What should a husband do regarding his wife who refuses to wear the niqab and is not convinced by it, and wears un-Islamic abayas (tight in the middle) due to being influenced by her female colleagues at work, and is the husband considered oppressive for advising and obliging her to wear the Islamic dress?

If the khimar in question refers to the face covering (niqab), and scholars have differed regarding its obligation, then the wife is not required to obey her husband in this matter if she believes it is not obligatory. However, if she does wear it, it is better and further removes temptation (fitan).

But if the khimar refers to the head covering and what accompanies it, such as the covering of the chest, then it is obligatory without dispute, and she must adhere to it.

As for a tight abaya, it is not permissible to wear it. If it becomes loose, there is no harm in the husband requesting it to be even looser, without making it a cause for disagreement.

The husband is advised to be gentle with his wife and to help purify her soul by increasing her faith, because gentleness adorns everything, and an increase in faith leads to responsiveness in obedience.