Can a husband forbid his wife from visiting her family members?

Summary

A wife should in principle seek her husband's permission to leave the home, including to visit her parents. However, this ruling states that a husband who forbids his wife from visiting her family without a reasonable basis in Islamic law commits a prohibited act, as it can lead to severed family ties. The prohibition is permissible if it aims to prevent harm to the wife or to their marriage. The ruling notes that the Shafi'i and Hanbali scholars permit such a ban though it is better not to, while the Hanafi and Maliki scholars forbid husbands from preventing visits.

Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.