Husband Abandoning Marital Relations

10-12-2025 | IslamWeb

Question:

Asslamu alakum, i have here read it about Eela, but did not find answer to my question . If the husband did not take oath not to have sexual relation with his wife but he change the sleep place and did not maintain any kind of relation with his wife without any medical or other issue . Is it after 4 or 5 months considered as Eelaa or not.I will be grateful to get your answer regarding this issueThanks in advance.

---

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If a husband stops having marital relations with his wife without taking an oath, this is not deemed īlā’ according to the majority of jurists, because the core of īlā’ is the oath itself. Therefore, simply avoiding intimacy does not fall under this ruling.

However, some scholars hold that deliberately abandoning marital relations with the intention of harming one’s wife can still be considered īlā’. Thus, the issue is one of scholarly disagreement.

This is the general ruling, but if a specific case has occurred, it is best to consult a knowledgeable scholar or visit a reliable Islamic centre for guidance.

Allah knows best.