Al-Zawaj in Islam is a divine institution built on a foundation of rights and responsibilities. 

Today, I want to take you by the hand and walk you through some of Quranic verses about husband and wife relationship and the verses that speak of a wife’s rights in Quran. These are not just laws, but divine grants of honor, love, and protection from Allah to wives.

1. A Quranic Verse About Husband and Wife Relationship

Before we delve into any other right, we must start with the very purpose of the marital bond. This verse is one of the greatest signs (Ayat) of Allah’s magnificent power and wisdom.

“وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ”

Wa min āyātihī an khalaqa lakum min anfusikum azwājan litaskunū ilayhā wa jaʿala baynakum mawaddatan wa raḥmah, inna fī dhālika la-āyātin liqawmin yatafakkarūn.

“And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:21)

The first right Allah grants a wife is sakan (سَكَن), a word that means so much more than just tranquility. It is a home, a sanctuary, a place where the heart finds rest and stillness from the storms of life. 

A husband is commanded to be a sakan for his wife.

Then, Allah mentions two beautiful gems: mawaddah (مَوَدَّة) and rahmah (رَحْمَة). Mawaddah is a passionate, expressive love, while rahmah is a deep, gentle mercy that overlooks faults and nurtures with compassion. 

The depth of the Quranic Arabic is truly breathtaking. For those who wish to experience this beauty firsthand, starting a journey with a foundational Learn Arabic Online Course can unlock these layers of meaning.

2. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Good and Fair Treatment 

Here, Allah sets a clear standard for how a husband must conduct himself with his wife, establishing a fundamental right to kind companionship.

“وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ فَإِن كَرِهْتُمُوهُنَّ فَعَسَىٰ أَن تَكْرَهُوا شَيْئًا وَيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا”

Wa ʿāshirūhunna bil-maʿrūf, fa-in karihtumūhunna fa-ʿasā an takrahū shay’an wa yajʿala-llāhu fīhi khayran kathīrā.

“And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them – perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good.” (Surah An-Nisa, 4:19)

The command here is ‘ashiruhunna bil-ma’ruf (وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ). The word ma’ruf means that which is known to be good, fair, and honorable according to both divine guidance and sound societal customs. 

It is a wife’s absolute right to be treated with this standard of goodness, not just when things are easy, but always. 

Allah even addresses the husband’s potential dislike, reminding him that his limited perception might be blind to the immense good (khayran kathira) that Allah has placed within his wife. 

This verse is a powerful protection against emotional abuse and unfair treatment.

3. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Reciprocal Care and Adornment

Islam establishes a stunning principle of balance in a relationship. This verse is a comprehensive foundation for marital equity, and the companions of the Prophet, with their deep wisdom, understood it to apply even to the effort one puts into their appearance for their spouse.

“…وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ…”

…Wa lahunna mithlul-ladhī ‘alayhinna bil-ma’rūf…

“…And due to the women is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable…” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:228)

Now, listen to how the “Interpreter of the Quran,” the great companion Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), applied this verse. He said, “Indeed, I love to adorn myself for my wife, just as I love for her to adorn herself for me, because Allah says: ‘And due to the women is similar to what is expected of them…'”

The verse uses the word mithl (مِثْل), meaning “similar” or “reciprocal.” It creates a beautiful mirror effect in the marriage. The care, kindness, and effort you wish to see from your spouse, you should also provide. 

4. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to the Bridal Dower (Mahr) & Financial Independence

The mahr, or bridal gift, is not a price for the bride, as some mistakenly believe. It is a Quranic honor, a token of respect and commitment from the husband to his wife, and it is her exclusive right.

“وَآتُوا النِّسَاءَ صَدُقَاتِهِنَّ نِحْلَةً ۚ فَإِن طِبْنَ لَكُمْ عَن شَيْءٍ مِّنْهُ نَفْسًا فَكُلُوهُ هَنِيئًا مَّرِيئًا”

Wa ātun-nisā’a ṣaduqātihinna niḥlah; fa in ṭibna lakum ‘an shay’in minhu nafsan fa kulūhu hanī’an marī’ā.

“And give the women [upon marriage] their gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.” (Surah An-Nisa, 4:4)

Let us pause and appreciate the beauty of the word Allah chooses here: niḥlah (نِحْلَةً). This means a gift that is given freely, generously, and with a good heart. 

It is a sign of honor and the first financial right of a wife, establishing her financial independence from the very beginning of the marriage. 

Notice how Allah then protects her autonomy. The dower is hers alone, and only if she, of her own free will and with a happy heart (ṭibna… nafsan), chooses to give some of it back can it be taken. This verse beautifully establishes her right to property and her agency over her own wealth.

Understanding such verses in their full context is a central part of Islamic knowledge. Our Online Quran Tafseer Course is designed for students who want to go beyond the surface and truly connect with the divine message.

