If a man contracts marriage to two women simultaneously, one valid and one invalid (as in the case of a free woman and a slave/minor relative), how should the stipulated dowry (mahr) be divided?
Chapter on What is Prohibited to Marry and Combining Between Them and Other Matters
Al-Mughni
Book of Marriage
Primary text
If the marriage contract to the valid party (the free woman) is established, she is entitled to the stipulated dowry proportionate to the dowry of a woman of similar standing (mahr mithl). This is derived from the principle that a valid contract occurred, even though it was combined with an invalid one, unlike the case of two sisters where neither has precedence.
Supporting text
There is another legal assessment suggesting she is entitled to half of the stipulated dowry. The underlying divergence in these two approaches stems from the general disagreement on how to divide a single stipulated dowry between two concurrently married wives: whether it is divided proportionally to their respective dowries or divided equally in half.