My husband married a second wife. When he married, as is the custom, he bought many clothes, gold and gifts for the second wife, is he obliged to gift for me the same in order for him to be just between his two wives?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

If your husband had bought for you the same items that he bought when he married the second wife, then he is not obliged to buy for you again the same thing, but if he did not buy for you when he married you, then he is obliged to buy for you now. However, we advise you not to be very persistent in such matters, as persisting in this field is one of the greatest reasons of turning the marital life between the spouses into turmoil, especially if the husband is not very solvent.

Allaah Knows best.