Her husband drinks alcohol – is she sinning by living with him?

 

What should a muslim wife do if her husband drinks alcohol.  She has tried to make him stop, but he refuses.  The only thing he has managed to do is lessen the frequency of his drinking.  She is very observant in practicing the religion and fears that she may suffer punishment for her husband's behavior.  At the same time, she does love her husband and wants to preserve the relationship.  What should she do in this case?  

Praise be to Allaah. 

Firstly,
we advise this husband to repent to Allaah from drinking alcohol, because
drinking alcohol is haraam according to the Book of Allaah, the Sunnah
of His Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and the consensus of the Muslims. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“O
you who believe! Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling,
and Al Ansaab [stone altars for offering sacrifices to idols etc.],
and Al Azlaam (arrows for seeking luck or decision) are an abomination
of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination)
in order that you may be successful.

Shaytaan
(Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants
(alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance
of Allaah and from As‑Salaah (the prayer). So, will you not then
abstain?

And
obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming
near to drinking or gambling or Al‑Ansaab, or Al‑Azlaam)
and fear Allaah. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our
Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way” [al-Maa'idah
5:90-92]  

It
was narrated that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every intoxicant is liquor
and every liquor is haraam.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Ashribah
3735) 

The scholars
are unanimously agreed, with no dispute on this matter. Some of the
scholars even considered the prohibition of alcohol to be one of the
most well known teachings of Islam (ignorance of which is inexcusable).
So our advice to him is that he should give up drinking alcohol, and
be content with [?] that which Allaah has permitted to him of good drinks,
and not seek that which Allaah has forbidden. Alcohol is the mother
of evil and the key to all evil. Allaah has issued a stern warning to
those who drink it and do not repent from that. It was narrated from
Jaabir that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:  “Allaah has
made a covenant to those who drink alcohol, that He will make them drink
teenat al-khabaal.” They said, “O Messenger of Allaah, what is
teenat al-khabaal?” He said, “The sweat of the people of Hell,”
or, “The juice of the people of Hell.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Ashribah,
3732) 

It is easy to give it up if one is sincere
and determined, and seeks the help of Allaah, may He be exalted. 

With regard to yourself, there is no sin
on you if your husband drinks alcohol, because a person will not be
brought to account for the sins of another. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):

“And
no bearer of burdens shall bear another’s burden”[Faatir 35:18] 

Rather,
you will be rewarded for your sincere advice to your husband. Your living
with him is not haraam, because drinking alcohol does not make him a
kaafir. So keep on calling him, advising him and making du’aa’ for him,
and may Allaah cause him to repent. If your keeping away from him in
bed will serve the purpose of deterring him and making give up alcohol,
then it is permissible, but if it will not achieve anything, then do
not do it. We ask Allaah to guide us all and give us strength. For
more information see the fatwa of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/890