Rights of the wife
| Fatwa #1069 | Category: Marriage & Divorce | Country: Pakistan | Date: 4th March 2024 |
| Fatwa #1069 | Date: 4th March 2024 |
| Category: Marriage & Divorce | |
| Country: Pakistan | |
Question
Sorry to disturb with this question again
As far I know the responsibility of household chores is of wife but she is only entitled to flour to make bread for her food and two sets of clothes a year that’s it nothing else is included in her nafaqa.
But a husband can ask her to make him something special and not allow her to eat it as it’s not her right he can enjoy his comfort food but the wife can’t but she has to make it ( don’t tell me about the sunnah of marriage as I know but not following sunnah isn’t a sin)
He has to only five her two sets of clothes but he can ask her wash his whole wardrobe, do the dishes, dusting , moping taking care of the kids etc but she is not entitled to anything
Doesn’t this concludes no matter how many islam has given to woman still it’s less than that of a man as he can enjoy his life as he only has to spend a few money for just flour and 2 clothes while wife only survive on the bare minimum
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said,
خَيْرُكُمْ خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِهِ وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِي
Translation: “The best of you is the one who is best to his family (spouse and children) and I am the best of you towards my own family.” (Tirmidhi-3895)
It is well known amongst the books of Fiqh that marital law only exists as a worldly resort, not as a justified reason to ignore the rights of spouses. Therefore, it is incorrect to say that a man will not be sinful if he does what you have described above simply because that is the minimum requirement from a legal perspective. Infact, it is more likely that an Islamic judge will rightfully criticize such a husband and cower him into fulfilling his duties to his spouse. Failure to which, a wife may present her case once more to the judge.
It is incorrect to say that a wife is only deserving of this much flour and these many suits of clothing or that she must fulfill all the listed duties. A wife is to be given what she was accustomed to prior to the marriage (unless the husband is struggling with poverty). Failure to do so would result in sin for the man, judgement in the hereafter as well as judgement against him in an Islamic court by a judge who shall assess the situation as befits.
This notion of a woman having no recourse in a marriage stems from western feminism. A woman is always looked after, by her father, brother, husband, son and also the Islamic legal system.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Concurred by
Mufti Muhammad Patel
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia