In Islam, the wife is like a prisoner, and Islam closed all the doors upon her in order to get her freedom from an evil husband. Even if her husband is a psychopath, and beats her brutally with bruises. Or even if he imprisons her in the house and neither lets her go out nor lets others enter his house. Or even if he tortures her mentally too along with physical torture. 

The next step of Islam in this direction is where it allowed such psychopath husbands to not only imprison them in the house, but also not to show any kindness or affection towards them, and not to do any intercourse with them for several years (in order to torture them mentally). 

Such psychopath husbands only have to pay the maintenance money, and after that, no Islamic court helps poor women to get rid of such psychopaths and get their freedom.

Fatwa from Dar-ul-Ifta Deoband (link):

Question:If husband and wife do not do sex, in how many days their Nikah will be broken?
Answer:
Nikah does not break by not doing intercourse, even if they do not have sex the whole of their life, but by doing so the husband will be violating her due rights. 

There are traditions that prior to the caliphate of Umar, Muslim warriors stayed away from their wives for long periods of time (maybe years). But when Umar became caliph, he consulted his daughter Hafsa and asked her how long a wife could stay without her husband. And she told it may be 4 months to 6 months. After that, Umar was the first one who stipulated that Muslim warriors should not be sent to the fronts for so long that they were separated from their wives for more than 6 months (Reference: Mufti Ebrahim Desai)

Please also remember, despite the recommendation by Umar about 6 months, still it is not a part of Islamic Sharia, while it was only Muhammad who was allowed to tell if Allah made something a part of Sharia or not. 

Blackmailing the wives by showing ill-treatment and aversion towards them

Please remember:

  • Muslim Husbands can use these tactics in order to compel their wives to accept all of their demands, even if they are unjust. 
  • Muhammad/Allah already practically 'abrogated' verse 4:3 of doing 'Adl (Justice)' with the wives. 
  • And the new verse 4:128-129 is a license for husbands to show aversion, ill-treatment and desertion towards their wives, and thus compel them to give away their rights in name of the settlement. And the reason for this license is that men are not able to do 'Adl (justice) with them, even if they try to do it. 

(Quran 4:128-129) And if a woman fears from her husband contempt or evasion, there is no sin upon them if they make terms of settlement between them (i.e. woman agrees upon leaving some of her rights) … And you will never be able to do Justice (Arabic: تَعْدِلُوْا) between wives, even if you should strive [to do so].

For more details, please read our article: Muhammad's journey from 4 marriages to 9 marriages with the help of Revelation

Difference from Ila (الإيلاء):

In Ila (الإيلاء), a man 'swears' to Allah that he will not do intercourse with his wife for 4 months. Therefore, after 4 months, a woman gets her freedom through a divorce. 

While, if a Muslim man does not swear to Allah, then he is free to tease and punish the woman for an unlimited period of time, and she will not be able to get her freedom in any way. 

Actually, in Ila (الإيلاء) too, a man could punish his wife for an unlimited period of time. He only has to break his swear once before the end of 4 months and rape his wife. And after that, he could again start with the new Ila for another 4 months. The atonement of breaking swear is also minimal i.e. fasting for 3 days, or feeding 10 poor people. 

 

 

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Please don't forget the Bigger Picture: 

How a woman get her freedom from an Abusive unwanted Husband
The Western World Islam

Western women have to suffer ZERO unjust Hardships. 

Muslim women have to suffer from the following 11 (Eleven) unjust HARDSHIPS. Muhammad copied these Sharia Rulings from the pre-Islamic ignorant Arab culture.

  1. Liaan اللعان
  2. ‘Iddah
  3. Khul’ خلع
  4. Faskh فسخ
  5. Halala (Tahleel Marriage نكاح التحليل) 
  6. Ila (الإيلاء)
  7. Zihar
  8. The process of 3 Talaqs in Islam is again UNJUST towards the women
  9. Wife BEATING (i.e. even if the husband beats her brutally with bruises, still she doesn't have the right to get separation)
  10. If a husband does not do intercourse with his wife for several years (in order to tease her), even then she cannot get her freedom through divorce
  11. Sharia Ruling: If a divorced woman remarries, then she will lose the custody of her children

Moreover:

  • Contrary to women, Muslim men don't have to face a SINGLE of such one-sided & unjust HARDSHIP. 
  • In fact, it is much easier for a Muslim man to get rid of his wife as compared to a Western man. He does not even have to go to court, but only to say 3 times Talaq, and that is all.