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What is the extent of illness that permits a wife to abstain from intercourse with her husband?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A wife must respond to her husband's call to bed whenever he summons her, unless she has a legitimate excuse such as menstruation, an illness that would be exacerbated by intercourse, or if it would distract her from an obligatory duty. If she refuses without a valid excuse, she is disobedient and cursed. A wife should respond with cheerfulness and contentment, and it is forbidden for her to respond with reluctance or annoyance. If the wife is ill and harmed by intercourse, the husband may enjoy her without engaging in vaginal intercourse. If her excuses are headaches and abdominal pain, these may be due to jinn possession, the evil eye, or envy, and it is recommended to perform ruqyah (Islamic exorcism) and recite Surah Al-Baqarah.

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

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