Because Ann Arbor is such a diverse and large city, it is common for Muslims in the community to not see one another for weeks at a time.
Not only does the Ann Arbor Islamic Center offer two alternate timings of Friday Prayer services, but according to IslamicFinder.org there are four other mosques in a 10 mile radius.
Basically, Muslim sisters may not have the opportunity to catch up and socialize as they'd like to due to the Ann Arbor dynamic. So after not seeing sisters from the community in a long time, it is often tricky to find a good way of discovering what they have been up to without being intrusive.
One awkward question that several sisters often get is, "How is your husband?" And usually that inquiry is followed by a pregnant pause. 'Um, he's fine...alhamdulillah' is the usual response. I mean, what else can a sister say to a random sister?
Muslims know that there is an Islamic way to carry out every aspect of life, and greeting someone after a long absence is just one example of this. Let us turn to the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
During the time of the Prophet it was deemed inappropriate to ask a sahaba blatantly how their wife was without pretext. Such an inquiry could even be taken as an insult, implying that another man wanted to swoop in if the wife is unhappy.
When you don't know someone well sunnah is to ask about someone's family in a general way without honing in on a spouse. When the inquirer says 'family' it leave space for a person to give as much or as little information on their 'family' as possible without seeming withholding or disgruntled about their personal life.
Muslims should adopt this style of speaking firstly because it's the sunnah and secondly because it will more often get the desired response without appearing nosy or brass.
So, in short, How do you ask about a sister's husband during arbitrary chit chat?
Well, you sorta don't. But do inquire about her family if you are sincerely interested and concerned, inshaAllah.
