𝗪𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (537)

He Promised Not to Take Another Wife — What If He Breaks That Promise? If a husband promises his wife that he will not marry another woman, but later breaks that promise and enters into another marriage, then he has committed a sin by breaking his word. A believer is commanded to honour his promises, and it was wrong for him to make such a commitment in the first place if he was unsure of fulfilling it. However, the nikāḥ itself remains valid. Breaking a promise does not invalidate the marriage contract. Polygyny is something Allāh ﷻ has permitted, provided that the husband upholds justice and fairness between his wives. What is sinful here is the breach of promise, not the marriage itself. As for the wife, she is advised to fear Allāh regarding her obligations toward her husband, continue to worship Allāh, and exercise patience, seeking Allāh’s help and reward. Importantly, she is not trapped in the situation. If she finds herself unable to bear what has occurred, she has the choice to either remain in the marriage while demanding fair and just treatment, or seek separation through divorce or khulʿ, according to what brings her peace and preserves her religion. As for the husband, if his promise was intended as an oath, then he must offer expiation (kaffārah) for breaking it. Even if it was not a formal oath, he is still blameworthy for violating his word. It is not permissible for a man to make promises of this nature and then disregard them. He should repent sincerely to Allāh and rectify his conduct going forward. We ask Allah ﷻ to grant fairness, wisdom, and mercy within marriages, and to guide all spouses to that which pleases Him. _ Note: If a woman places a condition upon her husband—similar to the condition the Prophet ﷺ placed upon ʿAli (namely not to marry an additional wife)—then she should take Fāṭimah as her example. Despite being the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Fāṭimah served her husband exceptionally well and carried out the household duties herself. This is evident from the well-known ḥadīth in which she complained of her hands becoming worn and fatigued from work and asked the Prophet ﷺ for a servant to assist her. Instead, the Prophet ﷺ guided her to recite before sleeping: سُبْحَانَ الله ×33 الْحَمْدُ للهِ ×33 اللهُ أَكْبَرُ ×34 This demonstrates her patience, humility, and devotion, and serves as a strong motivation for the husband to remain faithful to his promise.