and small ones. Hence he said, “The leader (amīr) is a shepherd,” meaning that he is answerable for his subjects. A man, too, is a shepherd, but his flock is limited: he is the shepherd of his household—his wife, his son, his daughter, his sister, his paternal aunt, his maternal aunt, everyone who lives under his roof. He is the shepherd of his family and will be questioned about his flock; he must care for them in the best possible way, for he is responsible for them.

Likewise, a woman is a shepherd in her husband’s home and is accountable for her flock. She must manage the household conscientiously: in cooking, in preparing coffee and tea, in arranging the furnishings. She should not cook more than is necessary, nor make more tea than is required. She must be an economical woman, for thrift is half of livelihood, and she must not fall short where diligence is needed.

She is also responsible for her children, for their upbringing and their affairs: dressing them, removing soiled clothes, changing the bedding they sleep on, covering them in winter, and so on. She is accountable for all of this—responsible for preparing the food properly and ensuring it is well cooked; in short, she is responsible for everything in the house.

Similarly, a servant is a shepherd over his master’s property and accountable for his flock. He must safeguard his master’s wealth, use it in the best manner, neither neglect it nor exceed proper bounds. Thus, all of you are shepherds, and all of you will be questioned about your flocks.

As for the remaining ḥadīths the author cited—apart from the last one—they all need further investigation regarding their authenticity. Nonetheless, their overall purport shows the immense right a husband has over his wife and that his right upon her is great. She must fulfill it just as he must fulfill her right, as Allah the Exalted says: “And women have rights similar to those upon them according to what is fair” (al-Baqarah 2:228).