He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, performed Ruqyah on them when they became ill:

‘Aa’ishah narrated: “The Prophet of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to visit his wives when they fell sick and place his right hand and perform Ruqyah for them (i.e. recite certain supplications and verses of the Quran as treatment). He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would say: ‘Allaahumma Rabban-naasi, ath-hibil-ba’sa, washfi, Antash-Shaafi, la shifaa’a illa shifaa’uka, shifaa’an la yughaadiru saqama [O Allah! the Lord of mankind! Remove this disease and cure (her)! You are the Great Curer. There is no cure but through You, which leaves behind no disease].’”

The fact that the husband asks about the source of pain, places his hand mercifully on it and performs Ruqyah, has a great impact of the wife even if the pain remains, because she would feel that her husband cares for her, is considerate, feels her pain and empathizes with her suffering.

In the long narration of Umm Zar’ on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah in which eleven women gathered to reveal all their marital secrets to each other, one of them complained about her husband saying, “He never extended a hand to feel my pain.”Ibn Hajar said: “She meant to complain about him being inconsiderate and wanted to describe him to be uncompassionate.”

There are husbands who truly have no consideration and want to see his wife up and about all the time, and he would not tolerate  being around her if she becomes unwell.

The wife may go through hard times, problems and difficulties and needs someone to comfort her and bring a smile to her lips by dealing with her in a cheerful manner and speaking to her in a loving tone. She needs someone to take some of the burdens off her shoulders and relieve some of the distress she suffers from in order to make her feel that she is not facing this tough life with its hardship all alone.

The woman may lose a close relative (a father, mother or brother) and needs someone to help her endure this calamity patiently, remind her with the virtue of perseverance and console her. However, some people lack this quality and you find many a man indifferent towards what his wife is suffering from and the hardships she faces, the afflictions that befall her and the problems she goes through.

Some may even go to the extent of belittling her grief and sorrow, mocking her and making fun of what she is suffering from.

Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “O Allah, I make you witness that I conveyed the rights [and rulings pertaining to them] of two types of people, orphans and women.