Are Muslim men allowed to deceive Muslim women?

I happened to be over at bakkah.net and one fatwa caught my eye. Mind you, normally, I do not seek out bakkah.net for fatawa. I just happened to be there. Anyway, when I was reading this particular fatwa that actually made a hukm allowing a brother the right to deceive potential wives by withholding his marital status a sense of sadness overcame me, a defeated feeling and I immediately had sought Allah's protection. However, still I am left feeling like a piece of me is being chipped away by these sort of injustices. I have nothing but respect for professors of Islam in the mumlaka like Shaykh Bazmool hafidhahullah, but as a Muslim woman I am tired of being disappointed by those whom Allah has given authority to. Do Muslim men still love, honor and protect Muslim women? Or are we as Muslim women doomed to lose our rights, respect and position in this ummah like those monothesist women who preceeded us? Allahul Musta'an. I don't know what the future holds but as I prepare to bring my first child into this ummah I can do nothing but pray with all of my might that he is able to grow up into a man that will have pride for this deen and love the Muslims that moves him to fight to uphold his sisters as best as he can.

To have husnul thun for the shaykh hafidhahullah who answered the question, no arabic text nor sound nor any evidences accompany the fatwa that was posted. So may be inshallah what I have read is not all that was stated. Maybe I am mistaked. I hope I am. Can you all read it? May be there is another way to look at it? May be I am missing something and it is not what it appears to be? May be someone has a different fatwa on the issue...

Sad thing is I know many brothers from the streets of North Philadelphia or Newark or Baltimore have already read it and taken it as the gospel without researching it. Can't you hear them talking,

"...yea, ock, you don't need to let that bint know nothing about your other bint and kids. Didn't you read that fatwa on bakkah.net from shaykh baaazmool? Don't let her wali punk you. Tell him to fear Allah. Once yall make it halal it ain't none his business no how..."


Allahul Musta'an.





QUESTION

If a man wants to take a second wife, is it permissible for him to not mention the fact that he is already married? And if he does not tell the second wife about the existing first marriage, is his marriage to the second woman valid?

ANSWER by Shaykh Muhammad 'Umar Baazmool, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

It is not a required condition to marry a second wife that one must inform her of an existing marriage. However, from good manners of living together, and from the ettiquettes of cooperation upon good things, is that she should be informed. I am not saying that a man must seek permission from his wife (to marry a second wife), but she should be informed.

And the man must fear Allaah, the Glorified and Exalted, regarding his first wife and he must act justly between them. The Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) mentioned a man who will come on the Day of Judgement and one side of his face will be dropped to the ground, a result of his lack of fairnes between his wives. [1]

So we advise this man to fear Allaah, the Glorified and Exalted, regarding his first wife, and to be sure that he acts justly between them.

His marriage to the second wife is valid, even if he did not inform the first wife, or let the second wife know. But from kind interaction and mutual cooperation upon good affairs, he should make her aware, and Allaah knows best.

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a cassette recording with the knowledge and permission of the shaykh, file no. AAMB016, dated 1423/6/25.


Ayaat on deception

Allah-Him from Whom nothing is hidden, either on Earth or in
Heaven. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:5)

Do you not see that Allah knows what is in the heavens and on
Earth?Three men cannot confer together secretly without Him being the fourth of them, or five without Him being the sixth of them, or fewer than that or more without Him being with them wherever they are. Then He will inform them on the Day of Rising of what they did. Allah has knowledge of all things. (Surat al-Mujadala, 58:7)

Do they not know that Allah knows what they keep secret and what they make public? (Surat al-Baqara, 2:77)

He knows the eyes' deceit and what people's breasts conceal.(Surah Ghafir, 40:19)