Justice among co-wives

For al-Sha'rawi, the justice the law requires among co-wives is equal treatment in what lies within the husband's choice: housing, time, household goods and provision. The inclination of the heart is not in his power, so it is not part of the duty ¹.

Al-Sha'rawi holds that God permitted plurality of wives without making it obligatory. Whoever takes the permission must also take the rule of justice that goes with it, or he gives the opponents of Islam a case against the whole ruling ².

He lists the forms of equality: place, time, and the goods in the house, including the husband's own belongings kept with each wife. He notes that some early Muslims made their slippers match, so that no wife could take pride over another ¹.

He relies on the verse about not inclining with complete inclination {Qur'an 4:129} to argue that what lies beyond choice is not demanded of the husband ³⁴.

He relates that a woman complained to Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him) that her husband did not come to her, and she had no co-wives. A Companion present gave her the ruling that he should spend the fourth night after every three nights, as though she had three co-wives. Umar approved the ruling ⁵⁴.

No academic reading of this question is set out in this part of the book. It needs a named source (needs_source).