Rights of Husband upon the wife

Allah TaAla has given great rights to the husband and has attached a lot of virtue to him. Pleasing the husband and keeping him happy is a great act of ‘ibadah and displeasing him or keeping him unhappy is a major sin.

1. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "The woman who offers her five times salat, fasts in the month of Ramadan, protects her honour and respect, and obeys her husband has the choice of entering jannah from whichever door she wishes to enter from." This means that from the eight doors of jannah she can enter through whichever door she wishes without even having to knock on that door.

2. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "The woman who passes away in such a state that her husband is pleased with her will enter jannah."

3. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "Were I to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded the woman to prostrate to her husband. If the husband orders his wife to carry the boulders of one mountain to the next mountain, and the boulders of the next mountain to a third mountain, she will have to do this."

4. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "When the husband calls his wife, she should go immediately to him even if she is busy at her stove." In other words, no matter how important a task she may be busy with, she should leave it and go to him.

5. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "When a man calls his wife to engage in sexual intercourse with him and she does not go and because of this he sleeps away angrily, the angels continue cursing this woman till the morning."

6. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "When a woman troubles or displeases her husband in this world, the hûr of jannah that has been set aside for him says:  "May Allah curse you! Do not trouble him. He is your guest for a few days. Soon he will leave you and come to me."

7. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:  "There are three types of people whose salat is not accepted, nor is any other good act of theirs accepted. One is a slave who runs away from his master. The second is a woman whose husband is displeased with her. The third is a person who is in a state of intoxication."

8. A person asked:  "Who is the best woman?" Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied:  "The best woman is one who pleases her husband when he looks at her, when he asks her to do something she obeys him, and she does not do anything that may displease him with regard to his wealth and honour."

One of the rights of the husband is that the wife should not keep any optional fasts nor offer any optional salat in his presence without his permission. Among the rights of the husband is that she should not remain in an untidy, dishevelled state. Instead, she should always remain clean and beautiful for her husband. In fact, if she remains untidy and dishevelled despite her husband ordering her to remain clean, he has the right of beating her (lightly) in order that she may obey him. Another right of the husband is that she should not leave the house without his permission irrespective of whether it be the house of a friend, relative or anyone else.

The rights of the husband upon his wife are greater than the rights of the wife upon her husband for the simple reason that Allaah, the Almighty, stated in the Glorious Quran what means: “…And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allaah is Exalted in Might and Wise." [Quran 2: 228]

Man is the caretaker of his wife and household. He is responsible for all her affairs. He is responsible for training, direction and discipline if needed. Allaah Almighty Says what means: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allaah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth…” [Quran 4:34]

It is an essential right of man over his wife to be obeyed so long as his commands do not conflict or contradict the commands of Allaah, the Almighty, Allaah’s Messenger  and the general teachings and codes of ethics of Islam.

Allaah Almighty Says in the same verse mentioned above (what means):"...But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allaah is ever Exalted and Grand.." [Quran 4:34]

A Muslim wife must protect her husband’s secrets, privacies, honor and dignity. She also must protect his wealth, children, finance, belongings and other aspects of his household, as much as possible.

Allaah Almighty Says in the same verse (what means): "...So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allaah would have them guard..." [Quran 4:34]

Allaah's Messenger  said: "The wife is the guardian over the house of her husband and his children." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] 

And, “If I were to command a single person to bow in prostration to another person, I could have commanded a woman to bow down (in obedience and respect, not in worship) to her husband.” [Abu Daawood]

Allaah’s Messenger  also said: “If a husband calls his wife to his bed, but the latter refused to fulfill the call (for any reason other than a lawful one), which drives the man to become upset with his wife, then angels will curse such a wife until she gets up in the morning.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

He  furthermore, said: "Their (husbands') rights over you (wives) is that you do not allow anyone whom they dislike onto your bedding and you do not allow anyone whom they dislike into your house." [At-Tirmithi]

The wife must not leave the house except with her husband's permission and approval. She must also lower her gaze, keep her voice low, keep her hands from reaching out to anything evil and keep her tongue from any lewd or foul speech. She also must not harm his parents or near relatives.

This is because Allaah Almighty has said (what means): "And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance...." [Quran 33:33]

Allaah Almighty also has said (what means): "...Do not be soft in speech [to men], lest he in whose heart is disease should covet, but speak with appropriate speech." [Quran 33:32] 

In another verse, Allaah Sayas (what means): "And tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof..." [Quran 24:31]

Allaah's Messenger  said: "The best woman is the one who when you look at her, you are pleased; when you order her, she obeys; if you are absent from her, she guards herself and your property." [At-Tabarani]

An other right of the husband over his wife is that the husband may ask his wife not do something, including, but not limited to voluntary acts of worship, other than obligatory, which cause her to lessen the time that her husband may have to enjoy her.

Allaah’s Messenger  stated: “A wife is not allowed to observe fast (other than fasting in the month of Ramadan, the prescribed, unless she has his permission. She may not allow any one to come into his house, unless he permits.” [At-Tirmithi] 

Moreover, Allaah’s Messenger  placed the satisfaction and pleasure of a husband to be one of the reasons to enable the wife to enter Paradise.

At-Tirmithi reported from Umm Salamah, the mother of the believers that Allaah’s Messenger  said: “Any woman whose husband dies while he is pleased, happy and satisfied with her (acts, attitudes and behavior) will enter Jannah (Paradise).”

These are but few items of the many rights that Islam, the religion of truth, imposes upon those who commit themselves to follow and practice it as a way of life. We vividly see that such rights, if maintained properly, will lead a society to peace, happiness and tranquility.

A husband becomes caring, affectionate, loving and responsible, yet directing and capable of discipline when needed to improve a troublesome situation, regardless of his tender care and love for his wife, so that vise and wickedness will not spread in the society.

A wife becomes more respected, adored, cared for, highly needed and appreciated if she respects the rights of her husband, and equally given the rights she is entitled for by Islam. 

In such a coherent way, the religion of truth, goodness, justice, equity, and all fairness coincide with basic requirements of life including harmony between all the members of the society, especially between the husband and the wife.