Dar al-Iftaa reveals ruling on wife spending her salary on household

Egypt’s Dar al-Iftaa affirmed that a wife’s financial status is completely independent of her husband’s, and she has the full right to own and dispose of her own money and salary.

A husband has no right to force her to contribute her salary to household expenses, it said.

This was stated in a fatwa issued by the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Nasr Farid Wasel, on March 4, 1997 in response to a question regarding the permissibility of a working wife spending her salary on the marital home.

The fatwa clarified that the financial system between spouses in Islam is based on the financial independence of each.

Thus a wife has the legal capacity to own property, enter into contracts, and bear financial obligations independently of her husband.

The fatwa added that, according to Islamic Sharia, a husband is obligated to provide for his wife, including her needs for food, clothing, shelter, and domestic help, as well as furnishings, bedding, and other household items, in accordance with customary practices.

It clarified that if a wife contributes to household expenses from her own salary, it must be with her full consent and free will.

It affirmed that the fundamental principle is for spouses to cooperate in bearing the burdens of life, with each contributing what they are willing to give from their own resources, without either party forcing the other to relinquish their wealth or salary.