This chapter sets out the rights a husband holds over his wife, the counterpart to the kindness owed to her in the previous chapter. The thread running through these hadith is responsiveness and trust within the home: answering one another, guarding the household, and not letting anger settle overnight.
Read together, they frame marriage as a shared trust where each partner is a guardian answerable for what is in their care. The strong warnings against harming a spouse remind us how seriously this bond is to be honoured, and how a wife's good standing with her husband carries weight in the next life as well as this one.
Hadith 281
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم :"إذا دعا الرجل امرأته إلى فراشه فلم تأته فبات غضبان عليها لعنتها الملائكة حتى تصبح" ((متفق عليه)). وفي رواية لها "إذا باتت المرأة هاجرة فراش زوجها لعنتها الملائكة حتى تصبح". وفي رواية قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " والذي نفسي بيده ما من رجل يدعو امرأته إلى فراشه فتأبى عليه إلا كان الذي في السماء ساخطًا عليها حتى يرضي عنها".
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When a man calls his wife to his bed, and she does not respond and he (the husband) spends the night angry with her, the angels curse her until morning". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. In another narration: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When a woman spends the night away from the bed of her husband, the angels curse her until morning". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. In another narration: Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "By Him in Whose Hand is my life, when a man calls his wife to his bed, and she does not respond, the One Who is above the heaven becomes displeased with her until he (her husband) becomes pleased with her". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
This warns against a wife refusing her husband out of anger and letting the night pass in estrangement, urging spouses to mend ill feeling between them rather than nurse it.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 281 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 281
Hadith 282
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أيضًا أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال؛ " لا يحل لامرأة أن تصوم وزوجها شاهد إلا بإذنه، ولا تأذن في بيته إلا بإذنه" ((متفق عليه وهذا لفظ البخاري)).
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "It is not lawful for a woman to observe (voluntary) fasting without the permission of her husband when he is at home; and she should not allow anyone to enter his house without his permission.". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
A wife should not undertake voluntary fasting while her husband is present, nor invite others into his home, without his agreement, keeping harmony in the household.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 282 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 282
Hadith 283
Ibn 'Umar (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " كلكم راعٍ، وكلكم مسئول عن رعيته، والأمير راعٍ، والرجل راعٍ على أهل بيته؛ والمرأة راعية على بيت زوجها وولده، فكلكم راعٍ، وكلكم مسؤول عن رعيته" ((متفق عليه)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "All of you are guardians and are responsible for your subjects. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects, the man is a guardian of his family, the woman is a guardian and is responsible for her husband's house and his offspring; and so all of you are guardians and are responsible for your subjects." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
Everyone is a guardian responsible for those in their charge: the ruler, the husband, and the wife each answer for the trust placed in their hands.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 283 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 283
Hadith 284
Abu 'Ali Talq bin 'Ali (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي علي طلق بن علي رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " إذا دعا الرجل زوجته لحاجته فلتأته وإن كانت على التنور" ((رواه الترمذي والنسائي وقال الترمذي. حديث حسن صحيح)).
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "When a man calls his wife to satisfy his desire, she must go to him even if she is occupied with the oven". [At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i, Imam At-Tirmidhi classified it as Hadith Hasan Sahih].
In plain words
A wife is encouraged to respond to her husband's call readily and not put him off even when busy with household tasks.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 284 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 284
Hadith 285
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " لو كنت آمرًا أحدًا أن يسجد لأحد لأمرت المرأة أن تسجد لزوجها" ((رواه الترمذي وقال : حديث حسن صحيح)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If I were to order anyone to prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered a woman to prostrate herself before her husband". [At-Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan Sahih]
In plain words
By saying he would never command anyone to prostrate to another, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used a striking image to show how greatly a wife should honour her husband, since prostration belongs to Allah alone.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 285 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 285
Hadith 286
Umm Salamah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported:
وعن أم سلمة رضي الله عنها قالت: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : " أيما امرأة ماتت، وزوجها عنها راضٍ دخلت الجنة" ((رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن)).
Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Any woman dies while her husband is pleased with her, she will enter Jannah". [At- Tirmidhi, who classified it as Hadith Hasan].
In plain words
A wife whose husband is genuinely pleased with her at her death is given the glad tidings of Paradise.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 286 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 286
Hadith 287
Mu'adh bin Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن معاذ بن جبل رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " لا تؤذي امرأة زوجها في الدنيا إلا قالت زوجة من الحور العين لا تؤذيه قاتلك الله! فإنما هو عندك دخيل يوشك أن يفارقك إلينا" ((رواه الترمذي وقال حديث حسن)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whenever a woman harms her husband in this world (that is without any due right), his wife among the (Houris in Jannah) says: 'You must not harm him. May Allah destroy you! He is only a passing guest with you and is about to leave you to come to us". [At-Tirmidhi, who classified as Hadith Hasan].
In plain words
Wronging one's husband unjustly is discouraged here, with a vivid reminder that this worldly companionship is brief and passing.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 287 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 287
Hadith 288
Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن أسامة بن زيد رضي الله عنهما عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: " ما تركت بعدي فتنة هي أضر على الرجال من النساء" ((متفق عليه)).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I am not leaving behind me a more harmful trial for men than women". [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
In plain words
The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned men that relationships with women can be among the most testing trials they face, calling for care and self-control.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 288 In-book reference : Introduction, Hadith 288