Do I Have a Right to Divorce If My Husband Forces Me into Painful Intimacy That Leaves Me with Bruises?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
I’m a new Muslim woman in a non-Muslim country, living with a husband who pressures me into frequent, painful intimacy, causing bruises. He quotes hadiths to shame me and refuses divorce or another wife. I’m scared and unsure of my Islamic rights or how to respond.
Answer
I hope you are in good health and faith. Thank you for your question. I’m sorry to hear about your situation.
It is entirely wrong for your husband to pressure you this way, and he is sinful for doing so because he is causing harm. You have a right to seek a divorce.
Allah Most High says: “On no soul does Allah place a burden greater than it can bear.” [Quran, 2:286]
It is often observed that a husband demands his wife fulfill his sexual needs regardless of her condition and uses Hadith to justify his demands. If the wife is unable to engage in sexual activity due to a genuine and valid reason, and the husband forces her, he will be sinful.
Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best behaviour, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives”. [Tirmidhi] and the significance of this is even greater in a marriage.
Ultimately, these issues should be resolved through mutual understanding, respect for one another, love, kindness, and empathy with the emotional state of the wife, rather than one’s own.
I would like you to go through the valuable answers and links below. In sha Allah, you will receive guidance and direction.
Related
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I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel has received a traditional education in various countries. He started his schooling in the UK and completed his hifz of the Quran in India. After that, he joined an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied secular and Aalimiyya sciences. Later, he traveled to Karachi, Pakistan, and other Middle Eastern countries to further his education. Mawlana has served as an Imam in the Republic of Ireland for several years and taught the Quran and other Islamic sciences to both children and adults. He also worked as a teacher and librarian at a local Islamic seminary in the UK for 12 years. Presently, he lives in the UK with his wife and is interested in books and gardening.
