Conflict between spouses
Question:
As Salaamu Alaikum: A situation arose last week between
myself, my wife and her daughter. Her daughter is now 20 years old with her own
child but still resides in the home with us. I said something to my wife that
made her upset with me so she became very foul mouthed and ignorant with her
behavior even though there were none Muslims in the home. She approached me in
an ill manner and i just lightly mushed her in the face and started laughing.
The next thing i know she is punching me and kicking me. I grabbed her so she
would not hit me in my face anymore, that’s when her daughter got into it and
started hitting me in the head. I Kept my head and did not become upset. Then
her daughter called the police and they came and questioned everyone and took
down a report. My wife has not shown any remorse about the behavior of her
daughter and acts as thou it was ok for her child to act in that manner. At the
present time I am not in the same house with them. And i really don't want to go
back there. But i truly care a lot for my wife and tries to strive with her in
the way it is prescribed for us in the Quran and Sunnah. She only listens to
Quran and Sunnah when there is no anger in her heart. This is a situation that
has left my heart weak. Living true Islam is all that I am striving for. Please
assist me in this matter. As Salaamu Alaikum
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It should be noted that one of the main reasons that cause
problems between spouses, and that could cause these problems to escalate to a
very bad level is a lack of knowledge of the rights which each partner has over
the other.
Islam states these rights clearly, and urges and obliges
each partner to fulfil them, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “…
And they (women) have rights (over their husbands…) similar (to those of their
husbands) over them, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them…”
[al-Baqarah 2:228]. This aayah indicates that for every right that one partner
has, there is a corresponding duty which the other partner must fulfil; thus
balance will be achieved in all aspects of the relationship, which will
strengthen the stability of family life. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased
with them both) said concerning this aayah: “It is their (women’s)
right to good companionship and proper treatment on the part of their husbands,
and their duty to obey and do what their husbands tell them to do.” Ibn
Zayd said: “Fear Allaah with regard to them (wives) just as they should fear
Allaah with regard to you.” Al-Qurtubi said: “This aayah covers all
the rights and duties within marriage.”
One of those rights is that trivial mistakes should be
overlooked, especially words and deeds by which no harm was intended. Anas ibn
Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet SAWS (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam makes
mistakes, and the best of those who make mistakes are those who repent.”
(Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 2501; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4/171).
Both husband and wife have to be patient and put up with
one another, because everyone makes mistakes, and the one with whom you have to
be most patient is the one with whom you live and interacts with most. Neither
party should resort to tit-for-tat reactions. If one spouse sees that the other
is very angry, he or she should restrain his or her own anger, and not respond
immediately. For this reason Abu’l-Darda’ said to his wife: “If you see me
angry, calm me down, and if I see you angry, I will calm you down, otherwise it
will be too difficult to live together.” The imaam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imaam
Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) married ‘Abbaasah bint al-Mufaddal, the
mother of his son Saalih, and he used to say of her: “Umm Saalih lived with me
for twenty years, and we never argued over the slightest thing.”
One of the most important rights/duties is that each spouse
should advise and remind the other to obey Allaah. It is reported in a saheeh
hadeeth that a group of the Sahaabah asked the Prophet SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): “Teach us which kind of wealth is best, so
that we may try to acquire it?” He said: “The best is a remembering
tongue (one that remembers Allaah), a grateful heart and a believing wife who
helps one’s faith.” (Reported by Ahmad, 5/278; al-Tirmidhi, 3039; Saheeh
al-Jaami’, 5231).
A man should not make his wife angry if he sees in her
something that he dislikes, because if he dislikes one of her characteristics,
he will like another, so he should balance the two. The Prophet SAWS (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No believing man should hate a
believing woman: if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will like
another.” (Reported by Muslim, 36). Samurah (may Allaah be pleased with
him) reported that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: “Woman was created from a rib, and if you try to straighten a rib you
will break it, so deal with her gently.” (Reported by Ahmad, 5/8; Ibn
Hibbaan, 1308; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2/163).
