Question 1066: Is a wife's condition with her husband that he not remarry something that must be fulfilled?

251 13 Feb 2021
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✅Answer: Please pay attention to the following narrations:

1 عَنْ زُرَارَةَ أَنَّ ضُرَيْساً كَانَتْ تَحْتَهُ بِنْتُ حُمْرَانَ فَجَعَلَ لَهَا أَنْ لَا يَتَزَوَّجَ عَلَيْهَا وَ لَا يَتَسَرَّى أَبَداً فِي حَيَاتِهَا وَ لَا بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا عَلَى أَنْ جَعَلَتْ لَهُ هِيَ أَنْ لَا تَتَزَوَّجَ بَعْدَهُ أَبَداً وَ جَعَلَا عَلَيْهِمَا مِنَ الْهَدْيِ وَ الْحَجِّ وَ الْبُدْنِ وَ كُلِّ مَالٍ لَهُمَا فِي الْمَسَاكِينِ إِنْ لَمْ يَفِ كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَتَى أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ لِابْنَةِ حُمْرَانَ لَحَقّاً وَ لَنْ يَحْمِلَنَا ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنْ لَا نَقُولَ لَكَ الْحَقَّ اذْهَبْ فَتَزَوَّجْ وَ تَسَرَّ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بِشَيْءٍ وَ لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ عَلَيْكَ وَ لَا عَلَيْهَا وَ لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ الَّذِي صَنَعْتُمَا بِشَيْءٍ فَجَاءَ فَتَسَرَّى وَ وُلِدَ لَهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَوْلَادٌ.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 5, page 403

Zurara said: The daughter of Humran was married to Durays. So she stipulated with her husband that he would not marry another woman or take a concubine, whether he was alive or after her death. On the condition that he also stipulated with her that she would not marry anyone after him. They both agreed to perform a sacrifice and Hajj, and that all their property would be for the poor if either of them did not fulfill their condition for the other.

Then Durays came to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) and mentioned this matter to him.

The Imam said: 'Indeed, the daughter of Humran has a right, but this does not prevent us from telling you the truth. Go and marry and take a concubine, for that matter is nothing, and nothing is binding on you or her, and this act you have done has no validity!'

Durays went and took a concubine, and then children were born to him!

2 عَنْ حَمَّادَةَ بِنْتِ الْحَسَنِ أُخْتِ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ الْحَذَّاءِ قَالَتْ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْداللَّهِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً وَ شَرَطَ لَهَا أَنْ لَا يَتَزَوَّجَ عَلَيْهَا وَ رَضِيَتْ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مَهْرُهَا قَالَتْ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْداللَّهِ هَذَا شَرْطٌ فَاسِدٌ لَا يَكُونُ النِّكَاحُ إِلَّا عَلَى دِرْهَمٍ أَوْ دِرْهَمَيْنِ.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 5, page 381

Hamada, the daughter of Hasan, the sister of Abu Ubayda al-Hadhdha, said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a man who marries a woman and stipulates with her that he will not marry another woman over her, and the woman agrees to this as her dowry. So Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'This condition is invalid, and the marriage contract is not valid except for a dirham or two dirhams (and the like)!'

3 عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ: قَضَى أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي امْرَأَةٍ تَزَوَّجَهَا رَجُلٌ وَ شَرَطَ عَلَيْهَا وَ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا إِنْ تَزَوَّجَ عَلَيْهَا امْرَأَةً أَوْ هَجَرَهَا أَوْ أَتَى عَلَيْهَا سُرِّيَّةً فَإِنَّهَا طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ شَرْطُ اللَّهِ قَبْلَ شَرْطِكُمْ إِنْ شَاءَ وَفَى بِشَرْطِهِ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ أَمْسَكَ امْرَأَتَهُ وَ نَكَحَ عَلَيْهَا وَ تَسَرَّى عَلَيْهَا وَ هَجَرَهَا إِنْ أَتَتْ بِسَبِيلِ ذَلِكَ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ فَانْكِحُوا ما طابَ لَكُمْ مِنَ النِّساءِ مَثْنى وَ ثُلاثَ وَ رُباعَ وَ قَالَ أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ ما مَلَكَتْ أَيْمانُكُمْ وَ قَالَ وَ اللَّاتِي تَخافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ الْآيَةَ.

