The Obligation to recognise the goodness in the believing wives
“…and live with them with ma’roof then if you dislike them it may be that you dislike a thing and Allah brings through it a great deal of good” (an Nisaa’ 4:19) Haafiz Ibn Katheer said ‘…by saying kind words to them, treating them kindly and making your appearance appealing for them, as much as you can, just as you like the same from them…’ (Tafseerul Qura’n al A’zeem)
It is reported that Nabi (saw) said “A believing man should hate his believing wife. If he dislikes some of her conduct, he would surely like another” (MUSLIM)

“..and they have rights similar over them to with ma’roof” (al Baqarah 2:228)

The High Station of the Righteous Woman
Abu Hurayrah reported that Nabi (saw) said “Verily, the dunyaa is but an enjoyment and there is no better enjoyment in the dunyaa than the righteous woman” (MUSLIM [no.3465], IBN MAAJAH)

The Obligation to accommodate the delicate nature of women
Abu Hurayrah reported that Nabi (saw) said “He who believes in Allah and the Last day should not annoy his neighbour and take my advice regarding the good treatment of women, for they were created from a rib and the most crooked part of the rib is its top. If you attempt to straighten it, you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked, so take my advice regarding the good treatment of women” (BUKHAARI) and in the version of MUSLIM “…So if you enjoy her you will do so while crookedness remains in her but if you attempt to straighten her you will break her and breaking her is divorcing her”

Kindness to Wives is Fard
Jaabir narrated that Nabi (saw) said at the farewell Hajj “Be kind with women, for you have taken them by the covenant of Allah and earned the right to have sexual relations with them by the Word of Allah” (MUSLIM)

Aisha narrated “The Prophet (saw) never beat any of his wives or servants, in fact, he did not strike anything with his hand except in the cause of Allah or when the prohibitions of Allah were violated and he retaliated on behalf of Allah” (NASAA’I)

The Affairs with the Wife are not to be Conveyed
Abu Sa’eedul Khudri reports that Nabi (saw) said “The worst of people position before Allah on Yawmil Qiyaamah is the man who has intercourse with his wife and she with him, and then spreads her secrets” (MUSLIM)

The Prohibition of Abandoning the Wives
Haakim bin Mua’wiyah narrated that his father asked ‘O messenger of Allah, what was the rights of a wife of one of us on her husband?’ He (saw) replied “You should give her food when you eat, clothe her when you clothe yourself, do not strike her on the face and do not revile her or desert her except within the house” (AHMAD, ABU DAWOOD, NASAA’I, IBN MAAJAH graded ‘saheeh’ by IBN HIBBAAN and AL HAAKIM) So how many men hate their wives and banish them to some distant place and do not care for their welfare nor their deen? Instead of freeing them to a better life they want to take their enjoyment from them but give them no rights in return, the Islamic social system is above this oppression and such men will be accounted for opposing the command of Quran and Sunnah. Allah (swt) says “And you will not be able to do justice among your wives however much you may wish to, but do not turn away (from them) altogether” (an Nisaa 4:139)

Prohibition of the Use and Abuse of Women
“None of you must beat his wife as a slave is beaten and then have intercourse with her at the end of the day” (AHMAD similar from BUKHAARI)

Ibn U’mar reported that Nabi (saw) said “Among the halaal, divorce is the most hated by Allah” (ABU DAWOOD, IBN MAAJAH graded ‘saheeh’ by AL HAAKIM, ‘mursal’ according to ABU HAATIM)

It is reported that Nabi (saw) said “I do not like the tasters, men and women” (TABARAANI, DARAQUTNI)

It is reported that Nabi (saw) said “Allah does not like the tasters, men and women” (TABARAANI in ‘Mujam al Kabeer’)

“Wasting the sustenance of his dependents is sufficient sin for a man” (ABU DAWOOD, NASAA’I, HAAKIM)

Families should guard their daughters against bad men
Ibn A’bbaas reported that Nabi (saw) said “If a man comes to you whose deen pleases you and asks for your daughter in marriage, then marry her to him, otherwise there will be corruption on the earth” (TIRMIDHI)

Marriage is for Love and Tranquility
“And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may dwell with them in tranquillity, and He has put love and mercy between you. Indeed, in this are signs for those who reflect” (ar Room 30)

