protective jealousy, and because she has wronged him by defiling his marriage bed. If she has become pregnant through adultery, he must invoke li‘ān (sworn imprecation) to disavow the false attribution of paternity, lest a child who is not his be attributed to him.

The established Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, requires the separation of spouses who invoke li‘ān, whether their separation takes effect through their mutual imprecation, requires a judge’s decree, or takes effect upon the husband’s completion of his imprecation. For one of them is accursed or wicked, and their remaining together thereafter would mean joining a wicked, accursed person to a good one.

Sahīh Muslim contains the report narrated by ‘Imrān ibn Husayn:

“A woman cursed a she-camel of hers. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered that its load be removed and that it be released. He said, ‘A cursed she-camel shall not accompany us.’”

The two Sahīh collections also relate that, when he passed through the dwellings of Thamūd, he said:

“Do not enter the dwellings of these people who were punished unless you are weeping. If you are not weeping, do not enter them, lest what befell them should befall you.”

Thus, he forbade passing through their dwellings except in a state of fear that would guard against punishment.

Such is also the Sunnah concerning association with wrongdoers, those who commit unlawful sexual intercourse, those who engage in religious innovation and wickedness, and those who commit other sins: no one should associate or mingle with them except in a manner that keeps him safe from the punishment of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. At the very least, he must, as far as he is able, denounce their wrongdoing, detest them, and abhor what they are engaged in, as stated in the hadith:

“Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then with his tongue; and if he is unable