Do a wife’s earnings remain hers, and who is responsible for household maintenance?
2026-09-20
F24 · Selected fatwas
Shaykh Ibn Bāz
الشيخ عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز
Original Q&A · Full displayed answer
The full official page preserves a brief follow-up question. The whole answer retains the wife’s ownership, the husband’s maintenance duty, voluntary contribution, an employment-permission condition to share salary, and the different case of a marriage condition allowing her to continue working. It does not separately address bank-account interest.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
يقول: إنها لا تنفق من راتبها إلا النصف والنصف الآخر تضعه في البنك؟
الجواب
راتبها لها والنفقة عليك، النفقة على الزوج، وإذا اصطلحا أنها تنفق بعض الشيء فلا بأس، وإلا فالنفقة على الزوج، ومالها لها، سواء راتب وإلا غير راتب، الله يقول جل وعلا: فإن طبن لكم عن شيء منه نفسا فكلوه هنيئا مريئا [النساء:4] ، إن طابت نفسها وإلا فمالها لها، ليس له إلزامها، إلا إذا كان ذلك عن شرط بينهما بأن سمح لها بالوظيفة بشرط أن يكون الراتب بينهما، فالمسلمون على شروطهم، أما إن كان مشروط عليه في الزواج، مشروط عليه أنها في عملها وهي موظفة أو مدرسة، قد التزم بالشرط فراتبها لها معاشها لها، إلا إذا سمحت بشيء عن طيب نفس.
نعم.
English translation
English rendering prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited complete Arabic answer; not an official translation.
Original question
He says: She spends only half her salary and puts the other half in the bank?
Answer
Her salary belongs to her, and maintenance is your responsibility. Maintenance is the husband’s duty. If the two spouses agree that she contributes something, there is no harm; otherwise, maintenance is the husband’s responsibility, and her wealth belongs to her, whether it is salary or other wealth. Allah, exalted is He, says, “If they willingly give you any part of it, then enjoy it with pleasure” [al-Nisa 4:4]. If she gives willingly, that is one thing; otherwise, her wealth is hers and he may not compel her. An exception is where they have an agreement that he permits her employment on the condition that the salary be shared between them: Muslims are bound by their conditions. If, however, it was stipulated upon him at marriage that she would remain in her work as an employee or teacher, and he accepted that condition, her salary and earnings belong to her, unless she willingly gives something of them.
Yes.
Source and editorial notes
Official Ibn Bāz website, fatwa 8431
حكم نفقة الزوجة على زوجها
The Wife’s Maintenance Is upon Her Husband
Full original question and entire answer collated; replaces the historical selected excerpt. The complete question as displayed on the official page, line9, and its full answer on22–23 retained. The question is a short follow-up rather than a reconstructed caller letter. Both different employment-condition cases are retained; presenter thanks and related pages excluded.