The rights of the wife in Islam
In Islam, a wife is entitled to many rights, including being provided with sustenance, a safe and loving home, a dowry, and emotional and physical affection, among others.
Islam encourages justice and the fulfillment of each other's rights. Within the marriage, wives have specific rights that must be honored. If a husband neglects these rights, he is accountable for his actions.
Husbands are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring their wives' rights are fulfilled. This is a significant duty, as they are seen as the leaders within the marriage, guiding with care and responsibility.
1. Love
The most important right a wife has within marriage. She is entitled to acts of love. That is, her husband is obligated to show emotional affection, and satisfy her sexual needs.
Without love, a marriage will feel like a kind of emotionless contract, making the partners feel like they are just roommates of each other.
Love makes a marriage, and a lack of it can disrupt it pretty quickly.
2. Respectful treatment
Like any other person, the wife has the right to respectful behavior. Allah loves it when people treat each other well.
Common injustices in marriage have to do with a lack of attention and love. This is disrespectful and should therefore always be avoided.
3. Fairness
Fairness is part of respectful treatment. The husband should spend enough time with his wife, and he should never neglect her rights.
To treat the wife fairly also means that she gets to feel appreciated and valued whenever she is in the presence of the husband's mother. He should not neglect her and make her feel less.
As a wife you have the right to fair treatment. Does your husband have more than one wife? Then he is obliged to treat you and his other wives justly. You are entitled to fair treatment in compliments, gifts, time and attention.
There is a great responsibility on the husband when he has more than one wife. He should then give you what you need, without neglecting your rights. He should also be fair in how he spends between his wives.
Imam Shafi'i said:
“The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and the opinion of most Muslim scholars indicate that the husband should divide his time, day and night, among his wives, and divide it equally, and that he is not allowed to act unfairly in it."
[Al-Umm, 5/110]
4. Dowry
In an Islamic marriage it is obligatory to agree on a Mahr (dowry). Every wife is entitled to a dowry as soon as she enters a marriage.
This can be through the traditional route (money), but also through a trip, books, clothing, jewelry, etc.
5. Housing
The wife has the right to a place for herself in which she can feel safe and comfortable. Men are responsible for their wives. They are responsible for maintenance and safety.
It is not correct for the wife to be living with her in-laws. She has the right to her own place where she has privacy and can be herself.
6. Clothing
The right to dress means that the wife must be provided with clothes. Clothing is a primary need. The husband is obliged to provide her with this.
The wife is entitled to enough clothes that will clothe her without her validly feeling like she is lacking it. The husband is only obliged to provide her with the basic clothing.
7. Food and drink
This right also falls under maintenance. The wife is provided with food and is not obliged to buy it herself.
Husbands should therefore take responsibility and take care of their wives. The right to food and drink is one of the basic necessities.
The wife has the right to reasonable nutrition. A lack of this is neglect, whereupon in such a situation, she can take some of her husbands money whatever is needed in order to fulfill this primary need, as his money should be spent to fulfill her rights.
If the wife's rights are neglected
Islam absolutely condemns a husband who neglects the rights of his wife. He is regarded as an oppressor, a wrongdoer, and an abusive husband.
The wife is entitled to her rights, just like the husband is entitled to his rights. Whenever the wife is being neglected, she has the option to divorce.
When the husband is found to be abusive, she is even entitled to her dowry that she got, without having to give it back through divorce.
This is the justice Islam came with, to protect the rights of women, and to not leave them helpless and oppressed.