Does a wife's leaving her home and husband, and her seeking a divorce from him after years of suffering from his ill-treatment and neglect of her and their children, constitute a sin for which she will be punished by God?

A husband must treat his wife well and fear Allah in his dealings with her, in compliance with the recommendation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: "The most complete in faith among believers is the best in character, and the best of you are the best to their women." If the husband persists in abuse, reviling, beating, and withholding due rights, then the wife may request a divorce. She may refer the matter to the Sharia courts, and she is permitted to leave his house without his permission until a separation is decided between them. She also has the right to khul' (divorce at the wife's instance, usually with compensation paid to the husband).