Wives in the next life
The Husband has an obligation to protect the deen of his wife and not hinder her from shari’ah knowledge and actions
“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones” (at Tahreem 66:6)

Severe Prohibition of Injustice to Multiple Wives

Aisha narrated ‘Rasool Allah (saw) used to divide his vistis to his wives with justice and say “O Allah this is my division concerning what I possess so do not account me for that which you control and I do not”’ (ABU DAWOOD, TIRMIDHI, IBN MAAJAH, NASAA’I graded ‘saheeh’ by AL HAAKIM & IBN HIBBAAN ‘mursal’ according to TIRMIDHI)

U’rwah narrated that Aisha said “Oh my nephew. Rasool Allah (saw) would not prefer some of us over others concerning the division of time he would spend with us. It was very rare that he would not visit us all and come near each of his wives without having intercourse with her till he visited the one whose day it was and spend the night with her” (AHMAD, ABU DAWOOD graded ‘saheeh by AL HAAKIM)

Abu Hurayrah reported that Nabi (saw) said “Anyone who has two wives and does not treat them with justice will come on Yawmil Qiyaamah dragging one part of his body that will be hanging down” (AHMAD, ABU DAWOOD, TIRMIDHI, NASAA’I, IBN MAAJAH, IBN HIBBAAN, AL HAAKIM ‘saheeh’ according to IBN HAJR AL A’SQALAANI) It may be that a man treats one wife as a mother and another as a lover, or he may give much attention to another and abandon one to household chores. In Islam the wives all have fixed shari’ah rights, there is no permission in shari’ah for permanent ranking wives, manifesting favouritism and privileges to earlier or later wives. Rather every wife has a status in shari’ah that demands rights accorded to the definition of a wife. We must turn a co-wife into a slavegirl or domestic servant.

Man is Accountable for His Wives on Yawmil Qiyaamah
Ibn U’mar reported that Nabi (saw) said “…a man is raa’in over his family and is responsible for his guardianship” (BUKHAARI, MUSLIM)

The Good treatment of women is a key to Paradise

Abu Hurayrah reported that Nabi (saw) said “The best among you are those who are best to their women” (SUYOOTI in ‘Jaami’us Sagheer’, TIRMIDHI)

Anas reported that Nabi (saw) said “Shall I inform you of the best among you? The gentle man and the one with good character and honours his wife if he is able” (DAYLAMI)

Jaabir reported that Nabi (saw) said “The most beloved worshipper to Allah is he who is most beneficial to his family” (A’BDULLAH IBN AHMAD in ‘Zawaaid uz Zuhd’ and TABARAANI in ‘Rawdah an Nadeer’) So some men contradict this hadeeth by cutting off all beneficial activities from their women such as education, da’wah, fard kifaayah employments suited to women such as nursing etc. The women could have benefited themselves, their families and the ummah but their hubands desired a life of solitude and misery for them while the wives of Nabi (saw) were engaged in conveying I’lm and helping in jihad and other such matters. Oh Allah we ask you to protect us from extremes which extinguish the necessary growth of the deen in the muslim ummah.

Abu Sa’eed reported that Nabi (saw) said “There will not be one of you who has three daughters or three sisters and is good to them except that he will enter paradise” (ABU DAWOOD, TIRMIDHI, BUKHAARI in ‘Adabul Mufrad’ [no.79]) Such ahadeeth showed that the shari’ah objectivesinclude that women should be honoured, protected and cared for.

The Oppression of Wives is a road to Hell
Abu Umaamah reported that Nabi (saw) said “The worst man is the one who depresses his family” They asked ‘O Rasool Allah! How does a man depress his family?’ He (saw) answered “When the man enters his house, his wife became humbled, his child ran away, and his servant hides away. But when he leaves the house, his wife laughs and his family become cheerful and get together” (TABARAANI in ‘Mujam al Awsaat’)

Umm Kulthoom bint U’qbah reported that Nabi (saw) said “Indeed I hate the angry man standing up over his wife while his jugular veins swollen beating her up” (DAYLAMI)

Iyaas ibn A’bdullah narrated that Nabi (saw) said concerning those who beat their wives “Certainly they are not the best among you” (AHMAD, ABU DAWOOD, NASAA’I graded ‘saheeh’ by AL HAAKIM & IBN HIBBAAN)