Do Not Stay Away From Your Wife For More Than Six Months Without Her Permission
Question:
How long is the legal period for which a man may be absent from his wife when he is on a journey?
Answer:
If the husband is absent from his wife for a long period of time, and she does not permit him to do that, then he must return to her as soon as half a year has passed, unless he is excused due to illness or the like.
However, if she permits him to stay longer, there is no sin upon him if he delays for the period which she allows him, even if it is long; but in this situation, it is incumbent upon him to fulfill the obligation of paying her expenses.
Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
Fatawa Islamiyah, Darussalam, volume 5, page 395
