Back to search

Is it permissible for a woman to seek divorce and flee from her husband who abuses her and threatens to kill her, especially if she has nowhere to go or any source of livelihood?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is forbidden for a woman to seek divorce without a valid reason, such as the husband's abuse, his ill-treatment, or if she fears she cannot fulfill his rights due to her hatred for him. If the husband abuses his wife, she is permitted to seek divorce or khul'. If he does not respond, she should refer her case to a Sharia judge or the Muslim community. If the husband's threat of murder is real, the woman is permitted to leave his house without his permission and return to her family, or seek refuge with a Muslim family or the police, until the divorce or khul' is finalized.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy