What is the ruling on a man marrying a slave woman when he is already married to a free woman who satisfies his desires?

Chapter on What is Prohibited to Marry and Combining Between Them and Other Matters

Al-Mughni

Book of Marriage

Book 35 · Issue 3 · Bab 2

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If a man is married to a free woman who satisfies his needs, there is no dispute that marrying a slave woman is forbidden.

Supporting text

If a man is married to a free woman who does not satisfy his needs, there are two narrations from Abu Al-Khattab concerning the permissibility of marrying a slave woman, mirroring the rulings regarding marrying a slave woman when one is already married to another slave woman who does not satisfy his needs. If a man who is satisfied by his current slave wife marries another slave woman, that subsequent marriage is invalid because the rule invalidates the marriage in one of the two, and neither is prioritized over the other, resulting in nullification, analogous to the prohibition of marrying two sisters simultaneously.