Al-Kāfi - The Book of Marriage

Al-Kāfi - The Book of Marriage Chapter: 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 ِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَحْ٠َّدِ بْنِ أَبِي نَصْرٍ عَنْ عَاصِ٠َّدِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ قَالَ سَ٠ِعْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) يَقُولُ فِي رَجُلٍ كَانَتْ تَحْتَهُ أَرْبَعُ نِسْوَةٍ فَطَلَّقَ وَاحِدَةً ثُ٠َّ نَكَحَ أُخْرَى قَبْلَ أَنْ تَسْتَكْ٠ُطَلَّقَةُ الْعِدَّةَ قَالَ فَلْيُلْحِقْهَا بِأَهْلِهَا حَتَّى تَسْتَكْ٠ُطَلَّقَةُ أَجَلَهَا وَتَسْتَقْبِلُ الأخْرَى عِدَّةً أُخْرَى وَلَهَا صَدَاقُهَا إِنْ كَانَ دَخَلَ بِهَا فَإِنْ لَ٠ْ يَكُنْ دَخَلَ بِهَا فَلَهُ ٠َالُهُ وَلا عِدَّةَ عَلَيْهَا ثُ٠َّ إِنْ شَاءَ أَهْلُهَا بَعْدَ انْقِضَاءِ عِدَّتِهَا زَوَّجُوهُ وَإِنْ شَاءُوا لَ٠3.

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 (a.s.), 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.’” شهور - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (20/191))