Three Whose Prayers Are Rejected
📖Sunan Ibn Mājah 971
Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
“There are three whose prayer will not rise even a hand span over their heads: an Imam who leads people in prayer who hate him, a wife who spends the night while her husband is displeased, and two brothers who sever their relationship.”
Explanation:
- This hadith highlights the spiritual consequences of discord in important relationships.
- A wife spending the night while her husband is displeased refers to the state of estrangement or unresolved conflict between spouses. If there is ongoing anger, resentment, or hostility, it can hinder her prayers from being fully accepted until the relationship is reconciled.
What About the Husband?
📖Sunan Ibn Mājah 1977
“The best of you are those who are best to their wives, and I am the best among you to my wives.”
📖Quran 4:19
“O you who believe! It is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. Do not treat them with harshness, so that you may take away part of what you have given them, unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good.”
Explanation:
- Husbands are commanded to treat their wives with kindness and justice.
- Mistreatment, oppression, or harshness is sinful and will be accountable before Allah.
📖Quran 16:90
Indeed, Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin; and forbids all shameful deeds, injustice, and rebellion.
Explanation:
- Mistreating a spouse is counted as injustice and wrongdoing, which Allah forbids.
- Punishment for such actions may be spiritual (Hereafter) and sometimes social/legal in this world.
| Situation | Spiritual Effect | Sin? |
|---|---|---|
| Husband mistreats wife | Prayer and deeds may not be accepted; he is accountable to Allah | Yes |
| Wife displeased with husband who fulfills duties | Prayer is affected, as it is both a relational problem and a sin. | Yes |
- Husbands must strive to be just, kind, and caring. Mistreatment directly incurs sin.
- Wives should ideally reconcile and forgive, but if anger remains despite a righteous husband, it affects her spiritual state relationally, not as a sin.
📖Quran 4:34
Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given one more [strength] than the other, and because they spend from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband’s] absence what Allah would have them guard.
- This verse establishes that men are responsible for providing financially (food, clothing, shelter, etc.) for their wives and families. That is why they are called “maintainers.”
📖Quran 4:19
And live with them in kindness. If you dislike them, it may be that you dislike something in which Allah has placed much good.
- The husband is commanded to treat his wife with care, respect, and goodness, not merely provide material support.
The hadith applies only when the husband fulfills his duties, showing kindness, love, and care, and the wife still remains angry or displeased with him. If the husband does not follow these rules and mistreats her, the hadith does not apply to her the spiritual issue then lies with the husband.
Practical Lessons:
- Resolve conflicts before going to bed.
- Avoid letting anger or resentment linger.
- Communicate respectfully and seek reconciliation.
- Remember that a healthy marital relationship is part of fulfilling one’s religious duties.
- Both spouses are responsible for maintaining harmony, not just the wife.
Quranic Context:
📖Quran 30:21
“And among His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquillity in them; and He placed between you affection and mercy. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.”
Explanation:
- Marriage is a source of peace, love, and mercy. Discord between spouses contradicts this purpose and can spiritually affect both.
- Effort should be made by both husband and wife to maintain harmony and ensure their prayers and worship are not spiritually hindered.
2. Imam whom people hate:
This is about an imam who takes leadership while being unjust, arrogant, or corrupt. If people dislike him because of his oppression or bad character, then his prayer loses value. Leading prayer is not just reciting Qur’an—it requires trust, humility, and respect. If he abuses that role, Allah rejects his worship.
3. Two brothers who sever ties:
This points to the seriousness of breaking family or brotherly relations. Islam stresses unity and reconciliation. When brothers cut ties out of anger, jealousy, or worldly disputes, it becomes a major sin. Until they reconcile, their prayer is affected, showing how damaging division is in the sight of Allah.