Ruling on cursing one's children or wife


Question:

What is the ruling on a person who curses his wife or one of his children? Does cursing one’s wife count as divorce?

Answer:

It is not permissible to curse one’s wife. Cursing her is not a form of divorce and she is still married to him. He has to repent to Allah (Exalted be He) and seek her forgiveness for this insult. Similarly, it is not permitted for him to curse his children or any other Muslim. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (evildoing) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief).” (Agreed upon by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) 1.

He (peace be upon him) also said, “Cursing a believer is like killing him.” (Related by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih (authentic) book of Hadith) 2

These two Sahih Hadith indicate that cursing a Muslim brother is a major sin. We must beware of that and restrain our tongues from committing this awful sin. A woman is not divorced, if her husband curses her; she is still married to her husband as stated above.

  1. Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 48; Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 64; Al-Tirmidhy, Sunan, Book on righteousness and upholding ties of kinship, no. 1983; Al-Nasa’i, Sunan, Book on sanctity of blood, no. 4108; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Introduction, no. 69; and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 1, p. 385. ↩

  2. Al-Bukhari, Sahih, Book on manners, no. 6105; Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 110; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 4, p. 33; and Al-Darimy, Sunan, Book on blood money, no. 2361. ↩

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  • Source(s): Fatawa Al-Shaykh Ibn Baz 8/398 and published in Al-Da'wah magazine, issue no. 1320, on 6/6/1412 A.H
  • Mufti: Shaykh Abdul-Aziz ibn Baz
  • Marriage