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

All praise is due to Allah. Peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad.

Authentic hadiths tell us great female companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do such housework and help their husbands. These include prophet’s wives and even his daughter Fatimah who came to him and asked him to provide a servant for her because her hands were tired of using the grinder. Asma’, daughter of Abu Bakr, not only did the housework but also would provide fodder for her husband’s horse and bring water to their house. In fact, that was the nearly usual practice of his companions’ wives.

According to one group of scholars, these female companions did all that voluntarily without being obligatory upon them. These scholars argue that the marriage contract makes it obligatory upon the husband to maintain the affairs of his wife, in terms of food, housing, etc, in return for having sexual relation with her. But she does not have to serve him.

The most correct opinion, however, is that it is obligatory upon a wife to do the ordinary and usual housework known in her community. Allah SWT says, “Yet for women, there are [rights] equal to what is enjoined upon them, in accordance with what is right.” (Al-Baqarah 2:228)

This means that there are equal rights and duties. As the marriage contract makes it obligatory upon the husband to maintain the affairs of his wife, it makes it obligatory as well upon the wife to take care of the housework in return. It will be unjust to ask the husband to take care of the housework in addition to his work outside to provide for the family. The pleasure of sexual relationship is not enjoyed by the husband only, but by both of them; and thus this argument is actually weak.

Besides, the marriage contract is usually silent regarding the issue under discussion and thus it should be interpreted according to the `urf, or the common practice of people. The common practice of Muslim wives from the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is to take care of the housework.

Moreover, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) listened to his daughters complaint and saw Asma’ doing such works, why did he remain silent and did not say to their husband that they did not have to do such works?

Allah Almighty knows best.