Question
Is a wife’s emotional, social, and physical abuse recognized in Islam? Is it her only right to be fed? Can the husband stop her from visiting the people she loves, or from work, and lock her up at home for no reason? Why is this allowed? Is he punished for anything? I am getting terrified of marriage as I only see two types of hadiths, either the punishment of the wife for every mistake she makes or the extensive rights of the husband. I even see that the husband has the right to refuse to sleep with her.
Answer
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question.
A husband certainly has no right to abuse his wife and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, reminded us of this in his last sermon before he passed away. See this excerpt below from the last sermon:
“O People, it is true that you have certain rights over your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God’s trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Treat your women well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers. It is your right that they do not make friends with whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste…“
Please see the Islamic stance on spousal abuse by several scholars and fatwa from our scholar, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, here:
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.