What is the best way to save a family that is disintegrating because the first wife refused to travel with her husband, and he married another, then the second wife accused the first of witchcraft, and the resulting disputes affected the children and the family as a whole, and how can one deal with the husband's refusal of the diagnosis of the Ruqyah practitioner who absolved the first wife?
The basic principle is that the wife should reside where her husband resides, and she is not permitted to refuse this unless there is a legitimate شرعي reason. He must deal justly between his wives in terms of division of time. If they are in two different countries, he must either bring the distant wife to him, travel to her, or divide his time between them as much as possible. If she refuses to come, her right is forfeited due to her disobedience (nushuz).
It is not permissible to accuse anyone of practicing magic based on suspicions, dreams, or reports from ruqah (exorcists) without clear evidence. One must repent from such accusations and seek forgiveness from the person whose rights were violated.
One should not rush or exaggerate in attributing problems to magic or jinn possession. Instead, one must consider and address apparent causes. If such issues truly exist, their remedy lies in relying on Allah, reciting adhkar (remembrances), and performing legitimate ruqyah (incantations). It is permissible to visit ruqah who adhere to the Sunnah, but it is not permissible to visit charlatans.
The husband must fulfill his role of qawamah (guardianship), protect his wife's religiosity, and prevent her from ostentatious display (tabarruj). Both the husband and the wives must treat each other with kindness and strive for reconciliation. Wise individuals should intervene to bring about reconciliation, and children must honor and treat their parents well.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/184960