Is It Permissible for a Rich Wife to Spend on Her Insolvent Husband?
هل يجوز إنفاق الزوجة الغنية على زوجها المعسر؟
Is it permissible for a rich wife to spend on her insolvent husband?
The answer explains that maintenance is the husband's obligation and gives two scholarly opinions on a rich wife whose husband becomes insolvent: either she is not obliged to spend and is repaid when he can afford it, or she must spend and may not claim it back. In either case, helping him willingly for Allah's sake is one of the greatest charities.
Islam guarantees the financial independence of a wife, yet it strongly encourages mercy, cooperation, and mutual support within the marital home during times of hardship.
Maintenance and Insolvency
1. The Primary Obligation of the Husband
Financial maintenance is an obligation upon the husband towards his wife because he has the right of guardianship and responsibility over her. (The child’s father will provide reasonable maintenance and clothing for the mother during that period) Al-Baqara 2: 233.
2. Scholarly Opinions on Insolvency
The scholars held two opinions on whether a rich wife must spend on her insolvent husband. First: she is not obliged to do so, and if she does, the husband must pay back what she spent on him as soon as he is able to afford it, unless she gave it to him as a gift. Second: the wife must spend on her husband while he is insolvent and may not ask him for any of that amount when he becomes able to repay it.
3. Voluntary Support as a Great Charity
Nevertheless, it is recommended for the wife to help her husband when he is in need because the marital home is shared between them. This means the spending of a working wife should be out of her own free will and she is not forced to spend. This is considered one of the greatest charities if she seeks Allah's pleasure through it.
هل يجوز إنفاق الزوجة الغنية على زوجها المعسر؟
يبين الجواب أن النفقة واجبة على الزوج، ويذكر قولين للعلماء في الزوجة الغنية إذا أعسر زوجها: أنها غير ملزمة بالإنفاق ويرد لها ما أنفقته عند قدرته، أو أن عليها أن تنفق ولا تطالبه بشيء. وفي الحالين فإعانتها له عن طيب خاطر ابتغاء وجه الله من أعظم الصدقات.
يضمن الإسلام الاستقلال المالي للزوجة، ومع ذلك فهو يشجع بقوة على الرحمة والتعاون والدعم المتبادل داخل بيت الزوجية في أوقات الشدة.
النفقة والإعسار
1. الوجوب الأساسي على الزوج
النفقة واجبة على الزوج لزوجته لأن له حق القوامة عليها. (وعلى المولود له رزقهن وكسوتهن بالمعروف) البقرة 2 : 233.
2. آراء العلماء في الإعسار
اختلف العلماء في إنفاق الزوجة الغنية على زوجها المعسر على قولين. الأول: أنها غير ملزمة بذلك، وإذا فعلت، فيجب على الزوج أن يرد لها ما أنفقته عليه بمجرد قدرته على ذلك ما لم تهبه له. الثاني: أن على الزوجة أن تنفق على زوجها في حال الإعسار ولا تطالبه بشيء من ذلك المبلغ عند قدرته على السداد.
3. الدعم الطوعي كصدقة عظيمة
ومع ذلك يستحب للزوجة أن تساعد زوجها في حال حاجته، لأن بيت الزوجية مشترك بينهما، أي إنفاق الزوجة العاملة يكون عن طيب خاطر وليست مجبرة على الإنفاق. وهي من أعظم الصدقات إذا ابتغت بها وجه الله.
1. Maintenance Is the Husband's Duty | النفقة واجب الزوج
Allah places the provision and clothing of mothers on the father (Al-Baqarah 2:233) and orders the husband to spend according to his means: the one with abundance from his abundance, and the one whose provision is restricted from what Allah has given him (At-Talaq 65:7). The Prophet said that when a man spends on his family seeking reward, it counts as charity for him (Sahih al-Bukhari 55).
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ (سورة الطلاق: 7)
جعل الله تعالى رزق الوالدات وكسوتهن بالمعروف على المولود له (البقرة 2:233)، وأمر الزوج أن ينفق بحسب سعته، فمن قدر عليه رزقه فلينفق مما آتاه الله (الطلاق 65:7). وقال النبي ﷺ: "إذا أنفق الرجل على أهله يحتسبها فهو له صدقة" (صحيح البخاري 55).
2. When the Husband Cannot Provide | إذا أعسر الزوج
If a wife treats what she spends on her insolvent husband as a debt, Allah commands creditors to give a debtor in hardship time until he is able to pay, and says that remitting the debt as charity is better (Al-Baqarah 2:280). The Prophet said that whoever makes things easy for someone in difficulty, Allah will make things easy for him in this world and the Hereafter (Sahih Muslim 2699).
وَإِن كَانَ ذُو عُسْرَةٍ فَنَظِرَةٌ إِلَىٰ مَيْسَرَةٍ ۚ وَأَن تَصَدَّقُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ (سورة البقرة: 280)
إن عدت الزوجة ما تنفقه على زوجها المعسر دينا عليه، فقد أمر الله تعالى بإنظار المدين المعسر إلى ميسرة، وجعل التصدق عليه بالدين خيرا (البقرة 2:280). وقال النبي ﷺ: "ومن يسر على معسر يسر الله عليه في الدنيا والآخرة" (صحيح مسلم 2699).
3. A Double Reward | أجران للزوجة المنفقة
Zaynab, the wife of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, asked whether spending on her husband and the orphans in her care would count for her, and the Prophet said that she would have two rewards: the reward of kinship and the reward of charity (Sahih al-Bukhari 1466). When she wished to give her jewelry in charity, he also said that her husband and children were the most deserving of it (Sahih al-Bukhari 1462).
قُلْ مَا أَنفَقْتُم مِّنْ خَيْرٍ فَلِلْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ (سورة البقرة: 215)
سألت زينب امرأة عبد الله بن مسعود: أيجزي عنها أن تنفق على زوجها وأيتام في حجرها؟ فقال النبي ﷺ: "نعم، لها أجران: أجر القرابة وأجر الصدقة" (صحيح البخاري 1466). ولما أرادت أن تتصدق بحليها قال ﷺ: "صدق ابن مسعود، زوجك وولدك أحق من تصدقت به عليهم" (صحيح البخاري 1462).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Is a working wife obligated to spend her money on household expenses?
No, a wife's wealth is her own. The financial maintenance of the family is the husband's duty, and any contribution she makes is out of her own free will and cannot be forced.
If a wife supports her insolvent husband, can she ask for the money back later?
The answer gives two opinions. On the first, she is not obliged to spend, and the husband must repay what she spent once he can afford it, unless she gave it to him as a gift. On the second, she must spend on him while he is insolvent and may not claim it back.
Is there a special reward for a wife who spends on her husband?
Yes. When Zaynab, the wife of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, asked about spending on her husband and the orphans in her care, the Prophet said she would have two rewards: the reward of kinship and the reward of charity (Sahih al-Bukhari 1466).
Is the husband still responsible for maintenance if his wife is rich?
Yes. Maintenance is the husband's obligation, and Allah orders him to spend according to his means (Al-Baqarah 2:233; At-Talaq 65:7). His wife's wealth remains her own.