The Limits of a Married Woman’s Disposition of Her Money and Giving to Her Parents

Question : He says: What are the limits of a married woman’s disposition of her money, and is she permitted to give to her parents without her husband’s knowledge, while warning her husband against that? And if she does not give her parents from her money, is she undutiful to them, even if they are not in need of money? And is she permitted to give her parents from her zakah or from zakat al-fitr?

Answer : The answer to that is that a free, adult woman is free in her money and there is no restriction on her. She may give from her money whatever she wishes, with her husband’s permission or without it, whether she gives to her parents or to others. This is the stronger position in this issue. As for giving them from the zakah, if she is giving her parents to meet their needs and she is able to meet their needs from her own money, then it is not permissible for her to give them from the zakah, because that would be saving her own money. However, if she is unable to spend on them from her own money, then she may give them from the zakah.