A Woman's Rights Over Her Husband

The principle duty of a man is to provide food, clothing, shelter and all other basic needs of his wife according to his ability and capacity. All this should be done with love and kindness by which their relationship will glow and become stronger. He should always support his wife with courage and bravery so that she may feel a sense of security. Also he must guard her chastity and modesty, while overlooking her minor faults and errors which are inevitable. As Mullah Mohsin Faiz Kashani in his book "Al-Waafi" in the chapter of "A Woman's right over her husband" writes that it is narrated from the Holy Prophet (SAW) that some people enquired from him regarding the rights of a wife over her husband. He (SAW) answered, "He should overlook her minor faults and if she commits a major mistake then he should forgive her."

We all know that human life is not confined to food and drinks. Rather love, affection and sacrifice are the emotions which take humanity to great heights and form the core of its civilisation and culture. A woman who is emotions personified along with her other necessities expects to see the smiling face of her husband when he returns to his house. This is one of her basic rights which has not been overlooked due to its importance by the religion of Islam and therefore it is enumerated as one her rights over her husband.

Shahab Abdo Rabbeh relates that I asked Imam Sadiq concerning the rights of a woman over her husband. He answered, "He should fulfil all her basic necessities and must not terrrorise her by becoming angry time and again. If he does this i.e. after fulfilling her needs, is kind and affectionate towards her, then I swear by God, he has fulfilled his wife's rights. (Kafi).

Among the other rights which a women enjoys over her husband is that he should sleep with her. This matter has been dealt in detail in the books of jurisprudence. Those who are interested can refer to Al-Kafi, Wasailush Shia, Mustadrak and other similar books.

The importance of these rights can be gauged from the basic expectation of the fairer sex that her husband treat her kindly and respectfully. He must give due importance to her rights and observe them. The Holy Prophet (SAW) himself has endorsed this view by saying, "The best among you is the one who observes the rights of his wife in the best possible way and I am the best among you to observe the rights of my wives." (Mun la Yahzorohul Faqeeh).

The Importance of Helping One's Wife in Domestic Works

One day the Holy Prophet (SAW) paid a visit to the house of Ali and Fatema (SA). He saw that Ali is sieving the pulses and Fatema (SA) is busy cooking. On observing this the Holy Prophet (SAW) remarked, "O Ali, I do not speak except what is revealed unto me. Anyone who helps his wife in her domestic affairs obtains a reward of one year of worship equal to the amount of hair on his body. This year of worship will be as if he has fasted during it's day and prayed during it's night. Allah will reward him equal to the reward of all the patient ones, Hazrat Dawood and Hazrat Esa . [ Jami us Sadaat, Vol. 2, Pg. 142).

In the same reference another tradition from the Holy Prophet (SAW) is recorded where he says, "O Ali, whoever helps his wife and children in their domestic affairs and does not consider it as an obligation upon them, Allah will enumerate him among the martyrs. The reward of one thousand martyrs is written in his book of deeds (by the angels) each day and night. His one step bears the reward of one Hajj and one Umrah and he gets cities in paradise equal to the number of veins in his body."

Again in Jami us Sadaat, the Holy Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said, "One who stays in his house and helps his family members in their domestic affairs, his reward is better than the one who has worshipped God for one thousand years, performed one thousand Hajj, one thousand Umrah, released one thousand slaves, participated in one thousand battles along with the Holy Prophet (SAW), visited one thousand patients, worshipped on one thousand Fridays, participated in one thousand funeral processions, fed one thousand hungry people, clothed one thousand beggars, distributed one thousand horses in the way of God, gave one thousand Dinars (gold coin) to the poor, recited one thousand times each the Taurat, the Injeel and the Quran, freed one thousand prisoners and donated one thousand sheep to the poor. And the one who helps his family members in their house affairs, sees his place in paradise before departing from this world."

Ibne Abi Zar-e-Naraaqi narrates a tradition from the Messenger of Islam (SAW) that he said, " To serve one's family members helps in erasing the capital crimes (Gunnahane Kabeera) and cools down the divine wrath. It acts as a dowry paid to the Huris, increases one's good deeds and raises one in stages. [Jaame us Sadaat].

In the book Makaaremul Akhlaq, one tradition is quoted from Imam Sadiq on the authority of Ishaq Ibne Ammar who says, I asked him ,"What is the right of a woman over her husband?" He replied, "To feed her, to clothe her and if she commits some silly mistake or error he must forgive her."

Dailami in his book, Irshadul Qulub writes that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said, "Whoever beats his wife unnecessarily, I will be his enemy on the Day of Judgement." Therefore one should never torture one's wife physically or otherwise because whoever does so has violated the norms set by the Almighty and His Messenger.

The great traditionist of the sixth century, Abdul Wahid- e-Amudi in his book Gorarul Hikam, narrates a tradition on the authority of Ameerul Momeneen Ali ibne Abi Talib who said, "Certainly a woman is like a toy, whoever takes her (marries her), should advise her." Sheikh Hurre Amili in Wasailush Shia narrates a tradition from Imam Zainul Abedeen that he said, "Whoever makes the lives of his family members more comfortable and provides them more rest he is worthy of maximum divine pleasure." In the same reference Imam Reza says, "Every man should strive to make his wife and children comfortable according to his capacity for if he is strict and unkind to them and because their rights are being deprived they will desire his death."

The author of Makaaremul Akhlaq narrates a tradition from Holy Prophet (SAW) on the authority of Ibne Abbas that "Whoever brings some gifts from the market for his family members enjoys the same status before God as the one who has helped the oppressed." Then further explaining the method of distribution he (SAW) says, "First he should give to his daughters then to his sons. Whoever keeps his daughter happy will get a reward equal to the one who has freed a slave from the progeny of Hazrat-e- Ismail and whoever keeps his sons happy his reward is like the one who has cried due to the fear of God and the reward of the one who cries due to the fear of God is a Paradise full of bounties.

Muhaddith-e-Noori, the great traditionalist of the last century narrates a tradition from the Holy Prophet (SAW) in is book Mustadrakul Wasail, "Anyone who has been provided with bounties but is strict and miserly with his wife and children is not from us."


And the last call is this, "All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds."