Indeed, Islam is keen on building a strong society in which love, cooperation, and sympathy prevail. In order to achieve this, Islam has laid down certain rules to govern people’s interaction with each other in the society, defining the rights and obligations of its members. Among social relations that attract Islam’s attention is the kin relationship. It is not permissible for the husband to forbid his wife from visiting her relatives and communicating with them.
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states the following: Fostering ties of kinship is a fundamental Islamic duty in the sight of Allah; it applies to all circumstances, according to one’s means and circumstances, regardless of whether one is married or not.
However, since Islam is a religion of balance, we are required to establish a balance between our spousal duties and our duties towards our kith and kin. In other words, one is not supposed to foster ties of kinship at the expense of the spousal obligations.
So long as this point is clear, one must never stop anyone from establishing or strengthening ties of kinship. The husband has no right to do that, unless it impinges on his rights. It is the duty of a husband to observe principles of fairness, equity, and compassion in all of his dealings towards his wife; he should know that Allah is All-Hearing and All-Knowing.
Let us heed the counsel of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said, “Whosoever severs ties of kinship cannot hope to enter Paradise” and “The womb clings to the throne of Allah, the Most Exalted, saying, ‘Whosoever fosters relations with me, I shall foster relations with him.’”
Therefore, let your husband be reminded of Allah in this matter; if he does not come to his senses, you should approach a qualified imam or professional Muslim counselor to help both of you to sort out your priorities.