Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/457)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Book of Maintenance

A husband is obliged to provide his wife with food, clothing, and suitable lodging according to what befits someone of her standing. In the event of a dispute, the judge considers the circumstances of both spouses, …………….

His statement: “A husband is obliged to provide his wife with food, clothing, and suitable lodging according to what befits someone of her standing.” (1)

His statement: “In the event of a dispute, the judge considers the circumstances of both spouses.” If there is no dispute in these matters, he may give her whatever he wishes, or whatever she wishes, and there is no problem. But if they dispute and the matter reaches the judge—that is, the qadi—then is consideration given to the husband’s circumstances or to the wife’s? The author says: the circumstances of both are considered. Thus, they may both be wealthy, both poor, both of moderate means, the husband wealthy and the wife poor, or the reverse. These are five possible cases.

If both are wealthy, the judge sets the maintenance at the level appropriate for a wealthy person, because the husband is able to afford it. If both are poor, then it is maintenance appropriate for a poor person; and if both are of moderate means, then it is maintenance appropriate for someone of moderate means. If the husband is wealthy and she is poor, or the husband is poor and she is wealthy, then our jurists say that maintenance appropriate for someone of moderate means is obligatory, because their circumstances combine wealth and poverty.

The second view is that what is considered is the wife’s circumstances. Thus, if she is poor, she is entitled only to maintenance appropriate for a poor woman, even if her husband is among the wealthiest people in the world.

(1) The explanation of this passage was omitted from the audio recording of the lesson. Al-Rawd (7/107) states: “Nafaqat is the plural of nafaqah (maintenance), meaning the provision of sufficient bread, condiments, clothing, and their related necessities for those whom one supports. The husband is obliged to provide his wife with maintenance in the form of food—that is, bread and condiments—as well as clothing and housing appropriate to someone of her social standing, based on the Prophet’s statement: ‘They are entitled from you to their provision and clothing according to what is customary.’”

كِتَابُ النَّفَقَاتِ يَلْزَمُ الزَّوْجَ نَفَقَةُ زَوْجَتِهِ قُوتاً، وَكِسْوَةً، وَسُكْنَاهَا بِمَا يَصْلُحُ لِمِثْلِهَا، وَيَعْتَبِرُ الْحَاكِمُ ذلِكَ بِحَالِهِمَا عِنْدَ التَّنَازُعِ، ..................... قوله: «يلزم الزوج نفقة زوجته قوتاً، وكسوةً، وسكناها بما يصلح لمثلها» (١). قوله: «ويعتبر الحاكم ذلك بحالهما عند التنازع» إذا كانت الأمور ليس فيها نزاع فله أن يعطيها ما شاء أو ما شاءت ولا إشكال، لكن لو تنازعا ووصل النزاع إلى الحاكم ـ أي: القاضي ـ فهل يعتبر حال الزوج أو الزوجة؟ قال المؤلف: يعتبر حالهما جميعاً، وحينئذٍ إما أن يكونا غنيين، أو فقيرين، أو متوسطَين، أو الزوج غنياً والزوجة فقيرة، أو العكس، فهذه خمسة أحوال. فإذا كانا غنيين يفرض الحاكم نفقة غني؛ لأن الزوج قادر، وإذا كانا فقيرين فنفقة فقير، وإذا كانا متوسطين فنفقة متوسط، وإذا كان الزوج غنياً وهي فقيرة، أو الزوج فقيراً وهي غنية، ففقهاؤنا يقولون: يلزم نفقة متوسط؛ لأن الحال مركبة من غنى وفقر. القول الثاني: أن المعتبر حال الزوجة، فإذا كانت فقيرة فليس لها إلاّ نفقة فقيرة، ولو كان زوجها من أغنياء العالم.

(١) هذه الجملة سقط شرحها من التسجيل الصوتي للدرس، قال في الروض (٧/ ١٠٧): النفقات جمع نفقة، وهي كفاية من يمونه خبزاً، وأدماً، وكسوة، وتوابعها. (يلزم الزوج نفقة زوجته قوتاً) أي: خبزاً وأدماً (وكسوة وسكنى بما يصلح لمثلها) لقوله ﷺ: «ولهن عليكم رزقهن وكسوتهن بالمعروف». اهـ.