Are there proofs that elevate the wife's service to her husband in the home to the level of obligation?

The questioner : It is noted that these proofs you have cited may not be mentioned regarding the obligation of household service. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not command her when she came to him asking for a servant, saying, "This is obligatory upon you." Rather, there was no command; he directed her to something else. And so it is with the rest of the proofs. Are there proofs that rise to the level of obligation such that they contain a command?

The Shaykh : First, may Allah reward you. Do not forget the verse. When a person begins to discuss the proofs, he starts with the most important of them. And you understand with me the saying of Allah the Exalted: The verse establishes equality in rights between the two spouses. Just as the husband has a right over the wife, the wife has a right over the husband. What is this right?

The questioner : This verse is strong. Yes.

The Shaykh : The extremists for the opinion we mentioned earlier say: If it were obligatory upon the husband, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have ordered 'Ali not to burden his wife with this service. What do they say? The husband's right over her? I said earlier, it is only the right of sexual intercourse. Fine, and what is her right regarding the husband? Does she not have the right of sexual intercourse? If they are equal in this, there is no difference between the husband and the wife in this right. That is, just as the husband has the right to enjoy her and take his sexual right from her, she has this right from him. And the man is considered a wrongdoer if he does not give her this right and neglects her. So the right here is related to sex; it is reciprocal. So there remains something else, which is broader. What is the man's right over the woman other than sex? It is service. What is the woman's right over the man other than sex? It is financial maintenance. So, as it is said, "with the burden comes the benefit." If we know this reality and understand this verse, then another answer comes to what you pointed out: that the Messenger did not say to her, "This service of yours is obligatory upon you." There is no need for that, because this life we mentioned earlier, some of whose examples we gave, is an interpretation and practical application of this noble verse. And therefore, we are not in need to search, toil, and labor to extract a text from the Sunnah that is much clearer, such as a text that says, for example, "It is obligatory for the woman, the wife, to serve her husband." We are not in need of such a search, because the verse, along with the practical life to which I referred earlier, some of which I mentioned, all of that is conclusive evidence in this matter. Yes.