4th December 2020
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
Question: We know that it is necessary for the husband to provide financial maintenance (nafaqah) for his wife. If she receives money from the government e.g. child tax credit and child benefit and it suffices for her needs nafaqah (financial expenses) as well as for the children, does this absolve the husband’s obligation of Islamic nafaqah obligation?
الجواب حامداً و مصلياً
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Thank you for your question. In reference to your query, Islām as placed the financial obligation upon to the husband through nafaqah (e.g. money, shelter, food & clothing) provision for his wife and children.[1] Allāh Almighty has elevated his status because he secures their financial needs by spending on them from his own wealth. The reasons for their eligibility of nafaqah is different which leads to different rulings between them. The wife is eligible due to ihtibaas (confining herself for him by relocating to his home to fulfil his needs).[2] This means that he must provide for her regardless if she is rich or poor.[3] By rich it obviously implies that she already has her own personal money other than what he gives to her. So, any benefits she receives from the government for herself that suffices for her needs does not absolve the husband’s obligation in providing maintenance for her. She is not dutybound Islamically to spend that money on herself,[4] for instance using that for personal savings etc.
This was regarding nafaqah for the wife. The nafaqah for his children whether male or female is due to his wilayah (guardianship) and ma’oonah (financial responsibility) over them. A general overview of the principles related to child maintenance in Islām is that it is only necessary for the father to provide financial maintenance for his children if they are unable to work, for instance due to age or disability, or don’t receive any source of income. If they are able to work or receive other source of income then their nafaqah won’t be compulsory on him.[5] Child benefit and child tax credit that is provided by the state is so to help the parents to cover financial cost for the children; hence it should be used for this purpose. As the state is helping the father with the nafaqah of the children, if it suffices for their basic needs then his obligation is now dropped. If it doesn’t suffice then he must provide additional support.
[Allāh Knows Best]
Written by: Apa Sajeda Reviewed by: Mufti Abdul Waheed
Attested by: Shaykh Mufti Saiful Islam
JKN Fatawa Department
[1]Al-Quran,Surah Baqarah, Ayat 233
وَعَلَى الۡمَوۡلُوۡدِ لَهٗ رِزۡقُهُنَّ وَكِسۡوَتُهُنَّ بِالۡمَعۡرُوۡفِ
Ibn Abideen, Radul Muhtar Ala Durril Mukhtar. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 3, Pg 571-2.
هِيَ لُغَةً: مَا يُنْفِقُهُ الْإِنْسَانُ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ.وَشَرْعًا: (هِيَ الطَّعَامُ وَالْكُسْوَةُ وَالسُّكْنَى) وَعُرْفًا هِيَ: الطَّعَامُ (وَنَفَقَةُ الْغَيْرِ تَجِبُ عَلَى الْغَيْرِ بِأَسْبَابٍ ثَلَاثَةٍ: زَوْجِيَّةٌ، وَقَرَابَةٌ، وَمِلْكٌ) بَدَأَ بِالْأَوَّلِ لِمُنَاسِبَةِ مَا مَرَّ أَوْ؛ لِأَنَّهَا أَصْلُ الْوَلَدِ (فَتَجِبُ لِلزَّوْجَةِ) بِنِكَاحٍ صَحِيحٍ،
[2] Ibn Nujaym. Bahr al Ra’iq. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 4, Pg 188.
وَلِأَنَّ النَّفَقَةَ جَزَاءُ الِاحْتِبَاسِ فَكُلُّ مَنْ كَانَ مَحْبُوسًا بِحَقٍّ مَقْصُودٍ لِغَيْرِهِ كَانَتْ نَفَقَتُهُ عَلَيْهِ أَصْلُهُ الْقَاضِي
Ibn Abideen, Radul Muhtar Ala Durril Mukhtar. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 3, Pg 573.
(فَتَجِبُ لِلزَّوْجَةِ) بِنِكَاحٍ صَحِيحٍ، فَلَوْ بَانَ فَسَادُهُ أَوْ بُطْلَانُهُ رَجَعَ بِمَا أَخَذَتْهُ مِنْ النَّفَقَةِ بِحُرٍّ (عَلَى زَوْجِهَا) ؛ لِأَنَّهَا جَزَاءُ الِاحْتِبَاسِ، وَكُلُّ مَحْبُوسٍ لِمَنْفَعَةِ غَيْرِهِ يَلْزَمُهُ نَفَقَتُهُ
(قَوْلُهُ وَكُلُّ مَحْبُوسٍ إلَخْ) هَذِهِ كُبْرَى قِيَاسٍ مِنْ الشَّكْلِ الْأَوَّلِ طُوِيَتْ صُغْرَاهُ لِلْعِلْمِ بِهَا مِنْ التَّعْلِيلِ السَّابِقِ، وَالتَّقْدِيرُ: الزَّوْجَةُ مَحْبُوسَةٌ لِمَنْفَعَةِ الزَّوْجِ إلَخْ، وَيَنْتِجُ لُزُومُ نَفَقَتِهَا عَلَيْهِ فَافْهَمْ.
[3] Ibn Nujaym. Bahr al Ra’iq. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 4, Pg 244.
اطْلَقَ فِي الزَّوْجَةِ فَشَمِلَ الْمُسْلِمَةَ وَالْكَافِرَةَ الْغَنِيَّةَ وَالْفَقِيرَةَ وَأَطْلَقَ فِي الزَّوْجِ فَشَمِلَ الْغَنِيَّ وَالْفَقِيرَ وَالصَّغِيرَ وَالْكَبِيرَ
[4] Ibn Nujaym. Bahr al Ra’iq. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 4, Pg 194.
