Feeling Overlooked in a Multi-Marriage Dynamic
My dad is married to two women-my mom and another wife he has a child with. Lately, he's been giving a lot more attention to his second wife. I get that polygyny is allowed in Islam when done right, but what's really hurting us is how my mom gets sidelined. There have been multiple times where he just goes quiet, not answering calls or texts from my mom, my siblings, or me. This constant lack of communication and absence has been emotionally rough on my mom, and seeing her go through this has been tough for me to handle. Honestly, it's starting to shake my Iman a bit, because it's hard to match what's happening with Islam's emphasis on fairness and justice. From what I understand, having more than one wife isn’t just permissible-it comes with heavy duties, like being fair emotionally and financially to everyone. In our situation, money isn't flowing easily, and it feels like this setup is leading to my mom getting neglected. This whole experience has made me wonder how polygyny can work in today’s world, especially when fairness seems to be missing. It’s also stirred up some resentment in my heart towards the idea itself, which I know isn’t great for my spiritual health. Lately, my Iman has been dipping because of this, so I’m reaching out for some Islamic advice to make sense of it all and figure out how to handle my feelings without drifting away from my faith.