📚 Tafsir al-'Ayyashi, vol. 1, page 240

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) judged regarding a woman whom a man had married and stipulated with her and her family that if he married a woman over her or took a concubine over her or kept away from her, that woman would be divorced. He said: 'The condition of Allah is before your condition. If he wishes, he can fulfill his condition, and if he wishes, he can keep his wife and take a wife over her and take a concubine over her. And if the situation requires him to distance himself from her, he may. Allah the Exalted says (in Surah An-Nisa, verse 3): '...then marry women you deem good, two, three, or four...' and (in Surah An-Nisa, verse 3): '...and concubines...' are permissible for you, and (in Surah An-Nisa, verse 34): 'And those women from whom you fear disobedience, advise them! (and if it is not effective,) leave them in bed....''

4 عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَر فِي رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةً وَ شَرَطَ لَهَا إِنْ هُوَ تَزَوَّجَ عَلَيْهَا امْرَأَةً أَوْ هَجَرَهَا أَوِ اتَّخَذَ عَلَيْهَا سُرِّيَّةً فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ فَقَضَى فِي ذَلِكَ أَنَّ شَرْطَ اللَّهِ قَبْلَ شَرْطِكُمْ فَإِنْ شَاءَ وَفَى لَهَا بالشرط وَ إِنْ شَاءَ أَمْسَكَهَا وَ اتَّخَذَ عَلَيْهَا وَ نَكَحَ عَلَيْهَا.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, vol. 7, page 370

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) ruled regarding a man who marries a woman and stipulates with her that if he marries another woman over her or distances himself from her or takes a concubine over her, she will be divorced: 'The condition of Allah is before your condition. If he wishes, he can fulfill the condition for her, and if he wishes, he can keep her and take a wife and a concubine over her and marry!'

5 عَنِ ابْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي رَجُلٍ قَالَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ إِنْ نَكَحْتُ عَلَيْكِ أَوْ تَسَرَّيْتُ فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ قَالَ لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ بِشَيْءٍ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطاً سِوَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَا يَجُوزُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ وَ لَا عَلَيْهِ.

📚 Al-Tahdhib, vol. 7, page 373

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said regarding a man who says to his wife: 'If I marry another woman or take a concubine over you, she is divorced.' He said: 'This is nothing (it has no validity), for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Whoever makes a condition that is separate from the Quran, it is not permissible for him or against him!''

✅ Based on the above narrations and others, if a woman stipulates with her husband that he will not marry another woman, such a condition has no validity and is not binding, because before that, Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stipulated in the Quran that a man can marry up to four permanent wives.

Of course, if the man wants to, he can fulfill this condition, but it is not obligatory for him.

Also, if a man stipulates with his wife that she will not marry anyone after him, such a condition is also not binding, and the woman can remarry after the waiting period of her husband's death has passed.

✅ It should be noted that the non-binding nature of the condition of not remarrying does not mean that one can remarry recklessly and without consideration. It only means that fulfilling such a condition is not obligatory. If a person does not fear that he will not be able to be just and has made the necessary consideration and examination for remarriage, he can remarry, even if he has stipulated with his first wife that he would not do so. And even if he has stipulated that in case of remarriage, he will divorce his first wife, he can remarry and also keep his first wife and not divorce her.

✅ The invalidity of the condition of the husband's not remarrying makes no difference whether it was before the contract, after the contract, or within the contract. It is necessary for people who are aware of the invalidity of this condition not to stipulate it and not to accept such a condition.

✅ You should also refer to the following post:

https://feghh14.com/en/1292

اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ

Invalidity of the condition of not remarrying