the religion, at his largest gathering in Islam:

“You owe them their provision and clothing according to what is reasonable.”

To the man who sought his ruling concerning a wife’s rights, he said:

“Feed her when you eat, and clothe her when you clothe yourself.”

In none of these statements did he prescribe a fixed amount. Rather, he stipulated, at times, what is reasonable, and at others, sharing with her what the husband himself has. He said the same concerning the maintenance of slaves. In the two Sahīh collections, Abū Dharr reports that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“They are your brothers and servants, whom Allah has placed under your authority. Whoever has his brother under his authority should feed him from what he himself eats and clothe him from what he himself wears. Do not burden them with tasks beyond their strength; if you assign them such tasks, help them.”

In Sahīh Muslim, Abū Hurayrah reports that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said:

“A slave is entitled to his food and clothing, and must only be assigned work within his capacity.”

His instruction concerning wives and slaves is thus the same: at times, he states that food and clothing must be provided according to what is reasonable; at others, he commands that they be given a share of what one has oneself. Some scholars have held that providing what is reasonable is obligatory, whereas sharing what one has oneself is recommended. It may also be said that one instruction explains the other.

On this understanding, the obligation is to provide food and clothing according to what is reasonable in their kind, quantity, and manner of provision, although scholars have differed over this.

As for the “kind,” he is not specifically required to give her something measured by volume, such as wheat, or by weight, such as bread, or its monetary value in dirhams. Rather, custom determines this. Thus, when providing her with what reasonably suffices, if their customary food is dates and barley, for example, he gives her those.