What is the period that a man is legally permitted to be absent from his wife?

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. He asks about the period that a man is legally permitted to be absent from his wife? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
The period during which it is permissible for a man to be absent from his wife is four months, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: Some of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, specifically 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), as I recall, set it at six months. This was by adding two months: one month for the journey there and one month for the return, due to the long distance at that time. That is, one month to travel to his wife and one month to travel to his place of work, in addition to the four months, making six months. However, if his wife permits him to be absent for a longer period, there is no harm in that, because the right belongs to her. Likewise, if he is prevented from being present by a preventer, he is excused. If he is absent for a period longer than this, such as if he is detained, imprisoned, or if circumstances require him to stay longer to seek the livelihood he must have, this is a legitimate religious excuse, even if it exceeds this period.