What do the scholars of the Din and muftis of the Sacred Law state regarding the following issue: Zaid married Sarah, and there has started some anti-Shariah trend in Sarah’s family lately. Does Zaid hold the right to stop Sarah’s family from indulging in anti-Shariah activities or alternatively, influence Sarah to stop it? Does Zaid have right to intervene into other non-Shariah related matters in Sarah’s family?
Questioner: Zahid from India
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
الجواب بعون الملک الوھاب اللھم ھدایۃ الحق والصواب
If your opinion is heard then it is necessary (wajib) upon you to try and stop them from committing these sinful vices and thus act upon the duty of directing towards righteousness, for it is necessary upon every authoritative Muslim; as it has been mentioned in Fatawa Hindiyyah:
إنَّمَا يَجِبُ الْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ إذَا عَلِمَ أَنَّهُمْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ
Directing towards righteousness is necessary when one knows that the other party will take heed; as declared in Fatwata Qaadhi Khan.
[Al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah vol. 5, p. 352]
Similarly, it is cited in Bahare Shari’at that if he has a strong feeling that if he says they will be convinced and refrain from doing wrong then directing towards righteousness will become necessary. It’s not permissible for him to hold back.
[Bahare Shari’at vol. 3, part 16, p. 615]
If your opinion will not be heard but Sarah’s opinion will be heard then the effort should be made to convince the family through Sarah. In fact, it is necessary upon Sarah to stop the family from vices in this case.
If Zaid can intervene in other worldly, non-Shariah related matters and can impart useful advice in good faith then there is no harm in it, aside from the fact that Sarah’s family is not obligated to adhere to his advice in worldly affairs.
واللہ تعالی اعلم ورسولہ اعلم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم
کتبہ ابو الحسن محمد قاسم ضیاء قادری
Answered by Mufti Qasim Zia al-Qadri
Translated by Musjidul Haq Research Department ( musjidulhaq.com )
Read the original answer in Urdu here – [Q-ID0475] Does a Husband have the right to stop his Wife’s family from indulging in sin?
