Does one marry a second wife without a defect or deficiency in the first?

The following message was received by the program from Bahrain, sent by one of the brothers there. He says: Abu Ibrahيم, our brother has a set of questions, among which is a question that says: I wish to marry a second woman, and I am able to bear the costs of marriage and to spend on two households. I find in myself that I am able to be just between the two wives, but I have heard from some brothers that marrying a second wife must have conditions, such as the first wife being sick or not bearing children, or other such reasons. Is this correct, or is it possible to take more than one wife without a reason, as long as I am able and find in myself the capacity to be just between the two wives? What do you see, Your Eminence, in this matter, especially regarding plural marriage? May Allah reward you with good?
Answer: There is no harm in plural marriage, even if the existing wife is righteous and good, with no illness or defect, and even if she bears children. There is no blame in that if you are, by the praise of Allah, able to marry and to be just. So praise be to Allah. Allah the Exalted says: [Surat al-Nisa: 3], and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married several women, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, and there was no defect in his wives.
The point is that he (peace and blessings be upon him) married, and likewise the Companions married; some of them married two, some three, and some four. So the matter in this is broad, and praise be to Allah. The believer strives to be just and exerts effort in being just between the two, three, or four wives. Marriage has benefits; it includes the chastity of the private parts and the chastity of the gaze, and it includes the increase of offspring. It also includes doing good to women, for there is doing good to them in it. Indeed, the existence of women who have no husbands is one of the calamities, and there is danger in it. So for a woman to be given half a husband, meaning: she gets half, or a third, or a quarter, which chastes her and provides for her, and through which she gets offspring, this is a great good and a major benefit, better than her remaining in the house without a husband. So for her to get a quarter, a third, or half of a husband is better than her remaining in her house without a husband, for many reasons and numerous benefits for both the husband and the wife, such as the increase of offspring, the chastity of her private parts and the chastity of his, the lowering of her gaze and the lowering of his, her comfort in this world, and the satisfaction of her desire and the satisfaction of his. So the benefits are many. Among them is the increase of the Ummah, for the existence of offspring between two wives or more is an increase for the Ummah. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
So what is required is the increase of the Ummah, the increase of righteous children, both men and women. So the believer exerts effort and asks Allah for success. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. Although half of this speech is directed to women, may Allah reward you with good, Your Eminence, I find in myself a greater desire, especially since I have read a lot about the many unmarried women in homes?
The Shaykh: It is one of the calamities that many people today call for not practicing plural marriage, and perhaps they are deceived by what some of the Christians say, and those who resemble the Christians in that. Many of them prefer that the husband remain with one wife and denounce the husbands who take more than one. This is all wrong, and it is all imitating the Christians, or being influenced by what they said, or what he who joined them or shared their opinion or followed them in their morals said. The great Islamic Shari'ah came with plural marriage, and plural marriage was more common before us. David (peace be upon him) had a hundred women, and Solomon married ninety-nine, or in a narration: seventy. Plural marriage was more in the Shari'ah of the Torah, whereas in the Shari'ah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the number was limited to four or less for the Ummah, except for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for he had nine, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. This is from the mercy of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, that He made the number four or less in this Ummah for a profound wisdom. As for the benefits of plural marriage, they are innumerable. The benefits of plural marriage are clear, and the benefits are many for men and women. Women get chastity, the satisfaction of desire, and provision for them. The husband enters upon them, respects them, and defends them, and the dignity of the man when he enters upon her, and her safety, in most cases, from the attachment of others to her, among other benefits. Then the provision for her, and then the existence of a child whom Allah grants her through him, and she gets great good through that if Allah rectifies the child. It may be several children, men and women. So the benefits are many. He benefits and she benefits, and the whole family benefits. For the increase of offspring is a benefit for everyone and an increase for the Ummah. Also, in that is protection for her, safeguarding for her, chastity for her private parts, provision for her, and doing good to her, and striving for everything that protects her from every affliction and evil. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you. Some women, Your Eminence, believe that marriage is for the sake of provision only. So if she is an employee and has an income, or has a trade, or such, she does not want anything but a man who is free?
The Shaykh: This is wrong, this is among the wrongs. Marriage is sought for many benefits:
It is sought for the goodness of the relationship between the spouses, comfort in this world, and the enjoyment between them, the good and righteous enjoyment between them.
It is also sought for the bearing of righteous children, so that the Ummah increases and righteousness and good increase in it.
It is also sought for the chastity of the private parts from what Allah has forbidden, and the chastity of the gaze from what Allah has forbidden.
It is also sought to reduce corruption on earth, for the existence of men and women without marriage is among the greatest causes of corruption on earth and the increase of zina and lewd acts. So when the woman marries and the young man marries, this becomes among the greatest causes of protection and safeguarding and the decrease of corruption on earth. So marriage benefits this one and that one. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: .
So marriage has good for everyone, not just provision only. It has many benefits other than provision. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah bless you. Some husbands, Your Eminence, have wronged the principle of plural marriage?
The Shaykh: There is no doubt that if the husband does not be just, he wrongs plural marriage, and he wrongs the Shari'ah, and he wrongs the Muslims. So it is obligatory for the husband to fear Allah, and to do good in what is upon him, and to perform the duty, and to be eager to be just between the two wives or more, so that he does not wrong himself, and so that he does not cause aversion to plural marriage by the causes of his actions, and so that problems do not occur between the two families and disputes do not increase in the courts. All of this causes problems. As for justice and doing good and the goodness of the relationship, it causes much good for the two families and for the whole society. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.