Can a woman perform nafilah prayers without getting permission from her husband? Can a woman perform fasting without getting permission from her husband?

Is it religiously appropriate for a woman to get up at night in order to perform nafilah prayers without getting permission from her husband?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The necessity of taking permission for a woman from her husband to perform nafilah fasting or to perform nafilah prayers at night (Mishqat, p. 282; Faydul-Qadir, 3/138) depends upon the possibility of the man’s wanting to have a sexual intercourse with his wife. Otherwise, she does not have to get permission from her husband. For instance, it is normal for a husband who works on week days not to want his wife to perform nafilah fasting on the weekend.

In some cases, it is necessary for the man to get permission from his wife. As a matter of fact, one night, the Prophet (pbuh) got permission from Hz. Aisha by saying,

“I want to worship tonight if you allow me.” (Bayhaqi, Shuabul-Iman, no. 3837-3838; Mundhiri, at-Targhib, no. 1520)

This is an incident that teaches us important values.

Thus, it is necessary to consider the issue from the viewpoint of both parties. What matters is the peace and happiness in the family. Allah wants us to act with understanding related to the deeds of worshipping that are not fard. That is, He regards personal rights to be superior to nafilah worshipping.

However, if a woman or man who is performing nafilah fasting has a sexual intercourse with his/her spouse, or if he/she breaks his/her fast deliberately, kaffarah is not necessary; it is enough to perform fasting one day.

Questions on Islam