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Is it permissible for a wife to leave her husband's home—a husband who refuses to financially support his family, uses abusive language that tarnishes honor, and forces her to contribute to household expenses—and go to live with one of her children? And what is the legitimate Islamic solution for this situation?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A wife is not permitted to leave the marital home without her husband's permission, except in cases of harm, such as severe beating, or if the husband fails to provide financial support and she is unable to earn a living. If the husband curses and insults her with words that touch upon her honor, and abstains from providing the obligatory maintenance, the wife may refer his case to the judiciary to remove the harm, even through divorce. The husband is obligated to financially support his wife and children who are in need of maintenance. The wife is not obligated to spend her own money on the household unless it is a voluntary contribution. It is advised to reach an understanding with the husband or seek help from relatives for reconciliation. If that does not work, then she should weigh the harm of staying versus divorce and choose the lesser of the two harms.

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

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