Husband Lying To His Wives

QUESTION:

A man has two wives. When he travels for work, he takes one wife along for that week, and they continue their stay for another week with the intention of a holiday. The other wife has no knowledge of this, except that he tells her that he is travelling for work purposes and will return after a fortnight. Considering that a man has a choice in who accompanies him while travelling, and there is no equality in holidays, is it correct for him to lie about taking a work trip when not all the days are work-related?

ANSWER:

In principle, equality is not Waajib when embarking on a journey. The husband can take whichever wife he wishes to, however, it is preferable to cast a lot and in whoever’s favour the lot is drawn, should be taken along. In this way there will be no unhappiness or dissatisfaction. (Re: Bahishti Zewar, Vol.1 Pg. 383-384). However, one should remember that a marriage can never be successful without trust and respect, hence, the husband should always be truthful with regards to his whereabouts.

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Ahmed Saeed

Date: 18 Shawwaal 1447 / 14 April 2026

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb