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Is it permissible to retract forgiveness of the husband before God after discovering that his motives were not sincere and that he deceived and exploited his wife for two years for the sake of conjugal rights?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If someone waives a right they possess, they are not permitted to retract it, because "that which has fallen does not return." Thus, you cannot retract the right you waived for your husband by forgiving him.

However, having children is your right, and your husband cannot prevent it. This is based on the statement of Al-Buhuti Al-Hanbali: "It is forbidden to practice 'azl (coitus interruptus) with a free woman without her permission, because she has a right to offspring." This right has been affirmed by your husband's promises to have children. If he does not fulfill them, he has wronged you and acted unjustly.

We advise reconciliation and returning to him if you hope for the improvement of the situation, the betterment of your marital life, and the fulfillment of the purposes of marriage, including having children. However, if you fear the continuation of the bad situation, then it might be better to disregard him and ask Allah to facilitate for you a husband better than him; for when cohabitation becomes impossible, separation is better. Ibn Qudamah said in Al-Mughni: "For sometimes the situation between spouses deteriorates, and the continuation of the marriage becomes pure corruption and mere harm."

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

Read the full answer on Ftawy