Permission for a second nikah when the husband does not fulfil the rights of one wife

Question

Question: A married man, without the knowledge of his parents, relatives and wife, married a second time to a young girl, and the girl did not know that he was married. Quite a number of days after the nikah the girl learned that there is a first wife as well, and he has children too. After he brought her to the house, getting along and living together between the two became difficult. This matter became a source of distress for all the relatives.

Answer

For now there is no permission for a second nikah. The girl should live with her husband and fulfil his rights. If the husband does not keep her and does not fulfil the marital rights, she should obtain talaq from him or carry out khul‘, that is, the wife waives the mahr and the husband gives talaq.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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