The First Deviation from the Sunnah: The Wife’s Right to a Share of the Husband’s Time, Seven Nights if She Is a Virgin and Three Nights if She Is a Previously Married Woman.

The Shaykh : First, the hadith regarding the initial share: the wife has the right to seven nights if she is a virgin, or three nights if she is a previously married woman, after which the husband divides his time equally among them. This refers to an authentic hadith stating that if a man marries a virgin in addition to his existing wife, he has the right to stay with her for a full week, seven nights, without beginning to divide his time. If she is a previously married woman, it is three nights. Some traditional schools of jurisprudence have not given this hadith due attention, even though it is authentic. After staying with her for three or seven nights, he begins to divide his time, giving one night to this wife and one night to that wife, or according to what they agree upon.