What are the shares of inheritance and dowry if the husband divorces one wife after marrying the fifth?
Chapter on Distant Kindred (Dhawu al-Arham)
Al-Mughni
Book of Inheritance Shares (Farā'id)
Primary text
If the husband, after marrying the fifth wife, states, 'One of you is divorced' (referring to the group of five), according to the view of the Iraqis, the fifth wife receives one-quarter of the inheritance because she is a partner with the remaining three (out of the original four). The remainder is distributed among the four original wives as before. The fifth wife receives seven-eighths of a dowry, as the divorce reduced her share, and the remaining three wives share half a dowry between them. The remaining three-eighths are divided among the four original wives along with three dowries.
Supporting text
The details regarding the division are complex: the total is divided into sixty-four parts. If the husband subsequently marries a sixth wife, she receives a full dowry and one-quarter of the inheritance. The fifth wife receives seven-eighths of the remaining inheritance share and seven-eighths of a dowry. The original four wives receive the remainder of the inheritance and three full dowries plus one-eighth of a dowry.