| Answer: I fully concede
that this decision of the husband is undoubtedly unfair. He ought not to
stop his wife from engaging in religious as well as other healthy activities
that she wishes to. That is how the life of a couple becomes peaceful and
comfortable.
However, the question
arises what should be done when he hampers any activity that his wife wants
to undertake. It will definitely depend upon what the wife has been stopped
from doing. If she is obstructed from carrying out her primary religious
responsibilities like saying the obligatory prayer, fasting or in any case
from professing faith in Allah, she should not follow her husband no matter
what. But if she is impeded not to undertake Da‘wah work, I am afraid she
should not resist the decision of her husband since Allah has not obligated
her to do Da‘wah work beyond the circle of her close relations and friends
that she usually meets in her daily life. This does not mean that she should
give up the effort to convince her husband regarding the importance of
learning and teaching Islam. She should positively continue her struggle to
intellectually convince her husband and persuade him to allow her to do what
she so much wishes to. She, however, should not rebel against the decisions
of her husband. I would like her to know that her reward with the Lord will
still be secured if she accepts the decisions and compromises with her
circumstances because every sincere intention brings reward to the believer. |