Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah (Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām), Vol. 2, p. 189
A man wishes to marry a second wife while his first wife is still with him. If he sets a higher mahr for the second wife than what he gave the first, is this considered unfairness or an injustice to the first wife?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd:
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
Question
A man wishes to marry a second wife while his first wife is still with him. If he sets a higher mahr for the second wife than what he gave the first, is this considered unfairness or an injustice to the first wife?
Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā baʿd:
- Mahr is part of the mutual agreement between the husband and the bride, usually settled through her guardians (awliyāʾ).
- Based on differing circumstances and needs, the mahr amount can be more or less.
- Therefore, if a man fixes a higher mahr for his second wife than for his first, this is not considered a violation of the first wife’s rights nor an act of injustice in Sharīʿah.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
