Section
He must divide his nights equally among his wives, the standard unit being the night for a man whose livelihood is by day1—and the reverse for one whose work is by night. A turn is still due to a menstruating wife, one in post-partum bleeding, a sick or physically defective wife, a trustworthy woman who is mentally impaired, and the like.

If a wife travels without his permission—or even with his permission for her own need—or if she refuses to travel with him or to spend the night in his bed, she forfeits both her allotted turn and her maintenance.

If, with his consent, a wife waives her turn to a co-wife, or waives it to him and he assigns it to another, that is permissible. Should she later retract, her share is reinstated for the future.

Slave women and concubines who have borne him children are not entitled to fixed turns; he may approach any of them whenever he wishes.

When he marries a virgin, he stays with her for seven nights before resuming the rotation; when he marries a previously married woman he stays with her for three nights—should she prefer seven, he may grant it, but must afterwards make up an equal number of nights for the others2.

Section
Nushuz (recalcitrance) is her disobedience to him in matters that are due from her. When its signs appear—for example, she refuses his call to intimacy, or complies with annoyance or reluctance—he should admonish her. If she persists, he may leave her in bed as long as he wishes and refrain from speaking to her for up to three days. If she still persists, he may strike her lightly, without causing injury.