Her practicing husband does not respect her rights
Fatwa No: 157809

Question

assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahu wa barakatuhu! i married Kurani Hafiz beeng under strong impression that a person who knows Kuran by heart would respect my rights naturally even if i do not know them. but since i married him i start feeling my self as right less creature,who dose not have any rights even to desire some thing. he dose not ask me what do i need, what do i like. if i ask him something he says that he dose not have time. we do not go out together at all. i put neekaba on my face and even he ask me to cover my ayes. to cover ayes create difficulties during walking as i need to see a road in front of me in order i do not fall down. i do not work. he dose not allow me to go out of the home.My developing stop now. he dose not like me to study as then i need to go out of the home.he dose not give me any money r mahr,some times i need some things from supermarket r pharmacy. i have no more enjoy in my life. I give him all my time were as i could work and gain experience or to study. i feel my self like i am in some kind of home prison. and what if divorce?! then what do i do?! who takes me to work with no experience and he dose not give me any money r mahr. but he takes time from my life. I feel my self totally right less. If woman have any rights in islam? Or they only have to obey a man with no rights.

Answer

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.

A woman is a noble and respected creature who is required to observe her religious duties (if she is sane and adult) and she has rights and obligations in general life and especially in her marital life. You may refer to Fataawa 84550 and 85028 on women’s rights in Islam and on the rights of spouses towards each other.

Besides, a husband should have good marital relationship with his wife and he should consider her material needs as well as her emotional needs as clarified in Fatwa 88304.

Your husband should take as example the Prophet who was the best to his wives. So, if your husband is as you mentioned in the question, then this is not appropriate for any Muslim, let alone a Muslim who memorizes the whole Quran by heart.

Moreover, a husband should spend on his wife according to reasonable terms, so he should give her sufficient food, drink and clothing and an accommodation that suits the women who are in the same social status like her. For more benefit on spending on the wife, please refer to Fatwa 92004.

If the husband is negligent in regard to her rights (clarified above), she may take from his money (even without his knowledge) to spend on herself and her children within reasonable grounds.

Moreover, the dowry is the right of the wife upon her husband, so he is obligated to give it to her immediately if it is immediate, and if it is a delayed dowry, then he should give it to her at its due time. Allaah Says (what means): {And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously.}[Quran 4:4] For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 104779.

Furthermore, it is permissible for a woman to wear the Niqaab (face covering) while revealing both eyes, or one of them if this does not lead to temptation. Allaah Says (what means): {O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments.’ That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allaah Forgiving and Merciful.}[Quran 33:59] Al-Qurtubi said while interpreting the above verse: “Also, Ibn ‘Abbaas and Qutaadah said: “She does so by wrapping her Niqaab over her forehead and tightening it, and then she hangs it over her nose, even if her eyes are disclosed, but it should cover her chest and most of her face.”

In case temptation is feared by disclosing the eyes, then it becomes an obligation to cover them. This should be by a thin covering that does not prevent her from seeing. So, the matter is easy and your husband should not be stubborn by preventing you from showing your eyes while there is no need for doing so. Also, you should not be stubborn in covering them with a thin (semi-transparent) cloth in case affliction is feared. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 83033.

As regards leaving studies or leaving work, then a wife must obey her husband in this regard unless she had conditioned on him before the marriage contract to go out to work and he accepted this condition, in this case he is obligated to fulfill it. For more benefit on the conditions in marriage, please refer to Fatwa 131714.

With regard to a wife going out of her home without the consent of her husband, then this is not permissible except in case of necessity. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 91788.

On the other hand, you should not preoccupy yourself by thinking about your future if your husband divorces you; the One Who created you, will not neglect you.

If we presume that your husband divorces you, he is obliged to spend on you during your waiting period and provide you with other rights of a divorced wife on her husband, like the dowry and the like as clarified in Fatwa 83934.

Finally, we advise both you and your husband to have a mutual understanding in the light of the Sharee’ah in regard to the relation between the spouses, as this is what is required from a husband and a wife who are both practicing. If you do so, you will be happy both in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.

Allaah Knows best.

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