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Is it permissible to seek divorce due to harm when there are multiple marital problems, such as constant suspicion, lack of trust, recurring disagreements, the husband's lack of interest, his not seeking employment, and his delay in having children, in addition to negative feelings towards him?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible for a wife to spy on her husband because it is forbidden in Islamic law, due to Allah’s saying: "And do not spy," and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) saying: "Do not spy, do not eavesdrop, do not hate each other, and be brothers." She must repent from this sin.

The wife should treat her husband well, forgive his wrongdoings, and not punish him by, for example, depriving him of the car. Good companionship necessitates not doing so.

It is permissible for the wife to seek divorce due to the husband’s infertility, because the loss of the blessing of a child is considered a harm that permits seeking divorce. The prohibition against a woman seeking divorce applies to cases where the wife is not harmed by remaining married to the husband.

The wife is advised to be patient in seeking divorce and to advise her husband gently. If he responds and his situation improves, it is better to stay with him. If he persists in his condition, she has the right to seek divorce.

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy