Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

asalamun alaikum

i have a question brother, before i got married my wife had some savings ,after our marriage I borrowed some money from her for my parents,because she was working and still working part time now.as a sheriah i know i have to return it back. Now i own a house i pay my mortgage and all house expences such as food,utilities and insurance from my own pocket.Now i need your help do my wife have to pay half of our expences or not as sheriah.pls can you help me with more explanations because i feel like i m loaded with bills and all i earn is just going towards my bills.

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Answer:

Wife’s right to wealth property

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 34:

34 Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more than the other, and because they support them from their means.

Respected brother in Islam, Allah Subhanah has laid the complete financial responsibility of the maintenance and the upkeep of the womenfolk in Islam upon the shoulders of the men….and it is the obligatory duty of the men in Islam to provide for the complete needs and wants of their women from their lawful earnings.

The women indeed have a right to own their own property and wealth in Islam; and if you as a husband have borrowed some money from your wife, you are indeed responsible and liable to fulfill your loan unto your wife….unless of course, she, of her own free will and choice, and without any coercion or force on your part whatsoever, chooses to forgive you the loan.

Your Question: Now i need your help do my wife have to pay half of our expences or not as sheriah.

Respected brother, we reiterate again, it is the obligatory duty of the believing husband in Islam to bear the complete financial responsibility of the upkeep of his house and his family. Even if one’s wife is a multi-millionaire, she is not legally or morally obliged in Shariah to spend even one cent of her own private wealth on the upkeep of the house, or the family, or even on the basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter for herself. Her complete financial upkeep is the responsibility of the husband.

But if the wife, from her own will and choice, and without any coercion or force from the husband whatsoever, wishes to spend a portion from her private wealth on the upkeep of the house, she is well within her rights to do whatever she wills with her own wealth.

Although it is not lawful for a man to give ‘zakah’ to those directly under his responsibility: ie. his wife, his children, and his parents …..there is allowance in Shariah where a wife can give ‘zakah’ and ‘sadaqah’ to her husband, if indeed her husband is poor and needy, or is unable to fulfill his or his family’s basic needs.

Abu Said al-Khudri reported that Zainab (r.a.), the wife of Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud (r.a.), said: "O Prophet of Allah (saws)! Indeed you have ordered us today to give away ‘sadaqah’, and I have some jewelry which I wanted to give away as ‘sadaqah’; but my husband Ibn Mas'ud claims that he and his children deserve it more than someone else." The Prophet (saws) responded: "Ibn Mas'ud is right. Your husband and your children are more deserving."

Related by al-Bukhari.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan