Relief for a wronged wife

Question

Question: Do parents have the right in the Shari‘a to take their daughter away from her husband’s house because of his harshness, so that he, poor fellow, can do nothing owing to his helplessness?

Answer

If the husband is intolerably harsh, it is better first to admonish him; if he does not desist, then a talaq should be obtained from him by some means — by tempting him with gain or by applying pressure — or khul‘ should be made. If this is difficult, the woman should bring a suit before the court of a Muslim ruler; he will decide under the counsel and fatwa of the ‘ulama’.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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