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Is a wife responsible to assist her husband financially?

A wife has enough money.  She spent a lot in sadaqa.  Help people.  Her husband is in dept for spending the daily expenditure. Has she responsibility to help her husband. Can she spent all her without caring husband

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Indeed giving sadaqah (charity) is a virtuous act. Whilst it is not an obligation upon the wife to help her husband, morally and ethically it would be highly imperative to assist him in his financial woes. In fact spending on her husband and family will earn her double the reward she is getting. 

Consider the following Ahadith:

Abu Sa’id RA narrated that ‘Zainab the wife of Ibn Mas’ud came along and said to the Prophet “O Messenger of Allah ! You have commanded us today to give Sadaqah (charity). I have some jewellery of mine and I wanted to give it as Sadaqah, but Ibn Mas’ud claims that he and his children are the most entitled to my Sadaqah. (Deserve it more than anyone else.)’ The Messenger of Allah said:

“Ibn Mas’ud is right. Your husband and your children are more deserving.’’ 

Nabi mentioned:

“Charity to a needy person is a charity. But charity to a relative entails a double reward: The reward of charity and the reward of maintaining ties of kinship.” 

In another narration:

Umme Salamah RA narrates: “I asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Will I be rewarded if I spend on the children of Abu Salamah? I cannot see myself leaving them like this [going around and begging from people]. They are my children.’ He replied: ‘Yes. You will be rewarded for whatever you spend on them.’ ”

Nabi has also mentioned: 

“The upper hand is better than the lower hand [i.e. the spending hand is better than the receiving hand]. Commence by spending on your family first. … [1]

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Safwaan Ibn Ml Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim 

Student Darul Iftaa
Limbe, Malawi

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
 

____________________________________

 

[1]صحيح البخاري (2/ 120) – دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم ترقيم محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي زَيْدٌ هُوَ ابْنُ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عِيَاضِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَضْحًى أَوْ فِطْرٍ إِلَى المُصَلَّى، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ، فَوَعَظَ النَّاسَ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِالصَّدَقَةِ، فَقَالَ: «أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، تَصَدَّقُوا»، فَمَرَّ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ، فَقَالَ: «يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ، تَصَدَّقْنَ، فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُكُنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ» فَقُلْنَ: وَبِمَ ذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «تُكْثِرْنَ اللَّعْنَ، وَتَكْفُرْنَ العَشِيرَ، مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَاقِصَاتِ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ، أَذْهَبَ لِلُبِّ الرَّجُلِ الحَازِمِ، مِنْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ، يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ» ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ، فَلَمَّا صَارَ إِلَى مَنْزِلِهِ، جَاءَتْ زَيْنَبُ، امْرَأَةُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، تَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَيْهِ، فَقِيلَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، هَذِهِ زَيْنَبُ، فَقَالَ: «أَيُّ الزَّيَانِبِ؟» فَقِيلَ: امْرَأَةُ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ: «نَعَمْ، ائْذَنُوا لَهَا» فَأُذِنَ لَهَا، قَالَتْ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ، إِنَّكَ أَمَرْتَ اليَوْمَ بِالصَّدَقَةِ، وَكَانَ عِنْدِي حُلِيٌّ لِي، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِهِ، فَزَعَمَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: أَنَّهُ وَوَلَدَهُ أَحَقُّ مَنْ تَصَدَّقْتُ بِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «صَدَقَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ، زَوْجُكِ وَوَلَدُكِ أَحَقُّ مَنْ تَصَدَّقْتِ بِهِ عَلَيْهِمْ»

 

رياض الصالحين (ص: 134) –  مؤسسة الرسالة، بيروت، لبنان

-وعن سلْمان بن عامرٍ رضي اللَّه عنه، عن النبيِّ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قَالَ: “إِذا أَفْطَرَ أَحَدُكُمْ فَلْيُفْطِرْ عَلَى تَمرٍ، فَإِنَّهُ بركَةٌ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يجِد تَمْراً، فَالماءُ، فَإِنَّهُ طُهُورٌ” وَقالَ:” الصَّدقَةُ عَلَى المِسكِينِ صدقَةٌ، وعَلَى ذِي الرَّحِمِ ثِنْتَانِ: صَدَقَةٌ وصِلَةٌ”

رواه الترمذي وَقالَ: حديث حسن

(ص: 123)

وعن أُمِّ سلَمَةَ رضي اللَّهُ عنها قَالَتْ: قلتُ يَا رسولَ اللَّهِ، هَلْ لِي أَجْرٌ فِي بَنِي أَبي سلَمةَ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ علَيْهِمْ، وَلَسْتُ بتَارِكَتِهمْ هَكَذَا 

وهَكَذَا، إِنَّماهُمْ بنِيَّ؟ فَقَالَ: “نَعَمْ لَكِ أَجْرُ مَا أَنْفَقْتِ علَيهِم” متفقٌ عَلَيهِ

 

 (ص: 124)

وعنه عن النَّبيّ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قَالَ: “الْيَدُ الْعُلْيا خَيْرٌ مِنَ الْيدِ السُّفْلَى وابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ، وَخَيْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ مَا كَانَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ غِنَى، ومَنْ يَسْتَعِففْ، يُعِفَّهُ اللَّهُ، ومَنْ يَسْتَغْنِ يُغْنِه اللَّهُ” رواه البخاري

See Riyadhus-Saliheen; Pg. 198-99/214 – Translation By: Mahomed Mahomedy – Zam Zam Publishers

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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