There is no mention of this anywhere, either in the Holy Qur’an or in tradition, that it is binding upon man to take permission of his wife before deciding to marry again. But what binds him is the condition, which is much more difficult, that he is only permitted to marry twice or thrice or four times if he is fully capable of dispensing justice to both the wives and be equitable to both the wives. And the Holy Qur’an categorically mentions that if you are not of that standard, where you can dispense justice equally between your wives, you are not permitted to marry twice. And as I know people, the standard of dispensation of justice is not of that high order, that people should consider themselves, according to the Qur’anic standard, to be eligible to marry again.
Because most of people who do, the problems are created exactly in the same department. Sometimes they are cruel to their wives and leave them, as the Holy Qur’an says, One of the wives is left alone to shift for herself. And in some cases, discrimination is made against some children of some wives. And here the wives also play a very improper role. Sometimes the new wives encourage their husbands to be cruel to the other wife. And sometimes vice versa, the older wife has the upper hand.
So all these things are to be weighed in the scales as described in the Holy Qur’an. And if one is capable really to dispense justice and be equitable, then he does not have to seek permission of the other wife. Because she would never give that permission. Obviously. Except very rarely.
