Back to search

Does a wife's seeking her husband's permission in every matter indicate a weakness in her personality?

2 min readAlso available in العربية

The foundation of married life is affection, mercy, good character, and mutual respect. The husband should respect his wife, treat her kindly, and honor her. The wife should recognize the great right her husband has over her. A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, who among people has the greatest right over a woman?" He said, "Her husband." And on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If I were to order anyone to prostrate to anyone, I would order the wife to prostrate to her husband, due to the greatness of his right over her." Narrated by At-Tirmidhi. Therefore, she must obey him in matters that are not sinful, safeguard herself and his property, and not leave the house without his permission. A wife neglecting her home and duties is wrong, and consulting her husband is a sign of her complete intellect. One must avoid the whispers and incitements of evil that call for disobeying the husband under the pretext of asserting one's personality. Personality is asserted through love, respect, obedience, and good companionship. By obeying her husband and being patient, a woman draws closer to Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) promised women Paradise if they died with their husbands pleased with them. On the authority of Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Any woman who dies with her husband pleased with her will enter Paradise." And obeying the husband is equivalent to striving in the way of Allah. On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said: A woman came (who was Asma' bint Yazid Al-Ansariyyah) to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am an envoy of women to you. Allah has prescribed Jihad for men; if they succeed, they are rewarded, and if they are killed, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for. We, the women, serve them. What do we get from that?" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Inform any woman you meet that obeying her husband and acknowledging his right is equivalent to all of that, and few of you do it." Narrated by Al-Bazzar and At-Tabarani. A wife can inform her husband calmly and in a good manner about what upsets her.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy