What are the duties of a wife to her husband?

Question

Please could you list the five main duties of a wife to keep it simple and brief. jazakallah

Answer

Marriage is not a technical partnership based on just the wife’s rights and the husband’s rights.

Marriage is based on love and understanding, give and take, in addition to the rights bestowed upon each spouse. Marriage flourishes when both husband and wife understand that winning together is more important than keeping score.

A marriage does not work when one-half demands or seeks his/her rights.  Marriage works when one half gives himself/herself to serve the other.  The interests, benefits, and happiness of one’s partner should be put in front of one’s own happiness.

You enquire regarding the duties of a wife. Hereunder are the duties of a wife to her husband:

(1) The wife should be obedient to the husband. ^[1]

(2) The wife should make herself available for the pleasure of her husband. ^[2]

(3) The wife should not allow anyone to enter the house without the consent of her husband. ^[3] 

(4) The wife should not leave the house without the consent of her husband. ^[4] 

(5) The wife should look after the possessions of the husband and attend the household chores. She should take care of her children and nurture them with Islamic Values. ^[5]

Hereunder are the duties of a husband to his wife:

(1) The husband should pay the dowry to his wife. ^[6] 

(2) The husband should provide shelter, clothing, and food to his wife. ^[7]

(3) The husband should serve and respect his wife.  ^[8]

(4) The husband should safeguard and protect the chastity of his wife through intimate relations. ^[9]

(5) The husband should be tolerant, loving and caring to his wife.  ^[10]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mufti Muhammad I.V Patel

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah

Lusaka, Zambia

www.daruliftaazambia.com

__________________________

[1]  الموسوعة الفقهية الكويتية (41/ 313)

 اتَّفَقَ الْفُقَهَاءُ عَلَى أَنَّ طَاعَةَ الزَّوْجِ وَاجِبَةٌ عَلَى الزَّوْجَةِ، لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {الرِّجَال قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ بِمَا فَضَّل اللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنْفَقُوا مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ } وَلِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَلَهُنَّ مِثْل الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلِلرِّجَال عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ } ، وَاتَّفَقُوا كَذَلِكَ عَلَى أَنَّ وُجُوبَ طَاعَةِ الزَّوْجَةِ زَوْجَهَا مُقَيَّدَةٌ بِأَنْ لاَ تَكُونَ فِي مَعْصِيَةٍ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى، لأَِنَّهُ لاَ طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ، لِقَوْلِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” لاَ طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَل “

 [2]مِنْ حَقِّ الزَّوْجِ عَلَى زَوْجَتِهِ أَنْ تُمَكِّنَهُ مِنْ الاِسْتِمْتَاعِ بِهَا، فَإِذَا كَانَتْ مُطِيقَةً لِلْجِمَاعِ وَتَسَلَّمَتْ مُعَجَّل صَدَاقِهَا وَطَلَبَ الزَّوْجُ تَسَلُّمَهَا وَجَبَ تَسْلِيمُهَا إِلَيْهِ وَتَمْكِينُهُ مِنْ الاِسْتِمْتَاعِ بِهَا

 [3] مِنْ حَقِّ الزَّوْجِ عَلَى زَوْجَتِهِ أَنْ لاَ تَأْذَنَ فِي بَيْتِهِ لأَِحَدٍ يَكْرَهُ دُخُولَهُ لِقَوْل النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” فَأَمَّا حَقُّكُمْ عَلَى نِسَائِكُمْ فَلاَ يُوطِئْنَ فُرُشَكُمْ مَنْ تَكْرَهُونَ، وَلاَ يَأْذَنَّ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لِمَنْ تَكْرَهُونَ “

[4]مِنْ حَقَّ الزَّوْجِ عَلَى زَوْجَتِهِ أَلاَّ تَخْرُجَ مِنْ بَيْتِ الزَّوْجِيَّةِ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ، فَإِنْ خَرَجَتْ بِدُونِ إِذْنِهِ فَقَدِ ارْتَكَبَتْ مَعْصِيَةً 

[5] وَذَهَبَ الْحَنَفِيَّةُ إِلَى وُجُوبِ خِدْمَةِ الزَّوْجَةِ زَوْجَهَا دِيَانَةً لاَ قَضَاءً  

[6]  يَجِبُ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ بِالنِّكَاحِ الصَّحِيحِ الْمَهْرُ لِلزَّوْجَةِ، وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ هَذَا الْوُجُوبُ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالإِْجْمَاعِ: 

فَمِنَ الْكِتَابِ قَوْل اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَل: {وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً } .

وَمِنَ السُّنَّةِ قَوْل النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِمُرِيدِ النِّكَاحِ: ” الْتَمِسْ وَلَوْ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ”  ، وَانْعَقَدَ الإِْجْمَاعُ عَلَى وُجُوبِ الْمَهْرِ عَلَى الزَّوْجِ لِزَوْجَتِهِ.

 [7] تَجِبُ لِلزَّوْجَةِ النَّفَقَةُ عَلَى زَوْجِهَا، لِقَوْل اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {وَعَلَى الْمَوْلُودِ لَهُ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} ، وَقَوْل رَسُول اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ” اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ فِي النِّسَاءِ فَإِنَّكُمْ أَخَذْتُمُوهُنَّ بِأَمَانِ اللَّهِ وَاسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ فُرُوجَهُنَّ بِكَلِمَةِ اللَّهِ، وَلَهُنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ

[8] مِنْ حَقِّ الزَّوْجَةِ عَلَى زَوْجِهَا إِخْدَامُهَا، لأِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْمُعَاشَرَةِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ الَّتِي أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهَا، وَلأَِنَّ هَذَا مِنْ كِفَايَتِهَا وَمِمَّا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ فَأَشْبَهَ النَّفَقَةَ

[9] مِنْ حَقِّ الزَّوْجَةِ عَلَى زَوْجِهَا أَنْ يَقُومَ بِإِعْفَافِهَا، وَذَلِكَ بِأَنْ يَطَأَهَا حَتَّى تَعِفَّ بِالْوَطْءِ الْحَلاَل عَنِ الْحَرَامِ

لَكِنَّ الْفُقَهَاءَ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي وُجُوبِ وَطْءِ الرَّجُل امْرَأَتَهُ أَوْ عَدَمِ وُجُوبِهِ كَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي الْعَزْل عَنِ الزَّوْجَةِ الْحُرَّةِ

[10]امداد الفتاوى جلد٢ الصفحة ٢١٧-٢١٦

کتاب النوازل جلد١٥ الصفحة ١٥٤

 تحفة النکاح الصفح ٢٥