Does a wife have the right to boycott her husband for committing sins?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
If he is committing sins, such as drinking intoxicants or neglecting some of the prayers, does she have the right to boycott him to discipline him?
Answer:
It appears—may Allah know best—that she has the right to seek divorce; because living with one who openly commits sins is a great evil, especially intoxicants, which may harm her or kill her without her realizing it. As for boycotting the bed, she should not boycott the bed unless she fears for herself, but she has the right to seek divorce. As for abandoning the prayer, that is disbelief. It is obligatory for her, if he abandons the prayer and that constitutes disbelief, to distance herself and go to her family, according to the correct view; because abandoning it is disbelief, and Allah says: [Al-Mumtahanah:10]. So if he abandons the prayer, this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah) according to the correct view, and it is obligatory for her at that time not to allow him access to her, and to distance herself from him to her family, until he repents to Allah.
Q: May Allah bless you, O Shaykh. Is this restricted to the night, or does it include both night and day?
The Shaykh: It appears that it is general, but the description is based on the majority; because the norm is that this occurs during the night stay, generally, otherwise it may occur during the nap or in the morning.
Q: If she dislikes him because of his character?
The Shaykh: This requires detail. If he is of bad character, meaning he rarely smiles, that is easy. But if his bad character leads to him hitting her, harming her, and oppressing her, then she has the right to seek separation.
Q: May Allah protect you, O Shaykh. Her boycotting him... like the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with his wives?
The Shaykh: She does not have the right to boycott him except for a valid reason. It is obligatory for her to obey and listen in what is right, unless he does not fulfill her rights.
If he is committing sins, such as drinking intoxicants or neglecting some of the prayers, does she have the right to boycott him to discipline him?
Answer:
It appears—may Allah know best—that she has the right to seek divorce; because living with one who openly commits sins is a great evil, especially intoxicants, which may harm her or kill her without her realizing it. As for boycotting the bed, she should not boycott the bed unless she fears for herself, but she has the right to seek divorce. As for abandoning the prayer, that is disbelief. It is obligatory for her, if he abandons the prayer and that constitutes disbelief, to distance herself and go to her family, according to the correct view; because abandoning it is disbelief, and Allah says:
they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them
لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّQ: May Allah bless you, O Shaykh. Is this restricted to the night, or does it include both night and day?
The Shaykh: It appears that it is general, but the description is based on the majority; because the norm is that this occurs during the night stay, generally, otherwise it may occur during the nap or in the morning.
Q: If she dislikes him because of his character?
The Shaykh: This requires detail. If he is of bad character, meaning he rarely smiles, that is easy. But if his bad character leads to him hitting her, harming her, and oppressing her, then she has the right to seek separation.
Q: May Allah protect you, O Shaykh. Her boycotting him... like the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with his wives?
The Shaykh: She does not have the right to boycott him except for a valid reason. It is obligatory for her to obey and listen in what is right, unless he does not fulfill her rights.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.