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Is it permissible for the wife to ask for separation from her husband who neglects her and prefers his family over her, and leaves the house for long periods, especially after suffering from his family?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Islam has guaranteed the wife rights over her husband, and he must balance these with the rights of his family. The wife is not obligated to serve anyone other than her husband, and the husband's family is not permitted to interfere in her affairs. For the husband to abandon his wife, frown at her, and leave the house without a legitimate Shariah reason is forbidden, and it permits the wife to seek divorce. It is not permissible for the husband to ask his wife to spend the night at his family's house if his brothers are present. The expenses for the house and housing are solely the husband's obligation, and if the wife has an income and the husband stipulated something from it in exchange for her work, then she must fulfill it. It is recommended to be patient, supplicate, and offer advice, and to involve people of goodwill to resolve problems, and if the matter exceeds its limits, she may seek divorce. Superiority in the sight of Allah is based on piety and righteous deeds.

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

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