How soon can a Muslim man re-marry?
How soon can a newly converted muslim man re-marry? Scenario is he is converted to muslim and marry a christian woman then after he wants to immediately marry again.. This time with a muslim woman. He is not divorcing the Christian wife but wants to have another Muslim wife.
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Islam allows a man to have 4 wives.
Salaam
If the man lives in a country where polygamy is allowed, he can marry right away. If he lives in a country where polygamy is against the law he is not allowed to marry a second wife, since muslims must abide by the law of the land. However, this matter is contended by some conservative scholars.
Assalaamu Alaykum,
There is no waiting period for men when it comes to marriage or taking other wives. You converted, and you already had a Christian wife. And now you want to take a muslim wife as a second.
If we are talking just basic theory, the answer is- do it whenever you want. But there is more to polygamy than just the nuts and bolts of what's permissable.
You have a wife. I'm going to assume she loves you. How does she feel about being in polygamy? Have you discussed it with her? Is it something she would accept, or will it hurt her? If you do remarry, and she can't take the pain of sharing you and wants a divorce, how will you deal with that?
Being muslim is more than just following the rules, or partaking of what's permissible. Being muslim is about being kind, considerate, and compassionate to all. Prophet Muhammad SAWS said that the best man is he who treats his wife the best. Are you treating your current wife the best way possible in exploring polygamy for yourselves? Or are you only thinking about how it may benefit you?
Polygamy is not easy for men. It's a very stressful lifestyle, and men who love two women often find themselves constantly dealing with the pain of jealousy and insecurity in one or the other. He is never free to feel at ease unless he happens to have two wives who get along and care for one another as friends- but even then there are still times things get intense.
What it sounds like to me is that you want a muslim wife to share your islam with because your first wife is Christian. Even though technically you can remarry right away if you want, I think the wiser course would be to wait. Wait and see if perhaps your Christian wife will become muslim herself! Maybe then you might not feel so urged to take another wife. Or, if you still do, perhaps she will be more open to it as a muslim than she is currently. Maybe she will even help you find a wife that she feels she can get along with. There are lots of benefits in waiting, and plenty of risks in moving forward hastily. I think you should take some time to explore your own intentions and seek Allah's guidance on how to go forward. You should also involve your wife to the fullest degree possible, because nothing is more hurtful to a woman who has pledged her life to you than to have a husband who takes a second wife in secret. It destroys trust, and respect. Once those are lost, they are almost impossible to rebuild, so in cases like this it's better to go forward slowly, honestly, and carefully.
May Allah guide us all with His wisdom and grant us patience, amin.
-Amy
IslamicAnswers.com Editor