As Salamu Alaikum. Over the years I have heard people and in lecture that a man`s money is his wife`s money and her money is his money. Where can I find the evidence in this? Is it a sound hadith or simply a woman`s right? In sha Allah, please answer this for me. I hate to be misinformed then repeating it.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Sister in Islam,
From a principle point of view, a husband is independent in his wealth. Likewise, a wife is independent in her wealth. What belongs to one spouse does not belong to the other spouse by virtue of marriage[1]. Therefore, the statement, “a man`s money is his wife`s and her money is his money”, is incorrect.
However, there ought to be flexibility between the spouses and generally the spouses regard each other`s wealth to belong to both of them. That is why the husband cannot give Zakat to the wife and vice versa[2].
In spite of the flexibility between the spouses in their wealth, the principle is what belongs to one does not belong to the other. This principle will have implications on various laws of Shariah including the laws of inheritance[3], Zakat etc. A wife who owns Nisab (threshold of Zakat) is bound to discharge her own Zakat[4]. She is bound to give her own Sadaqat al-Fitr and Qurbani[5]. The same principle is for the husband.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Hanif Yusuf Patel
Student Darul Iftaa
UK
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
References
[1] اعلم أن أسباب الملك ثلاثة: ناقل كبيع وهبة
[Radd al-Muhtar ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, 6: 463, H. M. Saeed Company]
[2] ولا تدفع المرأة إلى زوجها
[Al-Hidayah, 1: 111, Dar Ihyaa at-Turath al-Arabi]
ولا يجوز دفع الزكاة إليها
[Tabyin al-Haqa`iq Sharh Zanz ad-Daqa`iq wa Hashiyat as-Shalbi, 3: 63]
ولا تدفع المرأة إلى زوجها عند أبي حنيفة رحمه الله تعالى كذا في الهداية
[Al-Fatawa al-Alamgiriyyah, 1: 189, Dar al-Fikr]
[Imdad al-Fattah Sharh Nur al-Idhah wa Najat al-Arwah, p.684, Dat Taba`]
( قوله فلا يدفع لأصله ) أي وإن علا ، وفرعه وإن سفل ، وكذا لزوجته وزوجها وعبده ومكاتبه
[Radd al-Muhtar ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, 6: 451, H. M. Saeed Company]
[3] ولكم نصف ما ترك أزواجكم إن لم يكن لهن ولد فإن كان لهن ولد فلكم الربع مما تركن من بعد وصية يوصين بها أو دين ولهن الربع مما تركتم إن لم يكن لكم ولد فإن كان لكم ولد فلهن الثمن مما تركتم من بعد وصية توصون بها أو دين وإن كان رجل يورث كلالة أو امرأة وله أخ أو أخت فلكل واحد منهما السدس فإن كانوا أكثر من ذلك فهم شركاء في الثلث من بعد وصية يوصى بها أو دين غير مضار وصية من الله والله عليم حليم
[Al-Qur`an, 4: 12]
[4] وشرط افتراضها عقل وبلوغ وإسلام وحرية الزكوة …
[Radd al-Muhtar ala ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, 6: 452, H. M. Saeed Company]
[5] [Ahsan al-Fatawa, 7: 508, H. M. Saeed Company]