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:

as salam alaikum

I want to ask a question in the light of quraan and hadith.

I am married on 15th may 2007, that was love marriage. after 2 month on 20th july i came to Saudi Arabia to work here. now the problem arises in my home such as my wife is not adjusting with my mother, brothers and their wives. every day i listen a new problem, the most amazing thing is that these problems are not too big, just as same as all family problems with mother-in law and daughter-in law, sister-in law respectively. some other relatives are taking profit of these. they started to teach my wife as opposite to my family. now my wife is thinking that - she won't have any problem with me. the main problem is my brothers wives, mother and other relatives, she thaught no one get happy while we happy, so, now she says that after my arrival to my home, she used to divorce me - because of the relatives don't like her. now at this situation - she is calling me, come back to home. and also she don't want 2 seperate me with my brothers - she don't want to reside seperate. if this will happen means she used to divorce me. I spoke to my mother and brothers about this problem, they said that " nothing they did with her, they argued all my questions" Now I am in very critical situation.

Now, My wife don't want to reside with all and also she don't want to seperate me with my brothers. Just want to go alone. now she is staying with their parents. she says that we should seperate because of these realtives.

so, please show me the right way. what is the solution for this problem? I want my wife should reside in my home with all family members without any complications.

thanking you,

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Answer:

Seperate accommodation for 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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 34:

34 Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard (their modesty and chastity, the honor and property of their husband, etc.)

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 286 Narrated by Umm Salamah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘If a woman dies while her husband was pleased with her, she will enter Paradise.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3272 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

When Allah's Messenger (saws) was asked which woman was best he replied, "The one who pleases (her husband) when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives a command, and does not go against his wishes regarding her person or property by doing anything of which he disapproves."

In light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, the wife has absolutely no duty or responsibility laid upon her by Islam towards her husband’s family or ‘in-laws’, including the husband’s parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc. The responsibility and duty that Islam has laid upon the believing wife is only towards making sure that her husband is pleased and satisfied with her in every aspect of her life!

Thus, in essence, if a believing woman worships Allah Subhanah as He Alone deserves to be worshipped, preserves her chastity, and strives to the best of her ability to please her husband, the Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that she will be given the honor to enter the Eternal Gardens of Paradise by the gates of her choice!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3254 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When a woman observes the five times of prayer, fasts during Ramadan, preserves her chastity and obeys her husband, she may enter by any of the gates of Paradise she wishes."

Having said that wife has absolutely no responsibility towards her husband’s family, does not in any way mean or imply that she is allowed to be rude, or disrespectful, or dishonor them in any way. She must at all times strive to develop cordial relations with her in-laws.

But if the believing woman does, of her own free will, serves the parents or family of her husband, she would be doing a deed of ‘ehsaan’, a deed which would be over and above her prescribed duties and responsibilities; and Allah Subhanah has time and again declared in the Glorious Quran that He absolutely loves those believers who do ‘ehsaan’ or deeds which are over and above their role of duty and responsibility.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 134 (part):

134 …. for Allah loves the ‘muhsineen’ (those who do deeds over and above their call of duty).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 148:

148 And Allah gave them a reward in this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah loves the ‘muhsineen’ (those who do deeds over and above their call of duty).

The wife in Islam is absolutely under no obligation to take care or serve her husband’s parents or family; the duty and ultimate responsibility that the parents are served and well cared for is entirely upon the direct off-spring of the parents.

But if the wife, of her own will and choice, wishes to go over and above her prescribed duties and in her benevolence serves the parents and/or family members of her husband, she would be doing the extremely meritorious deed of ‘ehsaan’; and Allah Subhanah absolutely loves those who do ‘ehsaan’ or deeds over and above their prescribed duties.

If a husband is blessed with a wife who does ‘ehsaan’ and serves his parents, he should be extremely grateful and thankful to her for her superb gesture of benevolence and kindness.

Secondly brother, if for any reason the wife does not wish to live in a ‘joint-family’ of her in-laws, she is well within her lawful rights in Islam to demand that her husband provide a separate accommodation for her away from her in-laws; and if the husband has the means, he should fear Allah and fulfill this lawful demand of his wife. The right the wife does not have is to demand or expect that her husband leaves his parents and move in to live with her in the separate accommodation…..that is the decision the husband has to make on his own.

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