Nikah without the consent of the first wife

Q. A man marries a second wife while his first marriage is still subsisting and without the consent of his first wife. Is this Nikah valid?

R. Islam allows a man to have four wives at a time. It is not necessary to obtain the consent of one's wife (or wives) for the Nikah to be valid. Such a Nikah is therefore valid.

Sometimes, in order to avoid Zina (adultery), especially when the risk of committing it is very great, it even becomes necessary for a man to contract a second, third, or at most a fourth Nikah.

It should be noted, however, that the permission to have up to four wives at a time holds as long as the different wives are treated fairly on a material level.

[English version of "Nikaah sans le consentement de la première femme" – Al Haadi – Vol. 1 No.3]