The Ruling on Obeying a Husband Who Prohibits Visiting Relatives

Question:
From Jarash, Jordan, the listener: Fatimah Muhammad, asks Your Eminence some questions, saying: I have a husband who prevents me from visiting my relatives without a reason, such as my maternal uncle’s house, or my maternal aunt’s house, and my paternal aunt’s house, and so on. Does this husband commit a sin in the Shari'ah? Or not? And should I obey him in his prohibition? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
It is obligatory to obey the husband. It is obligatory to obey the husband if he prevents her from going out to the paternal aunt, or the maternal aunt; she must obey him. But it is not befitting for him to prevent her; if the maternal aunt and paternal aunt are not a source of concern, and there is no fear of harm from visiting them, then he should not prevent maintaining family ties. However, he may have intentions, he may have reasons, and the visit may involve harms.
So the result is: if the prevention has no basis, then it is not befitting for him to do so; he should not assist her in severing family ties. But if there are reasons that prevent the visit, because the visit harms this wife, or harms her husband—because they are badmouthing him about her, or because they have evil deeds that he does not want her to go to them and see, or the like of that—then he has the right to this prevention. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.