In the 24th episode of his Ramadan program, “Sheikh Al-Azhar Talk”, the Grand Imam states, “Abandoning one's [arrogant] wife in bed may cause harm to her, but it can bring her back to her senses”.
The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof Ahmed Aṭ-Ṭayyeb, said that one shouldn’t use divorce with his nāshiz (arrogant) wife when advice does not yet work. Rather, it is necessary [in this case] to move to the second stage of treatment, i.e. abandoning in bed, given the fact that the preservation of the family is a sacred goal in Islam.
During his talk in the 24th episode of his Ramadan program on the Egyptian television, the Grand Imam explained that some people believe that bed abandonment means to leave the wife and sleep in another room. This is a misconception as the real meaning is to abandon the intimate marital relation. He indicated that although abandonment in bed may cause some minor harm to the wife, it can really be useful for the wife as it helps her to come back to her senses and look for the reasons behind the abandonment and dispute. This is likely to lead to reconciliation.
He stressed that a husband should not use advice as the first stage of treatment for nushūz (marital arrogance) unless it is clear that the wife is indeed nāshiz. Then it is not permissible for him to move to the next stage of treatment unless he is assured that the first one does not work. This is done through trying to use the first stage of treatment repeatedly.
The Grand Imam's program is broadcast at 6:15 p.m. daily, throughout the Holy Month of Ramadan. It discusses a number of Muslim family issues, the rights established in Islam for the husband and the wife, and how to preserve the family as a basis for a solid human community.