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 the subject matter of 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 it is not what Allah
has obligated her to do except within the circle of her close relations and
friends that she usually meet 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. However, she 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.
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