Is a wife obligated to obey her husband if he forbids her from visiting her family?

A woman is not permitted to leave her husband's home without his permission, even if it is to visit her parents. He must grant her permission to maintain her ties of kinship. If he forbids her, her obedience to him is obligatory. However, he is not permitted to prevent her parents from visiting her or speaking with her. The madhahib (schools of thought) differ on this matter: the Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold that obedience to the husband in forbidding her is obligatory, while the Hanafis and Malikis hold that he should not prevent her from visiting her parents. It is preferable that he allow her to visit her family and maharim (unmarriageable kin) unless there is a confirmed harm.