Question:
What are the rights and duties of a wife?
Answer:
In the Shariah, the rights and duties of a wife are not specified. Rather, reference will be made to what is customary, because the saying of Allah the Exalted is only:
«وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ»
“Live with them in kindness.”
And He also says:
«وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ»
“And they (women) have rights similar to those over them, according to what is reasonable.”
What are the customary rights of a wife will be the obligations upon the husband, and rights that are not established by custom will not be obligatory upon the husband, unless the custom contradicts the Shariah, because even in custom the Shariah remains authoritative. For example, if it were customary that a woman has the right that her husband cannot instruct his household to pray and to have good character, then this custom would be invalid. But when the custom does not contradict the Shariah, Allah the Exalted, in the verses mentioned above, has referred the matter of rights to custom.
Therefore, it is obligatory upon the heads of households that they fear Allah regarding those whom Allah has made them responsible for, and not leave them unattended. We see many people who leave their male and female children unattended; they do not even inquire who is present in the house and who is not, and they do not sit with their children. A month, even two months, pass by for a man without meeting or socialising with his wife and children; this is a very great mistake. Rather, we advise our brothers to be eager for the unity and togetherness of the household, and for this they should eat breakfast and dinner together. However, a woman should not maintain social contact with unrelated men. Now a munkar, un-Islamic custom has taken root among people, that non-mahram men and women eat together collectively; we pray to Allah for guidance for everyone.