Read more about: Quranic verses

5. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Fair Fulfillment

The Quran establishes justice (adl) as a non-negotiable pillar of marriage. This justice is comprehensive, covering not only material needs but also the emotional and physical rights of a wife, ensuring her right to fair and equitable companionship.

“…فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا فَوَاحِدَةً…”

…fa in khiftum allā ta’dilū fa-wāḥidatan…

“…But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one…” (Surah An-Nisa, 4:3)

And what is this justice (‘adl)? The great scholars of tafsir have explained for centuries that this is not merely about providing a house or spending money equally. That is the easier part. 

The deeper, more critical justice is in one’s time, in emotional presence, and in physical fulfillment.

6. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Fair Maintenance After Divorce

The Quran’s care for a woman is so comprehensive that it lays out her financial rights with profound clarity, even during the waiting period of divorce (iddah), pregnancy, and nursing. This ensures she is never left in a vulnerable position.

“أَسْكِنُوهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ سَكَنتُم مِّن وُجْدِكُمْ وَلَا تُضَارُّوهُنَّ لِتُضَيِّقُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ ۚ وَإِن كُنَّ أُولَاتِ حَمْلٍ فَأَنفِقُوا عَلَيْهِنَّ حَتَّىٰ يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ ۚ فَإِنْ أَرْضَعْنَ لَكُمْ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۖ وَأْتَمِرُوا بَيْنَكُم بِمَعْرُوفٍ ۖ وَإِن تَعَاسَرْتُمْ فَسَتُرْضِعُ لَهُ أُخْرَىٰ ‎﴿٦﴾‏ لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ ۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا ۚ سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا ‎﴿٧﴾‏”

6. Askinūhunna min ḥaythu sakantum min wujdikum wa lā tuḍārrūhunna lituḍayyiqu ‘alayhinn; wa in kunna ulāti ḥamlin fa-anfiqū ‘alayhinna ḥattā yaḍa’na ḥamlahunn; fa-in arḍa’na lakum fa-ātūhunna ujūrahunn; wa’tamirū baynakum bima’rūfin wa in ta’āsartum fasaturḍi’u lahu ukhrā. 7. Liyunfiq dhū sa’atin min sa’atihī wa man qudira ‘alayhi rizquhu falyunfiq mimmā ātāhullāh; lā yukallifullāhu nafsan illā mā ātāhā; sayaj’alullāhu ba’da ‘usrin yusrā.

“6.Lodge them [in a section] of where you dwell out of your means and do not harm them in order to oppress them. And if they should be pregnant, then spend on them until they give birth. And if they breastfeed for you, then give them their payment and confer among yourselves in the acceptable way; but if you are in discord, then there may breastfeed for the father another woman. (6) Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth, and he whose provision is restricted – let him spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does not charge a soul except [according to] what He has given it. Allah will bring about, after hardship, ease.” (Surah At-Talaq, 65:6-7)

First, Allah commands that the divorced wife be lodged with the same standard of housing the husband has (min ḥaythu sakantum), connecting her right to dignified shelter. 

Then comes the critical prohibition, wa lā tuḍārrūhunna (and do not harm them), forbidding the use of finances or housing to pressure or abuse her.

The verse then establishes her right to full maintenance throughout her pregnancy.  And if she nurses their child after birth, she is entitled to an ajr (أَجْر), a wage! The father pays her for nursing their own child.

“Liyunfiq dhū sa’atin min sa’atihī” (“Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth”), this establishes a just, relative scale: the wealthy man spends from his wealth, and the man with less spends from what Allah has given him. 

7. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Not Be Harmed

This principle acts as a divine shield. It is a direct prohibition against a husband using the institution of marriage, or even divorce, as a means to inflict harm or transgress a wife’s rights.

“وَلَا تُمْسِكُوهُنَّ ضِرَارًا لِّتَعْتَدُوا ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَقَدْ ظَلَمَ نَفْسَهُ”

Wa lā tumsikūhunna ḍirāran lita’tadū; wa man yaf’al dhālika faqad ẓalama nafsah.

“And do not keep them, intending harm, to transgress [their rights]. And whoever does that has certainly wronged himself.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:231)

Here is a fundamental right that encompasses all others: the right to be free from harm. The Arabic word ḍirār (ضِرَارًا) means to cause injury, damage, or harm. 

Allah forbids a husband from keeping his wife in a marriage only to hurt her, to make her life difficult, or to prevent her from moving on. 

Reciting these words as they were revealed is a right the Quran has upon us. If you feel your heart yearning to beautify your recitation, our Learn Quran with Tajweed classes, taught by certified tutors, are a perfect place to begin.

8. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Keep What is Given

Here we see another layer of protection for the wife’s financial rights. Beyond the initial mahr, the Quran ensures that a husband cannot use divorce as a threat to emotionally or financially blackmail his wife into forfeiting the gifts he has given her.

“وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَن تَأْخُذُوا مِمَّا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ شَيْئًا”

…wa lā yaḥillu lakum an ta’khudhū mimmā ātaytumūhunna shay’an illā an yakhāfā allā yuqīmā ḥudūd-Allāh…

“…And it is not lawful for you [men] to take back anything of what you have given them” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:229)

Allah makes it unlawful for a husband to retract his gifts. What he has given to his wife, whether the mahr or other presents throughout the marriage, becomes her exclusive property. 

9. A Quranic Quote About a Wife’s Right to Initiate Divorce (Khul’)

A righteous marriage is a sanctuary for faith. But what if the sanctuary becomes a source of trial? Islam provides a merciful and dignified way out for a wife who fears she cannot maintain her duties to Allah within her marriage.

“…فَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَلَّا يُقِيمَا حُدُودَ اللَّهِ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْهِمَا فِيمَا افْتَدَتْ بِهِ ۗ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا…”

…Fa in khiftum allā yuqīmā ḥudūd Allāhi falā junāḥa ‘alayhimā fīma-ftadat bih. Tilka ḥudūdullāhi falā ta’tadūhā…

“…And if you fear that they will not be able to keep [the marriage] within the limits of Allah, then there is no blame upon either of them concerning that by which she ransoms herself. These are the limits of Allah, so do not transgress them…” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:229)

This is one of the most significant rights granted to a wife. If a wife genuinely feels that she cannot live with her husband and be the Muslima she wants to be, she has the right to seek a release. 

10. Wife’s Right to Be Believed and Protected from Slander

What happens when the accuser is the husband himself, the one person who should be her greatest protector? Here, the Quran outlines a solemn and unique process that, while serious, contains within it a powerful right for the wife: the right to have her testimony stand equal to his and to avert all punishment by swearing to her own truthfulness before Allah.

وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلَّا أَنفُسهُمْ فَشَهَادَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ‎﴿٦﴾‏ وَالْخَامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ‎﴿٧﴾‏ وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ أَن تَشْهَدَ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ‎﴿٨﴾‏ وَالْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِن كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ‎﴿٩﴾‏

6. Walladhīna yarmūna azwājahum wa lam yakun lahum shuhadā’u illā anfusuhum fashahādatu aḥadihim arba’u shahādātin billāhi innahu laminas-ṣādiqīn. 7. Wal-khāmisatu anna la’natallāhi ‘alayhi in kāna minal-kādhibīn. 8. Wa yadra’u ‘anhal-‘adhāba an tashhada arba’a shahādātin billāhi innahu laminal-kādhibīn. 9. Wal-khāmisata anna ghaḍaballāhi ‘alayhā in kāna minas-ṣādiqīn.

“And those who accuse their wives [of adultery] and have no witnesses except themselves – then the witness of one of them [shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful. (6) And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allah be upon him if he should be among the liars. (7) But it will prevent punishment from her if she gives four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the liars. (8) And the fifth [oath will be] that the wrath of Allah be upon her if he was of the truthful. (9)” (Surah An-Nur, 24:6-9)

This is a procedure known as li’an. In a situation of grave accusation with no proof, where a woman could easily be left defenseless, Allah gives her a powerful right. The husband makes five solemn oaths. 

What happens then? Is she automatically condemned? No. Allah gives her the absolute right to meet his accusation head-on.

Notice the perfect balance. He swears four times that he is truthful; she swears four times that he is a liar. His testimony is completely nullified by hers. 

Then comes the fifth, decisive oath. He invokes Allah’s curse (la’nah) upon himself if he is lying. She, in turn, has the right to invoke Allah’s wrath (ghaḍab) upon herself if he is telling the truth. 

The key phrase is Wayadra’u ‘anhā al-‘adhāb (وَيَدْرَأُ عَنْهَا الْعَذَابَ)—”And it prevents the punishment from her.” Her testimony, her oath, and her willingness to place her case before Allah is her shield. 

Read more about: Quranic Verses On Child Upbringing

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Conclusion:

In conclusion, the Quran offers a comprehensive and profound framework for the rights and responsibilities within marriage, placing great emphasis on the dignity, respect, and well-being of both spouses, particularly the wife. These divine commands are not only meant to regulate the relationship but to also ensure mutual love, mercy, and fairness. 

The right of a wife to tranquility, kindness, reciprocal care, financial independence, and protection from harm highlights the deep sense of justice inherent in the marital bond in Islam. The Quran reminds husbands that their role is one of guardianship, rooted in love and respect, and that the marriage should be a sanctuary of peace and emotional fulfillment.

Furthermore, the Quran establishes robust mechanisms to protect the wife in various circumstances, from ensuring her autonomy through the bridal dower to her financial security during divorce. The verses also provide a shield against abuse, offering the wife the right to seek a dignified resolution should the marriage become untenable.

These divine injunctions reflect the wisdom and compassion of Allah, aiming to foster equitable and harmonious relationships. By adhering to these rights, Muslims can cultivate marriages based on mutual respect, love, and fairness, fulfilling both spiritual and social obligations in a just and loving manner.