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What is the ruling on a husband abandoning his wife for more than ten years, leaving her in a suspended state due to past mistakes?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Among the wife's rights upon her husband is conjugal relations in a befitting manner. The husband abandoning his wife for the aforementioned period is not befitting; rather, it is clear injustice to her. The noble verse: "So do not incline completely [toward one] and leave her [in uncertainty] like that which is suspended" (Quran 4:129) forbids such an act. Scholars have defined the meaning of 'abandonment' (hajr) and its maximum duration. Abandonment in bed can take several forms, including turning one's back to her in bed, or not speaking to her even if he has intercourse with her, or them not sharing a bed or having intercourse until she returns [to righteousness]. The maximum duration for abandonment is one month, not four months. The goal of abandonment is to reform the wife, not to humiliate her or corrupt the children. It must also occur in the privacy of the couple, not in front of anyone.

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

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