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What is the ruling on feeling distressed when visiting the wife's family due to differences in customs, while being careful not to prevent the wife from visiting them?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The obligatory right between a husband and his wife's family is the right of Islam, and affinity further enhances this right with honor. As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, advised showing kindness to the people of Egypt because they have a marital relation [through Hajar, the mother of Isma'il, and Mariya al-Qibtiyya, the mother of Ibrahim, both from Egypt]. It is commendable for the husband to maintain ties with his wife's family and honor them, as this contributes to good companionship and strengthens bonds of affection, especially since Islamic law encourages communication and compassion among Muslims. Different customs should not hinder this communication. The husband should maintain at least the minimum level of connection that prevents abandonment and estrangement. It is not permissible for a Muslim to abandon his brother for more than three nights, and the best of them is the one who initiates the greeting.

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

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