Fatwa n° 195
Category: Fatwas about family – Marriage contract – Marital rights – Individual rights
Concerning the wife who goes to the house of her family during her husband’s absence
Question:
Is it permissible for the wife to go to the house of her family during her husband’s absence?
Answer:
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers until the Day of Resurrection:
In principle, the husband has a right over his wife that she has to comply with: it is obeying him in what is beyond the disobedience of Allah. Among acts of obeying is the obligation of asking for his permission before leaving home. If he gives her a special permission or a general one, then she is allowed to visit her family, but she is bound up with the religious standards when she goes out. Nevertheless, if he forbids her from a religious duty such as keeping good relation with her kinship in case she cannot keep in touch with unless by visiting them, then in such a case it is permissible for her to go out for the purpose of visiting them because: “There is no obedience for a creature in the disobedience of the Creator” (1).
The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah عزَّ وجلَّ; and our last prayer is all the praises and thanks are to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers of Allah are to Muhammad and his Family, Companions and Brothers until the Day of Resurrection.
Algiers on Safar the 23rd, 1427 H,
Corresponding to march the 23rd, 2006 G.
(1) Reported by Ahmad (1095), from the hadith of Ali رضي الله عنه. This hadith is judged authentic Ahmad Shâkir in his “Recension of Musnad Ahmad” (2/ 248) and by Al-Albânî in “Sahîh Al-Jâmi` ” (7396). See also “Majma’ Az-Zawâ’id” of Al-Haythamî (8903), and “As-Silsila As-Sahîha” of Al-Albânî (179).