The Case of Four Wives and Divorcing one to Marry another before the end of the ‘Iddah (waiting period) or Marries Five Women at one Time

2. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Ali ibn abu Hamzah who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu Ibrahim عليه السلام, about the case of a man who has four wives; if he can divorce one and marry in her place another one. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so until her waiting period is complete.’”

3. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from ibn abu Nasr from ‘Asem ibn Hamid from Muhammad ibn Qays who has said the following: “About the case of a man who has four wives, who divorces one and marries another one in her place before the waiting period of the one just divorced is complete, I once heard abu Ja’far عليه السلام, saying, ‘He must join her with her family until the one just divorced completes her waiting period and the other one must complete a waiting period and she deserves her mahr (dower), if he has gone to bed with her; but if he has not gone to bed with her he has his assets and there is no waiting period on her; thereafter if she asks her family to arrange marriage for her they can do so or if they want they will not do so.’”

4. A number of our people have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad all from al-Hassan ibn Mahbub from ibn Ri’ab from ‘ Anbasah ibn Mus’ab who has said the following: “This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, about the case of a man who had three wives and he married two more women. He went to bed with one of them, then died. He (the Imam) said, ‘The marriage of the woman whom he first married and mentioned her name at the time of pronouncing the terms, is permissible. She deserves inheritance and she must complete waiting period; but if he had gone to bed with the woman who was named and mentioned after the mention of the first woman, her marriage is invalid, she does not deserve inheritance and mahr (dower), but she must complete the waiting period.’”

5. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Darraj who has said the following: “About the case of a man who marries five women in one contract, abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said, ‘He can keep any four and allow anyone of them to go.’”