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Is it Fair for My Husband to Stop Giving Me an Allowance After 3 Years of Marriage?

Q: Asalaamu Alaykum. I am married for 5 years, for the first three years, I would receive an allowance from my husband. Now for almost two years, he doesn’t give me a cent, and always complains that he has many debts to pay. I feel that the debts are his own doing and that I am being cheated off my allowance so that he can pay his debts. It gets so bad sometimes that if I need a little money, I have to borrow from the neighbour as he sternly refuses to give me money for myself. With regards to groceries, he buys the necessary items. But I’m talking about money for my personal use. Is it right for him to do this?

A: Shariah commands that the husband gives the wife nafaqah. Nafaqah entails providing the wife with shelter, food, clothing and the necessities of life in accordance to their financial status and position. Apart from this, it is rercommended, though not an obligation that the husband also gives his wife a monthly allowance to purchase whatever she requires for herself.

باب النفقة  هي لغة ما ينفقه الإنسان على عياله وشرعا ( هي الطعام والكسوة والسكنى ) (الدر المختار 3/571-572)

( فتجب للزوجة … على زوجها … بقدر حالهما ) به يفتى

قال الشامي: قوله ( به يفتى ) … قال في البحر واتفقوا على وجوب نفقة الموسرين إذا كانا موسرين وعلى نفقة المعسرين إذا كانا معسرين وإنما الاختلاف فيما إذا كان أحدهما موسرا والآخر معسرا فعلى ظاهر الرواية الاعتبار لحال الرجل فإن كان موسرا وهي معسرة فعليه نفقة الموسرين وفي عكسه نفقة المعسرين  وأما على المفتى به فتجب نفقة الوسط في المسألتين وهو فوق نفقة المعسرة ودون نفقة الموسرة (رد المحتار 3/572-575)

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

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