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1. Does the hatred resulting from the husband's anger give the wife the right to seek divorce? 2. What is the ruling of Islamic law on a husband's insistence that his wife travel to live with him despite her disapproval? 3. Is it forbidden for a wife to refuse to travel to live with her husband, even if the reason is her unwillingness to be alone with her son in the husband's absence? 4. What is the Sharia-compliant advice for the husband in this situation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The wife does not have the right to refuse to move with her husband wherever he wishes, unless this was stipulated in the marriage contract. Her moving with him is considered obligatory because it is part of the enabling required by the contract. She is not allowed to refuse to travel with him, and her staying alone at home is not an excuse for disobeying him as long as she is safe. It is forbidden for her to deny herself to him, for it is narrated in the Two Sahihs that the angels curse the woman who refuses her husband's bed until morning. It is not permissible for the wife to seek divorce except for a valid reason, such as her fear of not being able to uphold Allah's boundaries in relation to her husband. This fear arises from intense dislike for her husband that prevents her from living with him. The obligatory rights of the husband over his wife are four: obeying him, treating him with kindness, surrendering herself to him, and remaining in the matrimonial home. We advise the husband to exercise wisdom, patience, and kindness towards his wife.

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

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