The limit of a man’s absence from his wife

The third message in this evening’s session came from the listener, Mr. ‘Abd al-Halim ‘Isam, an Egyptian working in Iraq. He says in his message: What is the Islamic ruling on a man who leaves his wife under the pretext of traveling for work, and may remain away from her for a year or two, and there are those who leave their wives for three years, and the wife cannot prevent him from traveling because this is a defect in the prevailing custom? What is the ruling regarding the wife who is neglected without her consent, and this may lead to the spread of vice in society, where the woman’s religion is neglected without a guardian other than herself? What is the ruling of the Shari’ah in this matter, and how many days should a woman endure being without her husband? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer: There is no fixed or limited number of days in this matter, but it is obligatory for the husband to fear Allah regarding his wife and not to be absent from her for a long period in which there is danger for her in terms of vice, in terms of moral corruption. He should pay attention to her and care for her. If it is possible for the work to be in the country where she is, so that he can be with her and spend the night with her, that is what is best. If that is not feasible, he should pay attention to her by visiting her from time to time, at short intervals, so that she does not fall into a matter whose consequences are not praiseworthy. It was reported from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that he set six months for the soldiers, and this is from the perspective of his independent legal reasoning (may Allah be pleased with him).
The scholars have mentioned that this varies; six months may be appropriate, or the woman may be in danger in less than that. The husband should pay attention to the condition of his wife, the condition of the country where she is, and the people around her. He should pay attention to her safety and security. If six months is long and dangerous for her, he should not prolong it, but rather contact her from time to time, such as every month or two months, or less than that. Whatever allows him to be close to her is obligatory, especially in times of danger like these times, because evil has increased in them and security has decreased in most countries, and immorality has increased, especially if the woman is alone, then the danger for her is great. If she is with her trusted relatives, the matter becomes less dangerous and safer. So the husband should pay attention to these matters and fear Allah. If travel is necessary, let him place her in a safe place with her relatives, or have a mahram or a woman he trusts be with her, so that this is closer to safety.
As for a limited limit, there is no limited limit other than what was reported from ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and he was pleased with it, which is: six months. In these six months, the husband may be able to be present, or he may not be able to. He may be in need of seeking knowledge, or he may be in need of seeking a livelihood that he does not have in his country. It may not be feasible for him for six months; the work may require more than six months and he may be forced to increase it. In this case, he should move her with him if possible, or place her in a safe place.
In summary: It is obligatory for him to fear Allah in this matter, and to strive for the safety of his wife, and to be cautious regarding her rights, either by moving her with him, or by hastening to travel to her from time to time and not prolonging it, or by placing her in a safe place with her relatives or with trusted mahrams who are with her or she is with them, so that the danger is less and safety is more likely. And Allah is the One to be sought for help.
The presenter: May Allah bless you and reward you with good.