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The question

Is a woman entitled to seek divorce from her husband whom she discovered after marriage to be ill and unable to have intercourse, and who prevents her from going out or driving her car?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

If the husband is unable to have intercourse due to illness, he must seek treatment, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Seek medical treatment, for Allah Almighty has not created a disease without also creating a cure for it, except for one disease: old age." Al-Qurtubi said: "If a man finds himself unable to fulfill his wife's right in bed, he should take medicines that increase his virility and strengthen his desire so that he may keep her chaste."

If he seeks treatment and keeps her chaste, then the wife must live with him honorably and communicate with him regarding his restriction on her going out. However, if he does not keep her chaste despite her need for chastity, then she has the right to seek divorce or khul'.

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

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