Q: What is the ruling on a wife who denies her husband his marital rights; by refusing to have sexual relations with him despite being healthy and without any Shar`y (Islamically lawful) excuse? What is the ruling on someone who tries to provoke the spouses against each other, if they are from among (Part No. 19; Page No. 384) the wife's relatives?

A: First, a wife must obey her husband when he calls her to his bed, and it is Haram (prohibited) for her to refuse without a Shar`y excuse. It was authentically reported in the Two Sahih (authentic) Books of Hadith (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) and other books on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If a husband calls his wife to his bed (to have sexual relation) and she refuses and lets him sleep while angry, the angels will curse her until the morning." In another narration, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is! Any man who calls his wife to his bed and she does not respond, the One Who is in the heaven (Allah) will be displeased with her until he (her husband) is pleased with her." In another narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When a woman spends the night away from the bed of her husband, the angels will curse her until the morning." Second, it is Haram to provoke a wife or turn her against her husband, whether the one who does this is a relative or not. It was related by Al-Nasa'y, Abu Dawud, and Ibn Hibban on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Anyone who turns a woman against her husband or a slave against his master is not of us.” This is the wording of Abu Dawud. May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.