One of the best ways to ensure a good atmosphere between
husband and wife is a good attitude, hence Islam placed an important emphasis on
this matter. The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
the ultimate in good treatment of others and good attitude. Abu’l-Darda’
reported that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
“There is no good deed that will be put in the balance that will weight
heavier than a good attitude. The one who has a good attitude will reach,
because of it, the level of those who fast and pray.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi,
2003; Abu Daawood, 4799). Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported
that the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The
most perfect of the believers in faith are the best in attitude, and the best of
you are
Some of the ways in which one can treat one’s wife well are to turn a blind eye and not to pick on things, great or small, and not to rebuke or scold for every single incident, except in the case of duties towards Allaah. This is how Allaah guides us in the Qur’aan, when He says
(interpretation of the meaning): “… and live with them (women) honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike a thing and Allaah brings through it a great deal of good.” [al-Nisa’ 4:19]. If a woman disobeys her husband and refuses to obey him, he has the right to
discipline her as prescribed by sharee’ah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): “Men are the protectors and maintainers of
women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they
(spend) to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are
devoutly obedient (to Allaah and their husbands) and guard in the husband’s
absence what Allaah orders them to guard (e.g., their chastity, their husbands
property, etc.). As to those women on whose part you see ill-conduct, admonish
them (first), (next) refuse to share their beds, (and last) beat them (lightly,
if it is useful), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means
(of annoyance). Surely, Allaah is Ever Most High, Most Great.” [al-Nisa’
4:34]. This aayah indicates that the husband has the right to discipline his
wife when she disobeys his orders or rebels against him, and that this
discipline takes a step-by-step approach which may reach the level of hitting,
within certain conditions. Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
“Know that Allaah does not command hitting in His Book in clear terms except
in this passage and with regard to the prescribed punishments (hudood),
so disobedience to husbands is equated with major sins, and Allaah has given the
task (of disciplining) to husbands, instead of leaders, and without the need for
judges, witnesses or evidence, because Allaah has entrusted wives to their
husbands.”
“Ill-conduct” (nushooz) here refers to
disobedience, i.e., those on whose part you fear disobedience and rejection of
Allaah’s command to obey their husbands. Allaah has made this discipline in
stages, as follows:
1.Admonition without “forsaking” them (refusing to
share their beds) or hitting them. So the woman is reminded of her duty to be a
good companion and treat her husband properly. If gentle admonition and kindly
reminders do not work, then the discipline is taken to the second stage:
2.“Forsaking”, by turning his back on her in bed or
sleeping in a separate bed. But he should not go to extremes in this by keeping
away for more than four months, which is the period set by Allaah for the one
that swears not to approach his wife. This “forsaking” should only be for
the purposes of disciplining and correcting, not for taking revenge or
punishing.
3.Hitting in a manner that is not painful, because Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): “beat them (lightly, if it is
useful),”. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Forsake
her in her bed, and if she mends her ways (this is good), but if not, then
Allaah has given permission for you to hit her in a way that is not painful.”
The husband must be careful to ensure that his hitting is for the purpose of
discipline and warning, and not for any other purpose, so he must make sure that
he hits as lightly as possible, by prodding with the fist and so on. ‘Ata’
said: “I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas: “What is the hitting that is not painful?”
He said, “The siwaak (tooth-stick) and so on.” (i.e., hitting with
the siwaak).
The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, advising his ummah: “Fear Allaah with regard to women,
for you have taken them as a trust from Allaah and they are lawful to you by the
word of Allaah. Your rights over them are that they should not allow anyone to
sit on your beds whom you dislike, so if they do that then hit them in a way
that is not painful.” (Saheeh hadeeth). The husband should avoid
hitting parts of the body that are sensitive, such as the head and stomach, and
the face, because the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
forbade hitting the face in general. Mu’aawiyah ibn Haydah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what are the rights
of the wife of any one of us over us?’ He said, ‘That you feed her as you
feed yourself and clothe her as you
If she desists, and stops rebelling, then he is not allowed
to keep punishing her or to accuse her of saying or doing anything, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): “…but if they return to obedience,
seek not against them means (of annoyance).”
With regard to your particular situation, we do not know all the details or the reason why you hit your wife or why she and her daughter attacked you. But we do understand that you are the one who started it, you started by hitting her then you made her angry by laughing at her, which is when the mistake on her part and that of her daughter occurred. What we advise you to do is to let your wife come back to you and go back to living together in one home. You should advise your wife to admit that she has made a mistake, and explain to her the seriousness what she has done by disobeying you, hitting you back and encouraging her daughter to misbehave towards you as you mentioned. This girl must understand that she is a guest in the home of her mother’s husband and she has to respect the one who has given her refuge in his home. If her presence is making things more complicated and causing more problems, then you must come to some agreement with them for the girl to move to her own home. Seek the help of Allaah, have patience and treat your wife well. We ask Allaah to help you all and create love between your hearts. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
