The Rights of the Husband upon the Wife

By: Abu Bakr Al-Jazairi



It is obligatory upon the wife to fulfill the following rights and etiquette towards her husband:

1.She must obey him in matters that are not disobedience to Allah. Allah says:
"...but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance)." (4:34)

Allah's Messenger (SAWS) said:
"If a man calls his wife to his bed and she does not come, such that he then spends that night angered with her, the angels curse her until the morning." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet (SAWS) also said:
"If I were to order anyone to prostrate oneself to anyone else, I would order a wife to prostrate herself to her husband." (Abu Dawud)

2. She must also protect the honor and dignity of her husband. She must also protect his wealth, children and other aspects of his household. This is based on Allah's statement:
"...Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and their husbands), and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard..." (4:34)

Allah's Messenger (SAWS) said:
"The wife is the guardian over the house of her husband and his children." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

He (SAWS) also said:
"Their (husbands') rights over you (wives) is that you do not allow anyone whom they dislike onto your bedding and you do not allow anyone whom they dislike into your house." (At-Tirmithi)

The wife must not leave the house except with her husband's permission and approval. She must also lower her gaze, keep her voice low, keep her hands from reaching out to anything evil and keep her tongue from any lewd or foul speech. She also must not harm his parents or near relatives.

This is because Allah has said:
"And stay in your houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment of the Time of ignorance (pre-Islamic era)." (33:33)

Allah also says:
"...be not soft in speech (with strangers), lest those in whose hearts is a disease should be moved with desire..." (33:32)

Another Verse states:
"Allah does not like that evil should be uttered in public..." (4:148)

Allah also says:
"And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent..." (24:31)

Allah's Messenger (SAWS) said:
"The best woman is the one who when you look at her, you are pleased; when you order her, she obeys; if you are absent from her, she guards herself and your property." (At-Tabarani)

Allah's Messenger (SAWS) also said:
"Do not prevent the female servants of Allah from attending Allah's Mosques. If the wife of any of you should seek permission to go to the Mosque, do not prevent her." (Muslim)