His wife does not accept advice. What is the solution?

Undoubtedly your wife is persisting in making a serious
mistake, and we ask Allaah to guide her. The most serious thing that you
mention about her is the matter of her careless attitude towards prayer,
because not praying leads – Allaah forbid – to one becoming beyond the pale
of Islam, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: “What stands between a man and shirk or kufr is his giving up
prayer.” (Narrated by Muslim, 82). This applies to one who does not pray at
all. But some of the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) thought that a
person who fails to pray one prayer on time also becomes a kaafir. See
al-Mughni, 3/354). This points to the seriousness of the matter. 

You have done your duty towards your wife by guiding and
advising her, and this has borne fruit. Even though it may be incomplete, it
is still a positive step which indicates that there is goodness in your wife
and that she is prepared to change the rest. Yes, that may be slow but it is
possible. You see that in the beginning she was not convinced of hijaab and
did not wear it at all, but after the noble efforts on your part she has
started to wear it partially. Even though it is not full hijaab as it should
be worn, it still gives us hope and points to hidden goodness in her. You
can bring it to the surface so that she will wear proper hijaab on the basis
of conviction and her own desire to do it, as time goes by and as you
continue your efforts. This means that you must continue to advise her and
not give up, and you will be rewarded for that. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If one man were to be guided at your
hands, that will be better for you than red camels [i.e., the best kind].”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 6). 

Always remind her of Allaah and make her fear Him; tell her
of the importance of prayer in Islam and that she has to learn the things
that have to do with prayer, such as the rulings on menstruation and
post-partum bleeding, because it is obligatory on every woman, when her
bleeding stops, to hasten to do ghusl when the time for prayer comes. Try to
bring her useful books on that topic, such as the essay by Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) on “The Natural Blood of Women” or
some useful tapes. You can help her by sitting and reading with her, or
listening to the tapes with her, because this is a kind of cooperating in
righteousness and piety. 

[Translator’s note: Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen’s essay is available in English with additional notes by Bilaal
Philips, under the title Islamic Rules on Menstruation and Post-Natal
Bleeding, published by Dar al-Fatah, Sharjah, UAE]. 

With regard to what you mention about her mistakes in reading
Qur’aan, if the mistakes are in her recitation of al-Faatihah and are such
that they distort or change the meanings of the words – such as reading
an’amta [“You [masculine] have bestowed Your grace”] as an’amti [i.e.,
feminine form of the verb], or any other mistake which would make a listener
understand something other than the correct meaning – this means that she
has to learn how to read properly, because such mistakes make the prayer
invalid, as reciting al-Faatihah is a pillar or essential part of the
prayer, without which the prayer is not valid. But if the mistakes do not
change the meaning , such as reading “ar-Rahmaan ir-Raheem” as “ar-Rahmaan
ur-Raheem”, this does not invalidate the prayer. 

The Muslim must learn to read Qur’aan so that he can recite
it correctly, and so that he will not distort the Qur’aan without
realizing. 

You have to help her with that, either by teaching her
yourself, or by showing her things that will help her, such as tapes of the
Qur’aan by readers who are known to recite well. You must also explain to
her the virtues of reading Qur’aan and the reward for that. 

So in conclusion you have to continue teaching and advising
her, and be patient in doing so. Do not say that she has only responded a
little after so much time and effort, for even this little is blessed by
Allaah. We have a good example in the Prophets, for Nooh called his people
for nine hundred and fifty years. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

“And indeed We sent Nooh (Noah) to his people, and he
stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years [inviting them to
believe in the Oneness of Allaah (Monotheism), and discard the false gods
and other deities]”

[al-‘Ankaboot 29:14] 

Yet despite that only a few of his people believed in him. 

Make her enjoy learning about her religion by making it easy
for her. Encourage her if you see that she is responding to you, even if it
is something small. Know that you are an example for her, so watch what you
do and say. Beware of telling her to do something then being the first one
to go against that, or of telling her not to do something then being the
first one to do it, for this will stop her from accepting your advice, or
will delay her. 

You have to be gentle in the way you advise her, for the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah is
Kind and loves kindness, and He confers upon kindness that which he does not
confer upon severity and does not confer upon anything else besides it
(kindness).” (Narrated by Muslim, 2593). 

You must also make a lot of du’aa’ and beseech Allaah to open
her heart to obedience towards Him and make His religion and laws beloved to
her. I ask Allaah to help you to do good.