989 – ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related: “Hind bint ʿUtbah, the wife of Abū Sufyān, entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, Abū Sufyān is a stingy man; he does not give me enough maintenance for myself and my children except what I take from his wealth without his knowledge. Am I sinful for doing that?’ He replied, ‘Take from his property, according to what is customary, whatever suffices for you and your children.’ ” Agreed upon.⦗1⦘

— Vocabulary of the ḥadīth —
• shaḥīḥ: on the morphological pattern faʿīl, an emphatic form meaning greatly stingy. Shaḥḥ (stinginess) is a particular kind of bukhl (miserliness) arising from avid desire; ḥirṣ (greed) is an intense craving for something.
• junāḥ: with a ḍamma on the jīm, means sin.
• bi-l-maʿrūf: i.e., according to what is recognized and customary, which varies with people’s conditions, their habits, the norms current among them in their time, place, prosperity, and hardship.

— Points derived from the ḥadīth —

1. The wife’s and children’s maintenance is obligatory and rests solely upon the father; the mother or other relatives do not share that duty with him.
2. The amount of maintenance is assessed in light of the husband’s and the dependents’ circumstances—wealthy, poor, or of moderate means.
3. Maintenance must be provided in accordance with what is customary; maʿrūf here refers to prevailing custom and usage, and this