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Fatwa CenterTaking a second wife who will provide for herself
Question
Assalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatu Allaah wa barakaatuh dear scholar is it halal to marry a second wife if one can't alone maintain two houses but with the wives support it would be possible...if not what should one do if one is happily married but truly loves another girl as much as one loves his current wife and has loved this other from before he even got married but because someone else proposed to this other girl before him he thought she would get married which was not the case but he knew about this after his current marriage and he now loves both equally but doesn't know what to do and doesn't regret marrying his current wife but still hopes to marry this other as well ones income as about 2100 after taxes and current wifes income on maternity leave since she is in her 8th month pregnancy about 700 and the other woman's income is about 2000 after taxes one household needs about 1800 per month to live a good life...advice me with youe knowladge please I am lost and don't know what to do and what is right and what is wrong and what is whispers from shaytan and what is not I have been making istikhaara about this for 3 weeks but still nothing is clear for me so I ask your help and guidance Jazaakum Allah Khair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
It is permissible for the man to marry a second wife even if he is unable to support both women without their help as long as they accept that, because financial support is a right for the wife and she can forfeit all or some of it. However, it is better for the one who is unable to provide support not to marry a second wife as we have pointed out previously in Fataawa 91737and 138664.
Accordingly, it is better to leave that woman alone and to try hard to sever all attachments to her. If you are not able to do so and your heart remains attached to her, then there is nothing wrong with marrying her if she accepts to forfeit all or some of her right to financial support.
As for the Prayer of Istikhaarah (i.e. seeking Allaah's Guidance), you should know that scholars hold different opinions regarding what one should expect after performing Istikhaarah: whether it's a feeling of assurance in the heart and finding the matter easy to undertake, or whether one should proceed to undertake the matter and not leave it unless Allaah, The Almighty, removes him from it? What we view is that one should proceed to undertake the matter after doing Istikhaarah and not leave the matter regarding which he performed Istikhaarah unless Allaah, The Almighty, turns him away from it.
Allaah Knows best.
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