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What should a husband do with his wife who travels without his consent, whose visa has expired, and whose father is demanding a divorce while she does not want one, so that he does not wrong her or bear a sin?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Spouses should strive to reconcile their differences when disputes arise. Among the husband's rights is obedience to him in what is good, by virtue of his guardianship. A wife's departure and travel without her husband's permission is an act of disobedience unless there is a legitimate شرعي excuse. If she has no excuse, she must repent and return to obeying her husband, as obedience to him takes precedence over obedience to her father in case of conflict. A father's attempt to separate his daughter from her husband is forbidden, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "He is not from us who instigates a woman against her husband." If the wife repents and returns, and the husband obtains an entry visa for her, then that is good. If he cannot, it is permissible for him to keep her under his marital bond and for her to come when he is able. If she insists on staying with her father, she is defiant (nashiz). If the husband divorces her, he is not unjust, nor does he incur any sin.

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

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