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Is a wife's dutifulness to her husband's family considered an ordinary matter for which she deserves no praise, while allowing her to visit her own family is considered a great matter that requires the approval of both the mother-in-law and the husband?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible for a wife to leave her husband's house except with his permission, but cases of necessity are an exception to this. Scholars have differed on the ruling regarding a woman leaving to visit her parents. A group of scholars believes that the husband does not have the right to prevent her unless her visit entails harm or corruption, such as the fear that her family might corrupt her.

In this case, the Malikis believe that if the husband proves his claim that she left with a trustworthy woman, then it is permissible. However, if there are no harms, the husband should not prevent her; rather, he should help her maintain kinship ties, due to the reward and joy that brings, which benefits the family. This is on condition that the wife does not leave without her husband's permission, and that the husband considers her right to filial piety and kinship ties, and that the wife observes Islamic teachings in her outings.

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

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