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Is a husband considered a cuckold (dayouth) for not divorcing his wife after she confessed to illicit acts (foul language, khalwa, and foreplay with four men), and is it permissible for him to monitor her after she repented and agreed to his conditions of not working or going out unless accompanied by him, and what is the legitimate Shar'i solution to this problem?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A woman forming relationships with a non-mahram man is a reprehensible act (munkar), and the sin intensifies if she is married. Justifying this by saying she wants to help her poor mother is "an excuse uglier than the sin itself," for sustenance comes through piety, not through disobedience. If the wife repents and turns to Allah, then she should be kept and treated with kindness, and an attempt should be made to forget the past. This is not considered cuckoldry (diyatha). One can marry another wife if the husband is capable of being just. It is not permissible to spy on one's wife without a valid reason, and one must be diligent in raising her upon faith so that she may be a righteous woman.

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

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