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What is Islam's ruling regarding a wife's discontent over her husband's prolonged absence due to work, and his inability to return except at very infrequent intervals? And what is the ruling if the husband is able to return but prioritizes money over doing so?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If a wife is not content with her husband's absence for more than six months, she may refer her case to a judge. The judge will then contact the husband and order him to return. If the husband does not return, the judge will rule as he deems appropriate, either by divorce or annulment. The husband must return if he has no excuse, and he is sinful for not returning. The wife has the right to seek divorce to avert harm from herself. Some Companions specified a maximum absence period of six months. The Malikis are of the view that the wife has the right to request separation whether the travel is with or without an excuse, while the Hanbalis permit it if it is without an excuse. If the wife is content with the absence, there is no issue, but the husband should be aware of the impact of his absence on his family and prioritize their care over accumulating wealth.

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

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