Fatwa ID: 09454
Answered by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Question:
Salam’s
My question is my husband gives me a monthly allowance of 400 pound a month to feed a family of six and he says I have To buy monthly grocery from that money and even stock up the store cupboard every month with other items that have finished I can not ask for more than 400 he pays be after the 12 every month sometimes late and I have to wait till he gets the envelope ready I have tried to explain to him on several occasion that some months things will cost more than £400it will go over and says this is all you gonna get not my problem. Allhamdalillah we are stable and he has rented property with good income and he is a heating engineer which has good money as well.
He will not buy any grocery from his own free will and if I tell him it has to be given from the monthly allowance or he will deduct it from next month. Please tell me if what he is doing is allowed.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
The cost of living is rapidly increasing in the modern world, and husbands must ensure that they are adequately providing for their families during these difficult times. A man must provide his dependents with sufficient financial support according to his capacity, so that they may live comfortably.[2]
Accordingly, if 400 pounds is insufficient to feed and clothe yourself and your children adequately, and your husband has the financial ability to provide more due to his decent income, then it is his responsibility to provide extra funds to you. However, you must be moderate when spending money and not lavish.
In contemporary times, 400 pounds is quite minimal, [4] thus you should politely convince your husband to increase your allowance. Otherwise, you may shift the burden of grocery shopping onto your husband so that he recognises the current cost of groceries.
In conclusion, your husband must provide your monthly allowance on time to alleviate your financial burden. Furthermore, the husband should remember that this expense will count as a highly rewarding charity, as per the Hadith below.
Abu Hurairah reported I asked Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), What kind of Sadaqah is most excellent? He replied, “What a man with little property can afford to give; and begin with those for whom you are responsible.” (Sunan Abi Dawud 1677) [1]
Thus, your husband must provide sufficient allowance to adequately feed and clothe his dependents according to his financial ability. [3]
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Sakib Shadman
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَيَزِيدُ بْنُ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَوْهَبٍ الرَّمْلِيُّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ جَعْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ “ جُهْدُ الْمُقِلِّ وَابْدَأْ بِمَنْ تَعُولُ ” .
Sunan Abi Dawud 1677
[2]
قَوْلُهُ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى) اخْتَارَ الْمُصَنِّفُ قَوْلَ الْخَصَّافِ وَقَوْلُ الْكَرْخِيِّ هُوَ ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ، وَقَالَ بِهِ جَمْعٌ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ الْمَشَايِخِ وَنَصَّ عَلَيْهِ مُحَمَّدٌ ﵀ وَقَالَ فِي التُّحْفَةِ: إنَّهُ الصَّحِيحُ. وَلَا خِلَافَ فِي وُجُوبِ نَفَقَةِ الْيَسَارِ فِي يَسَارِهِمَا وَالْإِعْسَارِ فِي إعْسَارِهِمَا، وَإِنَّمَا يَظْهَرُ الْخِلَافُ فِي الِاخْتِلَافِ كَمَا إذَا كَانَتْ مُوسِرَةً وَهُوَ مُعْسِرٌ فَعَلَى مُخْتَارِ الْمُصَنِّفِ يَجِبُ فِي الْأَوَّلِ نَفَقَةٌ فَوْقَ نَفَقَةِ الْمُعْسِرَةِ وَدُونَ نَفَقَةِ الْمُوسِرَةِ وَكَذَا فِي عَكْسِهِ، وَعَلَى ظَاهِرِ الرِّوَايَةِ يَجِبُ فِي الْأَوَّلِ نَفَقَةُ الْإِعْسَارِ لِأَنَّهَا وَإِنْ كَانَتْ مُوسِرَةً لَمَا تَزَوَّجَتْ مُعْسِرًا فَقَدْ رَضِيَتْ بِنَفَقَةِ الْمُعْسِرِينَ، وَفِي الثَّانِي نَفَقَةُ الْمُوسِرِينَ وَالْمُصَنِّفُ لَمْ يَذْكُرْ تَمَامَ الْأَقْسَامِ الَّتِي بِهَا يَتِمُّ تَفْسِيرُ قَوْلِ الْخَصَّافِ، بَلْ تَرَكَ مَا إذَا كَانَتْ مُوسِرَةً وَالزَّوْجُ مُعْسِرٌ وَكَأَنَّهُ لِاتِّحَادِ جَوَابِهِ بِجَوَابِ مَا ذَكَرَهُ وَهُوَ مَا إذَا كَانَتْ مُعْسِرَةً وَهُوَ مُوسِرٌ
Fath al-Qadeer, 1st ed., 1970 (Vol.4, pg.380, Halabi ed., Dār Al-Fikr)
[3]
قَوْلُهُ تَجِبُ النَّفَقَةُ لِلزَّوْجَةِ عَلَى زَوْجِهَا وَالْكِسْوَةُ بِقَدْرِ حَالِهِمَا) أَيْ الطَّعَامُ وَالشَّرَابُ بِقَرِينَةِ عَطْفِ الْكِسْوَةِ وَالسُّكْنَى عَلَيْهَا وَالْأَصْلُ فِي ذَلِكَ قَوْله تَعَالَى {لِيُنْفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ} [الطلاق: ٧] وقَوْله تَعَالَى {وَعَلَى الْمَوْلُودِ لَهُ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ} [البقرة: ٢٣٣] ، وَقَوْلُهُ – عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ – فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ «وَلَهُنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ» وَعَلَيْهِ إجْمَاعُ الْأُمَّةِ؛ وَلِأَنَّ النَّفَقَةَ جَزَاءُ الِاحْتِبَاسِ فَكُلُّ مَنْ كَانَ مَحْبُوسًا بِحَقٍّ مَقْصُودٍ لِغَيْرِهِ كَانَتْ نَفَقَتُهُ عَلَيْهِ
Al-Bahr Al-Rāiq, 2nd ed. (Vol.4, pg.188, Dār Al-Kitab Al-Islami)
[4]
وفي الاشباه في أواخر قاعدة العادة محكمة
Al-Durr al-Muhtār, 1st ed., 2002 (pg.450, Dār Al-Kutub Al-’Ilmiyyah)