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What is the ruling on a wife abandoning her husband’s bed and not speaking to him for more than three months, due to him cursing her, beating her, breaking her hand, and his repeated infidelity with other women without showing remorse? Is she sinful for this, and is she entitled to abandon him? What is the solution: seeking a divorce or continuing and forgiving?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

It is not permissible for a husband to insult or beat his wife without a legitimate Shar'i (Islamic legal) reason. Similarly, it is not permissible for a wife to abandon her husband's bed without a rightful cause. If a husband withholds a right from his wife, some scholars have issued fatwas permitting her to abandon him. The husband should appease his wife if something displeasing to her has emanated from him, and the wife should strive to please her husband. If the husband is engaging in illicit relations with women and insists on his actions, then seeking a divorce is preferable.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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