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Is a woman required to listen to all that which her husband dictates?

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My question is that should a woman listen to everything, be it correct or wrong, that her husband says. Please I need the answer.

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Sister in Islam,

Allah has defined specific roles and rights for a husband and wife. The relationship of a husband and wife is founded on mutual love and rights. The husband is duty-bound to earn means of survival and subsequently cater for the needs of his wife from food, clothing and shelter[1]. Equally, the wife is responsible for acting faithfully and honestly in fulfilling the rights of the husband as well as in his belongings. Allah defines the ideal womenfolk as:

فالصلحت قنتت حفظت للغيب بما حفظ الله

Translation: the righteous women are dutiful, guardians in the absence [of the husband] with what Allah guarded.[2]

The woman must mirror the love and affection shown to her by her husband and try her utmost best in fulfilling his rights[3]. The importance of cherishing and maintaining this mutual relationship is found in the statement of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him):

لو كنت آمرا أحدا أن يسجد لأحد لأمرت النساء أن يسجدن لأزواجهن لما جعل الله لهم عليهن من الحق

Translation: If I were to command anyone to prostrate before anyone, I would have commanded the womenfolk to prostrate before their husbands due to the right of husbands ordained by Allah upon the women.[4]

It is incumbent on the woman to appease her husband in matters which do not contradict the Shariah[5]. However, the husband cannot oblige his wife to perpetrate acts contrary to the commandments of Allah[6]. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

لا طاعة في المعصية ، إنما الطاعة في المعروف

Translation: Verily the submission is in acts of goodness and not in committing wrongdoing[7].

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) also said:

لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الله عز وجل

Translation: The creation must not be submitted to in the disobedience of Allah[8].

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hanif Yusuf Patel

Student Darul Iftaa
UK

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net

References
[1] قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: … ولهن عليكم رزقهن وكسوتهن بالمعروف

[Saheeh Muslim, 2469]

تجب على الرجل نفقة امرأته المسلمية والذمية والفقيرة والغنية، دخل بها أو لم يدخل

[Al-Fatwa al-Alamgiriyyah, 1:544; al-Fatawa at-Tatarkhaniyyah, 4:183]

[Fatawa Mahmoodiyah, 13:420; Ahsan al-Fatawa, 5:476; Radd al-Muhtar ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, 2:719]

[2] [Al-Qur`an, 4:34]

[3] ومنها وجوب طاعة الزوج على الزوجة إذا دعاها إلى الفراش لقوله تعالى ( ولهن مثل الذي عليهن بالمعروف ) قيل لها المهر والنفقة وعليها أن تطيعه في نفسها وتحفظ غيبته

[Bada`i as-Sana`I, 2:334]

[4] [Sunan Abi Dawood, 2140]

[5]وحق الزوج على الزوجة أن تطيعه في كل مباح يأمرها به

[Al-Bahr ar-Ra`iq Sharh Kanz ad-Daqa`iq, 3:221, H.M. Saeed Company]

[6] [Fatawa Mahmodiyyah, 12:417, Jami` al-Fatawa, 3:251]

[7] Saheeh al-Bukhari, 6830; Saheeh Muslim, 3923,

[8] [Musnad al-Imam Ahmad, 1101]

This answer was collected from AskOurImam.com, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Hanif Yusuf Patel. He graduated from Jamiatul Ilm Wal Huda, Blackburn, U.K, with a distinction in Alimiyyah degree. He thereafter travelled to Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah Durban, South Africa, to train as a Mufti under the tutelage of Mufti Ebrahim Desai and Mufti Husain Kadodia.

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