In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Mercy-Giving

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon His Messenger Muhammad.

Prostration before any human being is absolutely prohibited in Islam. When Mu`adh came from his journey to Syria, he prostrated to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) because he saw people there prostrate to their bishops and patriarch. But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited him to do so and then said “If I were to order anyone to prostrate to anyone, then I would order the wife to prostrate to her husband.” (At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

Obviously, the hadith intends to show the high status of the husband using such a conditional clause. The hadith never commands a wife to prostrate before her husband.

The other hadith that talks about licking husband’s sores is of doubtful authenticity. Supposing its authenticity, it would be a kind of exaggeration in showing the magnitude of the husband’s right.

Thus, both hadiths should be read in this sense of exaggeration to exhort wives to show gratefulness and obedience to their husbands so that marital life should continue in peace.

Wives acting as a rival to their husbands have endangered the stability of their marital lives.

Almighty Allah knows best.