises after the marriage or not?
✿ Answer:
If someone desires to enter into a second marriage, he must be completely honest and transparent during the process of arranging the proposal. One must not deceive or commit fraud, nor make false promises to conclude a marriage. Any conditions that are not against the Qur’an and Sunnah must be fulfilled.
If a person ends up making a statement or commitment that contradicts the pure Sharīʿah, then he should repent and seek forgiveness. A marriage conducted with permissible conditions is entirely valid and correct.
Imām al-Bukhārī رحمه الله has established a chapter in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī titled:
“Bāb al-Shurūṭ fī al-Nikāḥ” – The Chapter on Conditions in Marriage (Before ḥadīth no. 5151).
This means that any conditions agreed upon in marriage must be fulfilled.
Within this chapter, he quoted a statement of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه:
"Fulfilling the truth occurs when the condition is honored."
He also narrated from Masʿūd bin Makhramah رضي الله عنه that he said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ mention his son-in-law Abū al-ʿĀṣ, and praised him, saying:
‘He fulfilled the right of kinship, spoke truthfully, and fulfilled his promise.’”
Then, the following noble statement of the Prophet ﷺ was quoted:
"Among all conditions, the ones most deserving to be fulfilled are those through which you make the private parts lawful (i.e., through nikāḥ)."
(Bukhārī, Book of Nikāḥ, Chapter: Conditions in Marriage [5151])✔ Summary Ruling:
Therefore, any permissible conditions that are agreed upon must be fulfilled. For example, if a man promises a woman during the nikāḥ that he will give her a certain amount of money, or a particular house, or a specific plot of land as mahr, then fulfilling such conditions is obligatory upon the man.
However, if a condition contradicts Sharīʿah – for example, a man says: "I will divorce my first wife," or "I will deprive her of her rights," then such a condition must not be fulfilled, as it is impermissible.
For more details, refer to:
Fatḥ al-Bārī (Volume 9, Page 218)❀ Final Advice:
Whether it is the second marriage or the first, the commitments made at the time of the contract should be honest, clear, and free from all forms of deceit and falsehood. The conditions must be Sharʿī-compliant and practically possible to fulfill.
(And Allah knows best!)
