One of the most important causes of marital problems and their spread among Muslims is sins and wrongdoings, as sin causes the servant to be dishonored before the Lord and before creation.

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: Among the punishments of sins is that they remove blessings and bring about revenge. No blessing is removed from a servant except due to sin, and no revenge befalls him except due to sin.

Among the punishments of sins: the fall of status, rank, and dignity with Allah and with His creation. The most honored of creation with Allah are those most pious, and the closest to Him in rank are those most obedient to Him. According to the servant’s obedience to Him is his rank with Him. When he disobeys Him and violates His command, he falls from His sight, so He drops him from the hearts of His servants. He lives among them the worst life, with forgotten mention, fallen worth, and miserable condition, with no respect, no joy, and no happiness.

Many wives complain about their husbands changing towards them and weep for the sweet days and expressions of love exchanged between them, while now he neither asks nor cares about anyone, wife or child.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Qattan said about this: The wife is the cause of his change, so ask yourself often, haven’t you read the words of the Almighty: “Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” [Al-Ra’d: 11]. Perhaps it is because of a sin that the wife or husband insists on!

Let us look for the causes:

• The worst is abandoning prayer and obligations such as zakat, fasting, and pilgrimage.
• You might delay bathing to preserve your hairstyle.
• Daughters not wearing hijab when they are of age.
• Cutting ties of kinship.
• Hiding children’s sins from their father.
• Backbiting and gossip.
• Consuming usury.
• Watching indecent films and listening to songs.
• Bringing in housemaids and drivers into the home unnecessarily.
• Mocking religion and religious people.
• Drinking alcohol and smoking.
• Disobedience to parents.
• And more.

The duty is to review and hold oneself accountable, repent, and return to performing obligations and abandoning prohibitions. With Allah’s permission, happiness and intimacy will return to the home.