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Is there a Hadith concerning a man who was told to change the threshold of his door if his wife uttered an insulting phrase?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

This story is mentioned in Sahih Al-Bukhari and revolves around Ibrahim's visits to his son Ismail after leaving him and his mother in Mecca. During the first visit, Ibrahim asked Ismail's wife about their living conditions. She complained about hardship and destitution, so he advised her to convey his greetings to Ismail and ask him to "change the threshold of his door." Ismail understood this to be an instruction to divorce her, and he did so.

During the second visit, Ibrahim found Ismail's second wife, who praised Allah and spoke well of their comfortable and prosperous life. So, he invoked blessings upon them for their meat and water. He advised her to convey his greetings to Ismail and ask him to "keep the threshold of his door," and Ismail understood that his father was instructing him to keep her.

During the third visit, Ibrahim and Ismail built the Kaaba, praying, "Our Lord, accept from us; indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

The story contains lessons and admonitions, including: gratitude to Allah increases blessings, the importance of a wife's contentment and satisfaction, and the necessity of choosing a righteous wife.

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

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