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Assalamu Aliakkum.

I want to know what is the responsibility and duties of a married women to her Husband`s parents? Is Quran says any thing about this subject? And what is the punishments Allha will give if she fail to do her comitments to her husband and his parents.

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Answer:

Duty of wife towards in laws

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 34:

34 Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard (their modesty and chastity, the honor and property of their husband, etc.)

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 286 Narrated by Umm Salamah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘If a woman dies while her husband was pleased with her, she will enter Paradise.’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3272 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

When Allah's Messenger (saws) was asked which woman was best he replied, "The one who pleases (her husband) when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives a command, and does not go against his wishes regarding her person or property by doing anything of which he disapproves."

Your Question: I want to know what is the responsibility and duties of a married women to her Husband`s parents? Is Quran says any thing about this subject?

In light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, the wife has absolutely no duty and responsibility laid upon her by Islam towards her husband’s family or ‘in-laws’, including the husband’s parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc. The responsibility and duty that Islam has laid upon the believing wife is only towards making sure that her husband is pleased and satisfied with her in every aspect of her life!

Thus, in essence, if a believing woman worships Allah Subhanah as He Alone deserves to be worshipped, preserves her chastity, and strives to the best of her ability to please her husband, the Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that she will be given the honor to enter the Eternal Gardens of Paradise by the gates of her choice!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3254 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "When a woman observes the five times of prayer, fasts during Ramadan, preserves her chastity and obeys her husband, she may enter by any of the gates of Paradise she wishes."

Having said that she has absolutely no responsibility towards her husband’s family, does not in any way mean or imply that she is allowed to be rude, or disrespectful, or dishonor them in any way. She must at all times strive to develop cordial relations with her in-laws.

But if the believing woman does, of her own free will, serve the parents or family of her husband, she would be doing a deed of ‘ehsaan’, a deed which would be over and above her duties and responsibilities; and Allah Subhanah has time and again declared in the Glorious Quran that He absolutely loves those believers who do ‘ehsaan’ or deeds which are over and above their role of duty and responsibility.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 134 (part):

134 …. for Allah loves the ‘muhsineen’ (those who do deeds over and above their call of duty).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale-Imraan verse 148:

148 And Allah gave them a reward in this world and the excellent reward of the Hereafter. For Allah loves the ‘muhsineen’ (those who do deeds over and above their call of duty).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 195 (part):

195 … and do ‘ehsaan’; for Allah loves the ‘muhsineen’ (those who do deeds over and above their call of duty).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 93 (part):

93 ….. For Allah loves the ‘muhsineen’ (those who do deeds over and above their call of duty).

Your Question: And what is the punishments Allha will give if she fail to do her comitments to her husband and his parents.

Islam has not laid any duty and responsibility upon the wife towards her husband’s family, except that she develops cordial and good relations with them. If the believing woman, of her own free will and goodness, does strive to serve them and thus do ‘ehsaan’, she will have a great reward in the Presence of her Lord Most Gracious; and if she chooses not to serve them, there would be no sin upon her.

But if the wife is rude, or is disrespectful, or dishonors the family of her husband in any way, or strives to make her husband break relations with his blood-relatives, she would indeed be accountable for her these evil deeds in the Court of the All-Knowing, All-Just Lord on an Inevitable Day.

Islam has commanded the believing wife to be absolutely and devoutly obedient to her husband in all his lawful demands; so much so that the Messenger of Allah (saws) declared that had it been permissible in Shariah for a human being to bow down in ‘sajdah’ or prostration to another human being, he would have commanded the wife to bow down to her husband!

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 285 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Had it been permissible that a person may prostrate himself before another, I would have ordered that a wife should prostrate herself before her husband.’

Islam guides that just as the keys of the believer’s Paradise is in the absolute obedience and service of his parents, the keys of a believing wife’s Paradise is in the absolute obedience and service of her husband. Under no circumstances should she do (or not do) anything which would cause her husband annoyance or mental torment.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 287 Narrated by Mu'adh ibn Jabal

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Whenever a woman causes annoyance and (mental) torture to her husband in this world, his mate from among the houris of Paradise says to her: ‘May Allah ruin thee, do not cause thy husband annoyance, for he is only thy guest, and will soon leave thee to join us in Paradise!’

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3272 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

When Allah's Messenger (saws) was asked which woman was best he replied, "The one who pleases (her husband) when he looks at her, obeys him when he gives a command, and does not go against his wishes regarding her person or property by doing anything of which he disapproves."

If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be assured of being led astray.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan