—and that, of course, varies with circumstances: the service expected from a Bedouin woman is not the same as that expected from a robust woman, and the service of a robust woman is not like that of a frail one.

I say: This, by Allah’s permission, is the truth—that a woman is obliged to manage the household. It is the view of Mālik and Asbagh (Fatḥ 9/418), Abū Bakr ibn Abī Shaybah, al-Jawzajānī among the Hanbalīs (al-Ikhtiyārāt, p. 145), and a number of earlier and later scholars (al-Zād 4/46). We have found no sound evidence for those who deny that obligation.

Some contend, “The marriage contract brings about enjoyment, not service.” This is refuted by the fact that the wife also enjoys her husband; in that respect they are equal. Yet Allah, exalted is He, has placed an additional duty on the husband—namely, providing her maintenance, clothing, and lodging. Justice therefore requires that she, in return, shoulder another duty toward her husband, and that is to serve him, especially since he has been made guardian over her by the explicit wording of the Qurʾān, as noted earlier. And if she does not do so