وَمِنْهَا أَنَّهَا لَوْ كَانَ لَهَا أَمْتِعَةٌ مِنْ فُرُشٍ وَنَحْوِهَا لَا يَسْقُطُ عَنْ الزَّوْجِ ذَلِكَ، بَلْ يَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ مَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ لَهَا أَمْتِعَةٌ فَلَا يَلْزَمُهَا أَنْ تَلْبَسَ مَتَاعَهَا وَلَا أَنْ تَنَامَ عَلَى فِرَاشِهَا فَبِالْأَوْلَى أَنْ لَا يَلْزَمَهَا أَنْ تَفْرِشَ مَتَاعَهَا لِيَنَامَ عَلَيْهِ أَوْ يَجْلِسَ عَلَيْهِ
Ibn Abideen, Radul Muhtar Ala Durril Mukhtar. Baab Al-Hiba, Vol 5, Pg 687.
(هي) لغة: التفضل على الغير ولو غير مال. وشرعا: (تمليك العين مجانا) أي بلا عوض لا أن عدم العوض شرط فيه
[5]Ibn Abideen, Radul Muhtar Ala Durril Mukhtar. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 3, Pg 615.
أَمَّا الصَّغِيرُ فَعَلَى أَبِيهِ خَاصَّةً بِلَا خِلَافٍ: قَالَ الشُّرُنْبُلَالِيُّ: وَوَجْهُ الْفَرْقِ أَنَّهُ اجْتَمَعَ لِلْأَبِ فِي الصَّغِيرِ وِلَايَةٌ وَمُؤْنَةٌ حَتَّى وَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ صَدَقَةُ فِطْرِهِ فَاخْتَصَّ بِلُزُومِ نَفَقَتِهِ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَا كَذَلِكَ الْكَبِيرُ لِانْعِدَامِ الْوِلَايَةِ فَتُشَارِكُهُ الْأُمُّ. اهـ. ط وَصَرَّحَ الْعَلَّامَةُ قَاسِمٌ بِأَنَّ عَدَمَ الْفَرْقِ بَيْنَهُمَا هُوَ ظَاهِرُ الرِّوَايَةِ، وَبِأَنَّ عَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى فَلِذَا تَبِعَهُ الشَّارِحُ.
Jurists have mentioned that if the girl is earning for herself then the obligation of support is not dropped from the father. See Ibn Abideen, Radul Muhtar Ala Durril Mukhtar. Baab Al-Nafaqah, Vol 3, Pg 614.
(قَوْلُهُ لِوَلَدِهِ الْكَبِيرِ إلَخْ) فَإِذَا طَلَبَ مِنْ الْقَاضِي أَنْ يَفْرِضَ لَهُ النَّفَقَةَ عَلَى أَبِيهِ أَجَابَهُ وَيَدْفَعُهَا إلَيْهِ؛ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ حَقُّهُ وَلَهُ وِلَايَةُ الِاسْتِيفَاءِ ذَخِيرَةٌ، وَعَلَيْهِ فَلَوْ قَالَ لَهُ الْأَبُ: أَنَا أُطْعِمُك وَلَا أَدْفَعُ إلَيْك لَا يُجَابُ، وَكَذَا الْحُكْمُ فِي نَفَقَةِ كُلِّ مَحْرَمٍ بَحْرٌ (قَوْلُهُ كَأُنْثَى مُطْلَقًا) أَيْ وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ بِهَا زَمَانَةٌ تَمْنَعُهَا عَنْ الْكَسْبِ فَمُجَرَّدُ الْأُنُوثَةِ عَجْزٌ إلَّا إذَا كَانَ لَهَا زَوْجٌ فَنَفَقَتُهَا عَلَيْهِ مَا دَامَتْ زَوْجَةً وَهَلْ إذَا نَشَزَتْ عَنْ طَاعَتِهِ تَجِبُ لَهَا النَّفَقَةُ عَلَى أَبِيهَا مَحَلُّ تَرَدُّدٍ فَتَأَمَّلْ، وَتَقَدَّمَ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لِلْأَبِ أَنْ يُؤْجِرَهَا فِي عَمَلٍ أَوْ خِدْمَةٍ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْ كَانَ لَهَا كَسْبٌ لَا تَجِبُ عَلَيْهِ
Fatawa Hindiyyah, Kitāb al-Talaq, Bāb Nafaqat, vol 1, p. 561-2
…..نَفَقَةُ الْأَوْلَادِ الصِّغَارِ عَلَى الْأَبِ لَا يُشَارِكُهُ فِيهَا أَحَدٌ كَذَا فِي الْجَوْهَرَةِ النَّيِّرَةِ
الذُّكُورُ مِنْ الْأَوْلَادِ إذَا بَلَغُوا حَدَّ الْكَسْبِ، وَلَمْ يَبْلُغُوا فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ يَدْفَعُهُمْ الْأَبُ إلَى عَمَلٍ لِيَكْسِبُوا، أَوْ يُؤَاجِرَهُمْ وَيُنْفِقَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أُجْرَتِهِمْ وَكَسْبِهِمْ، وَأَمَّا الْإِنَاثُ فَلَيْسَ لِلْأَبِ أَنْ يُؤَاجِرَهُنَّ فِي عَمَلٍ، أَوْ خِدْمَةٍ كَذَا فِي الْخُلَاصَةِ
وَلَا يَجِبُ عَلَى الْأَبِ نَفَقَةُ الذُّكُورِ الْكِبَارِ إلَّا أَنَّ الْوَلَدَ يَكُونُ عَاجِزًا عَنْ الْكَسْبِ لِزَمَانَةٍ، أَوْ مَرَضٍ وَمَنْ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْعَمَلِ لَكِنْ لَا يُحْسِنُ الْعَمَلَ فَهُوَ بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْعَاجِزِ كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ.