asalaam alaikum sheikh am I allowed to clean the masjid even if my husband told me not to I have a 20 month old im just looking to earn thawab. the reason he refuses is because if I have to use chemicals to clean bathroom. but I say that I use chemicals here at home aswel so why I cannot clean the masjid?. I even told him that I will use just soap instead he says no I have to check with him if they give me anywork to volunteer. what should I do please answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that cleaning the Masjid is among the virtuous deeds by which one gets closer to Allaah, but if your husband prevents you from cleaning it, then you should obey him because he did not order you to abandon an obligation. In principle, it is an obligation for the wife to obey her husband if he does not order her to commit a sin. Also, it is not permissible for a wife to go out of the house without his permission, let alone if he tells her not to do so.

The Fiqh Encyclopedia reads: “A wife is obliged to obey her husband; Allaah says (what means): {Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allaah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth.} [Quran 4:34] Al-Qurtubi said in his interpretation of this verse “Men being in charge of women means that a man manages her affairs, disciplines her and keeps her at home and prevents her from going out. She is obliged to obey him and accept his order as long as it is not a sin. Anas narrated that a man set off for Jihaad and ordered his wife not to get down from the house, while her father lived on the bottom floor. Her father became ill and she sent to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, informing him about the matter and seeking his advice; so he sent her a message saying: ‘Fear Allaah and obey your husband’. Then her father died, so she sent to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, again seeking his advice, so the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, gave her the same reply. Then the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went out and sent to her: ‘Allaah has forgiven your sins because of your obedience to your husband.’ Ibn Qudaamah said: ‘Obedience to the husband is an obligation. Ahmad said about a woman who has a husband and her mother was sick: Obeying her husband is more obligatory on her than her mother, unless he gives her permission.’” [End of quote]

For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 84908 and 90507.

Therefore, you should obey your husband and we hope that you will get the reward of cleaning the Masjid as long as your intention is sincere. Also, there is evidence in the Sunnah that if a Muslim is prevented by an obstacle from performing a good deed that he used to do, then he will get its reward. Abu Moosa Al-Ash‘ari narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “If a person is sick or traveling, it will be written for him the same reward as what he used to do when he was healthy at home.” [Al-Bukhari]

Ibn Hajar said in Fat-h Al-Baari, commenting on Hadeeth: “It applies to a person who used to perform a good deed and he was prevented from it, and his intention was that were it not for the obstacle, he would continue doing it.” [End of quote]

Ibn Battaal said in his commentary of the Hadeeth by Al-Bukhari: “It is for this reason that every disease other than a chronic disease, and every misfortune like travel and the like, that prevents a person from a good deed he used to do, then Allaah has written its reward for whoever is prevented from this good deed, based on the evidence of this Hadeeth.”

Also, the commentary on Riyadh As-Saaliheen by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, reads: “The person who wishes to do good, and who is keen on doing it, if he used to do it, but he was prevented from doing it due to an obstacle, then its full reward will be written for him.”

Allaah Knows best.