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Fatwa CenterHusband objects to her reading Sahih Bukhari and Muslim
Question
I would like to read the books written by Bukhari and Muslim. However my husband says in order to fully appreciate them one must have a deeper understanding of Islam. I don't know how I'm supposed to reach this deeper understanding. I pray and recite the Qur'an often. But I wish to read these text to increase my knowledge, however so far I have been unable to persuade my husband to allow me to buy them. Would it be permissible to buy them anyway? I work so I would not be taking money from my husband to purchase them. But I would be disobeying my husband. How can I persuade him to let me read these if it's not permissible to go against his wishes?
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. In fact, knowledge has many merits. So, the Islamic Shariah encourages getting knowledge and grades highly those who are knowledgeable persons. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Allah grants the knowledge of Shariah to whom He likes to do good to him" [ al-Bukhari and Muslim ]. The best way for increasing knowledge is to begin through the easy and beginner's level of books and then gradually reading the large and more advanced books. Muslim scholars have written books for all different levels. Some of them are for beginners such as "the forty Ahadith" written by Imam al-Nawawi , "Umdatul- Ahkam", "Riyad al-Saliheen", etc. It is better to begin with such books, particularly if one can get cassettes of their explanation it will be very useful for him. (Umdatul- Ahkam is explained completely by a Muslim American scholar). We think your husband wants to guide you to the suitable and useful way to acquire knowledge. So, it is likeable to obey him in this matter. However, it is permitted for you to purchase the book you want as long as it is from you own money since a sane woman has the right to dispose of her money freely. A husband has no right to prevent her from acting freely with her money. Allah knows best.
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