Treating One’s Wife And Children With Kindness
Question
Q1) What is the ruling regarding the husband maintaining the household? What if the husband is not doing this?
Q2) What are the Sunnah practices on how to treat one’s wife and children? My husband is extremely harsh to me and the kids-he dresses according to Sunnah but has no Sunnah character?
Answer
A1) It is the duty of the husband to maintain the wife by providing accommodation, food, clothing, etc. The Hadith states that he will be a sinner for not maintaining his family.
A2) The Quraan Sharif teaches us how to live with our spouses, “Live with them in kindness (treating them well). If you dislike (anything in) them, then (be tolerant because) perhaps you dislike something whereas Allah places abundant good in it.” [Surah Nisaa, Verse 19]
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam states, “The best amongst you are those who are good to their families and I am the best amongst you to my family.”
Treating one’s spouse with kindness refers to favouring them even if they aren’t kind, to be gentle and affectionate towards them and be patient on their inconveniences.
Another Hadith states, “Whoever does not show mercy to our young ones and does not honour the seniors, is not from amongst us.”
In conclusion, he should try to be a better husband and father as stated in the Quraan Sharif and as taught to us by Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in the Ahadith.
References (Arabic / Urdu sources)
عن عبد الله بن عَمروِ بن العاصي قال: سمعت رسول الله -صلي الله عليه وسلم – يقول: “كَفَى بالمرء ِإثْماً أن يضيع منْ يَقوت” (مسند احمد)
- Answered by
- Mufti Mohammed Desai Saheb
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