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What is the Islamic legal ruling concerning a wife who has been abandoned by her husband for nearly two years, after he married another woman in his country and refused to divorce her?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Disputes are resolved in court, as the court is better equipped to hear all parties and ascertain the facts, whereas a mufti only hears from one party. A husband’s abandonment of his wife without excuse, leaving her in a state of suspense, is forbidden oppression, based on the Almighty’s saying: "So do not incline completely [toward one] and leave her [in a state of suspense]." Justice between wives is obligatory, even if they are in different countries. However, a wife’s right to a share [of time/provision] is forfeited if she refuses to come to the other country, despite being able to. It is advised to reach an understanding with the husband or to seek mediation from wise individuals. Otherwise, the wife has the right to take the matter to court to alleviate the injustice or to seek divorce due to harm.

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

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