Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I just want to know if it is against Islam for a man to deny his wife of sexual intercourse due to distance between the two, when both of them leaves in different countries. And for how long is it allowed for a man to denied his wife sexual intercourse and how the man will ask for forgiveness from his wife, despite the fact the woman clearly understand the reasons. This is happening because the man has to go to another country to work and was not able to go with his wife because the country where the man works denied him of family visa.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

How long can husband live away from wife

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

There is absolutely no harm or sin on either party if the husband and the wife united in the sacred bond of marriage both agree and accept that they would have to live separate from each other for a substantial period of time for some genuine reason and cause (like one amongst them is studying or working abroad, etc.). Such a separation by itself does not affect the validity of one’s state of ‘nikaah’ with one’s spouse in the very least.

If one amongst the two parties (the husband or the wife) does not agree or accept such a separation for any reason whatsoever, that party is well within their rights in Shariah to seek a permanent separation through the institution of divorce.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan