🕊️ Conflict & resolution · #20
Our in-laws interfere too much in our marriage. How do we resolve it?
Keep respect for the in-laws, but husband and wife need to set boundaries together, wisely.
Being good to parents is obligatory, but household decisions are the responsibility of husband and wife. Practical steps: discuss it between the two of you first and stand united; let each one's own child (the husband with his mother, the wife with hers) convey the boundaries gently; avoid complaining about your spouse to the in-laws. The wife is entitled to housing that gives her privacy — Shafi'i scholars state that a wife is not obliged to live under the same roof as her husband's family if they harm her. If you reach an impasse, ask a respected intermediary or a counsellor. See Rights of husband & wife and Counselling.
Being good to parents is obligatory, but household decisions are the responsibility of husband and wife. Practical steps: discuss it between the two of you first and stand united; let each one's own child (the husband with his mother, the wife with hers) convey the boundaries gently; avoid complaining about your spouse to the in-laws. The wife is entitled to housing that gives her privacy — Shafi'i scholars state that a wife is not obliged to live under the same roof as her husband's family if they harm her. If you reach an impasse, ask a respected intermediary or a counsellor. See Rights of husband & wife and Counselling.
Sources
Surah al-Isra' 17:23Surah an-Nisa' 4:19Surah at-Talaq 65:6