Censuring a sinful wife and her maintenance

Question

Zayd has for a long time been entrusted with the duties of imam and khatib in a mosque. He has many shortcomings of a kind that do not befit an imam. There is disagreement among the congregants (muqtadis). When the mutawalli (mosque trustee) was told, he said: “He is an old imam; let him stay.” Some like this answer and some dislike it.

Answer

Even if a wife commits major sins and is dissolute (fajira), it is still not wajib upon the husband to divorce her; it is merely mustahabb. And since pronouncing talaq is not wajib and keeping her is permissible, paying her obligatory (wajib) maintenance will also be necessary, and that reward and recompense are obtained for fulfilling a wajib is perfectly clear.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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