What is the Sharia ruling regarding a husband who is constantly angry and stingy, who only buys clothes for his children on special occasions, who reminds his wife of his spending on the children’s treatment, food, and drink, who accuses his wife of negligence and deserts her due to her emotional frigidity? Would the wife be sinful if she sought a divorce for these reasons, knowing that her family rejects divorce? And would she be deprived of the scent of Paradise if her husband dies while angry with her?

If a husband does not treat his wife and children with kindness and fairness, he is abusive and negligent. It is incumbent upon the husband to provide for his family sufficiently in terms of food, drink, clothing, and shelter. If he falls short in this despite being able to provide, he incurs sin.

If the husband is negligent in providing for his family, the wife has the right to take from his money, without his knowledge, what is sufficient for her and her children, in a reasonable manner. If she cannot find anything to take and the husband refuses to provide, she can refer the matter to a Sharia judge to rule between them, or she can seek a divorce.

The husband should not remind his family of his favors by spending on them, because providing for them is an obligation. As for reminding of favors in acts of kindness, it nullifies the reward and invalidates the merit of the deed.

The wife must obey her husband if he calls her to bed, and she is not permitted to refuse without a valid excuse. As for her feelings, she incurs no sin for them as long as she does not express annoyance or rejection.

Regarding the child, harm must be averted from him if there is a fear of him sleeping alone, by having him sleep with one of his parents or with both of them until he can sleep by himself.

If the wife is harmed by her husband, she has the right to seek a divorce, and her family cannot prevent her from doing so. However, patience might be better, along with supplication for the improvement of the situation, due to the harms of divorce, especially to the children.