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What is the ruling on a husband who has been betraying his righteous wife for ten years, and is it obligatory to inform the wife of this, and does the saying of Allah Almighty apply to him: "The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or polytheist"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Delving into people's honor is dangerous, and it is not permissible to accuse a Muslim of committing indecency without clear proof. If there is no proof, then it is not permissible to speak about the matter. If you are certain of his committing indecency, then it is obligatory to advise him and warn him. The principle is to cover for him, but if he does not desist, then you should inform someone who can prevent the evil, and there is no benefit in informing his wife. As for the meaning of the verse: "The fornicator does not marry except a [female] fornicator or a polytheist, and none marries the fornicator except a [male] fornicator or a polytheist, and that has been made unlawful for the believers," some exegetes view it as a prohibition for the chaste person from marrying a fornicatress, and for a chaste woman from marrying a fornicator. Others believe that "marries" (نكاح) here means sexual intercourse, and that a fornicator does not commit fornication except with one like him or a polytheist.

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

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