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What is meant by the phrase "a man speaks to his wife and a woman speaks to her husband" in the hadith "I do not consider a liar one who reconciles between people... and a man speaks to his wife and a woman speaks to her husband"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The hadith narrated by Abu Dawud and authenticated by Al-Albani, the meaning of which is found in Sahih Muslim, indicates the permissibility of lying between spouses (a man speaking to his wife, and a wife speaking to her husband) concerning matters of cohabitation and fostering affection. Al-Khattabi interpreted this to mean that a man may lie to his wife by making promises, raising her hopes, and showing her affection to sustain their companionship and improve her disposition. Likewise, Malik narrated from Ata' that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "There is no blame upon you," to one who makes promises to his wife and speaks to her. Al-Tabarani added in a narration of Umm Kulthum's hadith: "Or a man speaks to his wife to please her." Ibn Hazm stated in Al-Muhalla: "There is no harm in one spouse lying to the other in a way that cultivates affection." Thus, the permissible lying between spouses is that which sustains intimacy and affection and resolves discord.

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

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