Fatwa ID: 08034

 

Answered by: Moulana Ubaidur Rahman

Question:
Dear Respected, Beloved Ulama and Teachers,

As-salamu ‘alaykum

I have a question about Rights of the Husband and the Wife and Amanah/Trust, and I am seeking what is the Islamic perspective, purely according to the Quran and Sunnah please.

I purchased a house in London back in 2014, it is our family home where we live. This house was purchased by myself, with my own money earned from a normal office job in tech, and the property deed was solely in my name only.

At the time of purchase in 2014 my wife asked me to add her name to the property deed. I said no and explained that it is my wish for the property to be in my sole name only and remain this way.

We extended the house in 2015 to accommodate our growing family but we faced a planning issue who threatened to take the extension down. I suggested we put the property (deed) into my wife’s name as she does not work so it offers some protection, so we did this around 2015. There was no other reason for this deed name change and I would not have done this if the planning issue had not arisen. Hence to me, this was an amanah that I entrusted to my wife.

A few months back I asked my wife to put the property deed back in my name but she has refused and will not honor my request.

Our household is a peaceful and loving place, Alhamdulillah. I would happily give a million such houses to my wife because she has, without issue, been the perfect wife and mother, and is the foundation of our home. My wife has cared for my mother in our home, as if it was her own mother, day and night for nearly 20 years until my mother passed away and left this dunya, and never once complained or showed any tiredness, just kindness and love. For this alone, if I am asked, I would say to please allow my wife to enter Jannah from any gate she wishes.

The reason my wife has given for not returning the property deed to my sole name is that this is her security. Hence she says this is her right Islamically. This is now causing friction. I have no intention to sell our family home. I am only seeking acknowledgement from my wife that she is wrong to refuse a request from her husband that is halal, and from an Islamic perspective, this is a break of the amanah and disrespect to the husband.
Further, if I leave this dunya and the property deed is joint, the distribution of my assets will not be in accordance with Sharia, how can I address this please?

Jazak’Allah khairan

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:
In relation to the distribution of assets and everyone being given their allocated share,

When you gifted your wife the house, or put it into her name; she was granted that security through which she can feel comfortable with position within the marriage. Generally, there should be things which should be given if it offers security and aids in strengthening the bond in the relationship.

Generally, once the property has been given to the recipient, that is now legally theirs. The person who gifts or the giver of the item must acknowledge that and thus is not in a position legally according to Islamic law to demand its return – it is now in the recipients’ ownership. Therefore, they decide what happens to the item. If they wish, they can keep hold oof it themselves. However, if they decide by themselves without any duress to return or give the item back, then they can do so, out of their own free will.

In relation to the question, your wife does not want to give the ownership of that part of the house which you had put in her name, and it is her right to do so-as that part of the property is hers now. She is entitled to a section of the house from the husband, yourself, which she can lay claim to as her own. In Islam, it is the husbands duty to provide the wife with food to sustain herself, clothes through which she may cover her body and a house and residence under which she can take shelter.

According to this, she is thus entitled to receive a part of the house exclusive to her wherein she is residing. Further, to reiterate, once the ownership of that portion of property has been given to her, it is now at her discretion that she keeps it or gives it back to her husband, almost like a separate transaction – as it will not be in his possession from the moment it was given to her, so it will not be like borrowing, for it to be given back to him without any question.

In relation to your final question, you may distribute your assets according t Islamic Sharia by distributing these assets accordingly in your will, or allocating portions accordingly in respect of Islamic heirs and distribution of the assets which you own, so that you may be prepared and be in a suitable position.

Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.

Written by Moulana Ubaidur Rahman.

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham

أقسام الورثة:
ينقسم الورثة بالنسبة للإرث إلى أربعة أقسام:

١ – من يرث بالفرض فقط، وهم سبعة:

الزوج، والزوجة، والأم، والجدة من جهة الأم، والجدة من جهة الأب، والأخ لأم، والأخت لأم.

٢ – من يرث بالتعصيب فقط، وهم اثنا عشر:

الابن، وابن الابن وإن نزل، والأخ الشقيق، والأخ لأب، وابن الأخ الشقيق وإن نزل، وابن الأخ لأب وإن نزل، والعم الشقيق وإن علا، والعم لأب وإن علا، وابن العم الشقيق وإن نزل، وابن العم لأب وإن نزل، والمعتق، والمعتقة.

٣ – من يرث بالفرض تارة، وبالتعصيب تارة، ويجمع بينهما تارة، وهم اثنان:

الأب والجد.

فيرث الواحد منهما السدس مع الفرع الوارث فرضاً، ويرث بالتعصيب وحده إذا لم يكن معه فرع وارث، ويرث بالفرض والتعصيب مع الأنثى من الفرع الوارث إن بقي بعد الفرض أكثر من السدس، كما لو مات أحد عن أب، وأم، وبنت، فالمسألة من ستة:

للبنت النصف ثلاثة، وللأم السدس واحد، والباقي اثنان للأب فرضاً وتعصيباً.

٤ – من يرث بالفرض تارة، وبالتعصيب تارة، ولا يجمع بينهما أبداً، وهم أربعة:

البنت فأكثر، وبنت الابن فأكثر وإن نزل أبوها.

والأخت الشقيقة فأكثر، والأخت لأب فأكثر.

فترث هذه الأربع بالفرض مع عدم المعصب لهن وهو أخوهن.

ويرثن بالتعصيب مع المعصب لهن وهو أخوهن كالابن مع البنت، والأخ مع الأخت، والأخوات مع البنات عصبات دائماً

الشروط التي يجب الوفاء بها:
هي ما كانت من مقتضيات العقد، ولم تتضمن تغييراً لحكم الله ورسوله كاشتراط العشرة بالمعروف، والإنفاق عليها، وكسوتها، وسكناها، والقَسْم لها، وأنها لا تخرج من بيته إلا بإذنه، ولا تصوم تطوعاً إلا بإذنه، ولا تنفق من بيته إلا برضاه، ولا تأذن في بيته إلا بإذنه ونحو ذلك.

فهذه الشروط كلها يجب الوفاء بها؛ لأنها مما أمر الله ورسوله بها.

عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ رَضيَ اللهُ عَنهُ قال: قال رَسُولُ اللهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم –

: «أحَقُّ الشُّرُوطِ أنْ تُوفُوا بِهِ مَا اسْتَحْلَلْتُمْ بِهِ الفُرُوجَ»

. متفق عليه (١)

إذا وقع عقد الزواج صحيحاً، ترتبت عليه آثاره، ووجبت بمقتضاه الحقوق الزوجية

فيجب على كل واحد من الزوجين أداء ما عليه من الحقوق للآخر، والقيام بما عليه من الواجبات، ليصفو العيش بينهما، وتهنأ الأسرة، وتكمل السعادة الزوجية

فيجب على الزوج حسن معاشرة زوجته، وإكرامها، والتلطف معها، ومداعبتها، والرفق بها، وتأديبها، وتعليمها ما ينفعها، ورحمتها، وتطييب خاطرها، وكف الأذى عنها ونحو ذلك مما يؤلف قلبها، ويجلب المحبة والمودة 1  
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