However, what the author has mentioned here is open to question. A husband may compel her to wash away impurity only in two cases:

First: when it prevents him from fully enjoying intimacy with her.

Second: when it is the time for a prayer, so that she may pray in a state of purity. In these two cases, he may compel her to wash away the impurity. Apart from them, he has no right to compel her, because neither the right of Allah nor the right of the husband is thereby neglected. For example, if some urine gets on her clothing when it is not prayer time, and the urine has dried, leaving no color or trace, then he has no right to compel her. He may, however, advise her to wash it, because it is better for a person to hasten to wash away impurity.

His statement, “and removing hair that the soul finds repulsive,” means that he may likewise compel her to remove hair that he finds repulsive—for example, if she grows a moustache. This can happen: some women grow a moustache, while others grow both a moustache and a beard. If this occurs, he may compel her to remove it. If she says to him, “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Let the beards grow and trim the moustaches closely’” (1), we say: This applies specifically to men. As for women, this is considered a defect in them; hence, it is permissible to remove it. If the husband requests this, it must be removed.

Likewise, if she has a mole on her face with hair on it which he finds repulsive, he may compel her to remove it. The same applies to pubic hair and underarm hair: he may