Asalaam Alaykum
Welcome to tti sister...
Hope this helps you insha-allah..
Q.
I would like to ask about the housing conditions between two wives. I am a second wife and my husband wants me move and live in the same house as his first wife and children. I would have a separate room, but everything else would be shared.
When we first got married, he agreed that I would not have to live with the first wife. However, circumstances have changed and this is what he is requesting of me.
Is it my right to have seperate housing, or must I live with the other family?
A.
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray that this finds you well, and in the best of health and spirits. May Allah grant you all good and success in this life and the next.
It is each wife's right to have her own "housing"--separate bed, living area, washroom, and independent kitchen access--if she wishes.
If the husband desired her to live with his other wife or his family members, such as: his mum, sister, daughter from another wife or relatives, and she refused, then it will incumbent upon him to provide her with a separate living quarter. The reason for this is that she may be harmed in co-sharing, and her refusal is a sign of harm. Also, the spouses need to fulfill their mutual sexual needs whenever the need arises, which may be difficult with others around.
If the husband provided her with a separate quarter in a large home, which has a separate lock, then she will not have right to demand for a total separate house” (Kasani, Bada’i al-Sana’i, Vol.4, P.23).
In Conclusion
In conclusion, it is the responsibility of the husband to provide the wife with shelter. If she demands it to be separate from the husbands family, then the husband will be obliged to provide a living quarter which is free from the interference of others and that it has a separate lock. As far as the bathroom and cooking area is concerned, this should also be separate if they are not from a poor family background (as Ibn Abidin mentions in length in his super commentary), or else the responsibility will be discharged by providing the above.
And Allah knows best
:salam2:
