Separating from one's wife for a short while due to marital issues
Question
My brother wanted to know if it’s possible to take a small separation from his wife as they are going through a rough patch. It’s not a divorce, just a temporary separation. Is such a separation permissible according to Qur’an and Hadeeth?
Answer
The husband is responsible to take care of the wife and it is not correct for him to separate from her as this goes against the marital obligations and responsibilities he owes to her.
However, if they are experiencing marital problems and they both feel that it will be better for them to remain away from each other for a little while, to ponder over whether they should remain together or separate through divorce, (and so that she may also discuss the matter with her parents), then in this case it will be permissible for them to separate for a little while with the hope that this may bring about goodness in their nikaah.
And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
- Answered by
- Mufti Zakaria Makada
- Checked & approved by
- Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)
Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.
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Source: Mufti Online — Madrasah Ta'leemuddeen — https://muftionline.co.za/node/36321
Fatawa SA: https://fatawa.co.za/fatwa/muftionline-36321
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