grave danger to religion and morals, and the wife together with her guardians must refuse to travel with her husband to such lands.

A practice now common among many affluent youths and men of means is to set off, on the very morning after the wedding, to foreign non-Muslim countries to spend what they call a “honeymoon.” In reality it is a “month of poison,” for it is a month of forbidden activity that leads to numerous evils: discarding the hijab, adopting the dress of unbelievers, observing their base deeds and foolish customs, visiting places of amusement, until the woman returns having absorbed those vile manners and looking with disdain upon the morals of her Muslim society. This journey is strictly, emphatically unlawful. Those who undertake it must be restrained and prevented. The woman’s guardians are obliged to stop her from making such a trip and to rescue her from that reckless husband, for she is a trust placed in their care. Even if she herself agrees, her judgment is short-sighted; a guardian was appointed over her precisely to protect her from matters of this sort.

It is also forbidden for the husband to have intercourse with his wife while she is menstruating, for the Exalted says: “They ask you about menstruation. Say: It is an ailment, so keep away from women during menstruation and do not approach them until they are purified; and when they have purified themselves, go in to them as Allah has commanded you. Allah loves those who repent and He loves those who purify themselves” (Q 2:222).

The husband may oblige his wife to remove dirt, to trim any hair or nails whose removal is permissible yet offensive, and to refrain from eating foods with a foul odor, for such things repel him. He may also require her to wash away any impurity and to perform obligatory duties such as the five daily prayers. If she refuses, he must enforce them and discipline her; if she still does not pray, it becomes unlawful for him to remain