her disobedience to him in matters that are his due—such as refusing his bed, declining to move with him to suitable accommodation, or leaving his house without his permission. In all such cases she is not entitled to maintenance, for she is deemed a nāshiz (recalcitrant wife) and he has no access to conjugal enjoyment, whereas maintenance is owed solely in exchange for that access.

Likewise, should she travel for her own needs, her maintenance lapses, for she has withheld herself from him for a reason that does not stem from him.

A widow is not entitled to maintenance taken from her late husband’s estate, because the property has passed to the heirs and no cause remains that would obligate maintenance for her. Her upkeep therefore falls upon herself, or upon whoever supports her if she is in need.

If the deceased woman is pregnant, her maintenance is to be paid out of the fetus’s portion of the estate—provided the deceased left an estate. If he left nothing, the responsibility shifts to the solvent heir of the fetus.

When both spouses agree to pay the maintenance in cash, or agree to advance it or defer it—whether for a long or a short period—that is permissible, for the right belongs to them both. If they cannot come to terms, the maintenance for each day must be handed over in full at the start of that day. Should they agree that it be paid in grain, that too is allowable because grain requires further expense and effort; she is not obliged to accept it unless she is willing.

She is entitled to a full set of clothing each year, to be given at the beginning of the year. If a husband is absent and leaves his wife without maintenance, or is present yet fails to support her, he remains liable for all past maintenance, for this obligation persists whether he is affluent or insolvent and is not canceled by the mere passage of time.