Her husband wants her to watch TV and not learn the Quran
Fatwa No: 200629

Question

Assalam Alaikum Respectable Sheikh, My husband does not want me to increase my Islamic knowledge.. Other days when he does a evil deed, like listening to music & when I dislike it first thing he does is hide my computer , because, online 96% I use it for learning quranic arabic, listening to Mufti Menk, Ask huda programme.. My husband does not pray properly. he miss prayers, specially on week ends.. he spend time watching movies.. only friday he goes to the mosque. I really hate this. but if I tell a word first thing he does is take away the computer & wont give for weeks.. The recent issue is , since he block my internet, I dont say any thing to him. now he is angry with me because I do not see TV. He is telling, if I dont cooperate with him he will sent you to the home country .. currently living in middle east.. this time too he said not to use the internet.. Is it haraam for me to use the internet, since he said dont.. Is this a disobey husband .. but I want to study my quranic arabic, he is a well educate person. so my mom wantsme to be nice to him. I have only my mother. no one is there to take care of me & 2 kids in home country.. my mother is telling me " be nice to him.. see little tv..,Allah will forgive" please tell me how to live with this person .. He doesn't listen to single islamic thing... I make only Dua for him not anything eles, to stop evil he does ..

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, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

The best part of your question was in your last words, that you make Du‘aa’ for your husband, that he might repent and be guided to the truth. Indeed, Du‘aa’ is the surest way for a Muslim to attain what he wants and to avoid what he fears. Allaah The Exalted said (what means): {And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.} [Quran 40:60] Persist then, and may Allaah answer you Du'aa' and rectify your husband for you.

As for what your husband does of listening to music, neglecting the prayer, and watching films, there is no doubt that such are vices, and whoever neglects prayer is most likely to neglect other religious obligations. Our advice to you is to have patience and to give him advice with wisdom and kind admonition. There is no harm in seeking the help of someone who may have a positive effect on him, like a relative or a friend. For more benefit, please see Fataawa 121377, 90489 and 50623.

It is strange that your husband would come between you and that which is good like learning the Quran. It would be more suitable that he helps you with it and makes it easier for you, rather than allowing it after you agree to watch the television which may involve violations. Of course, obeying him and compromising with him on such matters is not permissible. Hence, try to find another way to learn the Quran and other matters of your religion, seeking assistance from some sisters or via the television itself, if at all possible. There are several means, so keep searching for a way to fulfill that purpose. As for obeying him in his restricting you from using the Internet, then that is not an obligation. There is no justification for such a restriction. Obeying the husband is not absolutely binding; rather, there are conditions to be considered. For details, please refer to Fataawa 89815 and 93972.

Furthermore, it is not permissible for you to obey your mother’s command that you watch the television in order to be obedient to your husband, claiming that Allaah will forgive you. It is not permissible for a Muslim to disobey Allaah deliberately. What if he/she dies while committing the sin, thus unable to repent from it? Allaah might not forgive him/her.

Let us make note that watching television is not entirely forbidden. Rather, there is nothing wrong with watching programs that have a good purpose and the like, as long as they do not contain that which is prohibited. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84494.

Allaah Knows best.

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