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Q&A · Women in Islam

Does a wife have to obey her husband in everything, and are there limits to that obedience?

A wife is required to obey her husband in what is good and lawful (maʿrūf), and Allah praised the righteous women as "devoutly obedient." However, this obedience is bounded: there is no obedience to any created being in disobedience to the Creator, for the Prophet ﷺ taught that "obedience is only in what is right (maʿrūf)." So a husband cannot command his wife to abandon an obligatory act of worship, to commit a sin, or to wrong others, and she is not sinful for refusing such a command. Within the lawful, cooperation and kindness are mutual duties, as Allah says the spouses "have rights similar to those over them, in kindness."

Evidence — the daleel
Quran 4:34Sahih al-Bukhari 7257 ṢaḥīḥQuran 2:228
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Informational, not a personal fatwa. Consult a qualified scholar for rulings on your situation.

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