Rights of the Wife under Islamic Law

Abstract

Marriage is an important institution which the Glorious Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) have strongly encouraged due to it’s religious and social significance. However, marriage is not without the burden of some obligations to the couples. This paper examines the right of the wife which is God given rights and the responsibility of the husband to discharge; and it makes a critical appraisal of some issues surrounding these rights. It was discovered in this paper that rights of the wife are legal rights as enshrined in the Shari’ah and that such rights should be accorded to her for the common good of the family.  Respecting these rights of the wife will bring respect to her husband. It was observed that the problems associated with the right of the wife emanate from  ignorance of the provision of the Shari’ah. It was suggest that married couples should be properly educated on each other’s rights in order to avoid conflicts and ensure peaceful coexistence in the household.