If an engagement [between a man and woman] is completed through an Islamic marriage contract, but the wedding and the move to the marital home have yet to take place, is it obligatory to observe marital rights, such as financial maintenance, sexual intercourse, or seeking permission from the husband where it is required during that period?
The couple become husband and wife religiously after the enactment of such a marriage contract. However, the wife is not obligated to make herself available for sexual intercourse or seek the husband’s permission in matters where it is ordinarily required, just as the husband is not obligated to financially maintain her if the marriage contract was predicated on the condition that it will occur after the wedding, even if this condition is based on common understanding or urf.