The Wife’s Rights

The husband must be generous with regard to his wife’s expenses (Quran 65:7, Bukhari Hadith 1295, Muslim Hadith 1628)

1 – Dower (mahr/ sadaq)

The husband must give his wife a dower in order for the marriage to be valid (Quran 4:4, 4:24).

The dower belongs entirely to the wife alone.

2 – The wife’s expenses (nafaqah)

The wife has the right to receive suitable housing, sufficient food, clothing, and hygiene and beauty products from the husband.

The husband must spend money on his wife according to his means, without extravagance or stinginess. (Quran 65:7). Providing for one’s wife is not a favor but a duty that he must fulfill toward his wife with kindness, as the Quran clearly states (Quran 4:4).

1 – The husband must behave properly toward his wife

In general, the husband has an obligation to be kind and gentle toward his wife (Quran 4:19). He must also demonstrate a good character and affection in words and deeds, and accept occasional mistakes or oversights (Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 1162, Hadith 2612 and 3895).

The husband must tolerate his wife’s errors, failings, and faults as long as they do not have to do with religion (Muslim, Hadith 1468). The husband is not allowed to harm or torment his wife unjustly or without reason (Quran 2-231) (Muslim Hadith 2577). 

The wife has a right to intimate relations, which the husband must fulfill (Bukhari Hadith 1975, Muslim Hadith 1159).

2 – The husband must not harm his wife

In general, the husband must not harm or do wrong to his wife unjustly or without reason (Quran 2:231, Bukhari Hadith 3331, Muslim Hadith 1468).

Islam insists upon uprightness and honesty in relations between Muslims who belong to the Islamic Ummah (Muslim Hadith 2577, Ibn Majah Hadith 2341)

3 – The husband must fulfill the conditions that the wife stipulated in the marriage contract

If the wife includes a clause or condition in her marriage contract, for example, asking for particular expenses, and the husband agrees to the condition, he must meet the obligation because the marriage contract is one of the most important agreements (Quran 5:1, Bukhari, Hadith 2721, Muslim Hadith 1418)..

4 – The husband must defend his wife and stand up for her honor

When a Muslim man marries a woman, she becomes his “honor” which he must obstinately defend, even at the risk of being killed in doing so (Tirmidhi Hadith 1421, Abou Dawoud Hadith 4772).

5 – The husband should teach and advise his wife

Ideally, the husband guides and directs the members of his family to correctly and continuously follow Islamic values and practices.

He should encourage obedience to Allah’s عزّ وجلّ commandments, particularly through teaching and discussion (Quran 66:6, Bukhari Hadith 2409).

6 – The husband must not reveal the couple’s secrets

The husband must not disclose his private relations with his wife, her intimate secrets or the couple’s secrets to others (Bukhari Hadith 1437).

7 – Wives must be treated equally

In the case of polygamous marriages, Fiqh experts have emphasized each spouse’s right to equally share nights. Thus, if the first wife has a co-wife, it is the husband’s duty to show fairness in his behavior, manner of acting and amount of spending, in general (Quran 4:3).