To what extent must a wife obey her husband, and is she sinful if she delays fulfilling his request without causing him harm, especially since she is a working woman and ultimately fulfills his requests?
The husband's right over his wife is great, and she must obey him in what is good and permissible. Obedience does not extend to what contradicts Islamic law or harms her. What the husband says about his wife sinning by delaying some household chores is not correct, but it is better to obey him if there is no harm. Scholars have differed on the obligation of a wife to serve her husband, and what is issued as by us is the obligation of service according to what is customary, and this varies according to circumstances and customs, as Ibn Taymiyyah stated: "So she must serve him with the customary service from one like her to one like him, and this varies according to the variation of circumstances." The foundation of the marital relationship is compassion and mutual understanding.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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