Maintenance of the Family in a Good Manner
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Fatwa No. ( 18705 )
Q: I have two wives, two sons, and two daughters, as well as my mother and a divorced sister who has three children with her in my house. In my effort to seek justice between my wives and my children in maintenance—food, drink, and clothing—I did the following: I allocated one hundred riyals per month to each wife so that she may freely dispose of it, whether by saving it or spending it on her own clothing and the like. I allocated fifty riyals per month to each of the children, male and female, to be spent according to their needs; if they do not spend it, I save it for them so that it becomes their property to be used for clothing or the like. I set the household expenses for House No. (1) at eight hundred riyals per month for food and drink; this house includes my mother, my wife, my son, my daughter, my sister, and her three children.
I set the household expenses for House No. (2) at four hundred riyals per month for food and drink; this house includes only my second wife, my son, and my daughter. Is this action correct according to the Shari'ah? Please give us a ruling, and may you be rewarded. Is it obligatory for me to be just in matters other than lodging and maintenance? I married my first wife and gave her her right of mahr, jewelry, and household furniture. Then I married my second wife. Am I required to give my first wife the same as I gave my second wife, or is it sufficient for each to have what she received of mahr, jewelry, and furniture? Is it permissible to prefer one of them over the other because of her good treatment and great service? May Allah preserve you.
A: It is obligatory for you to maintain your wives, your children, your mother, and your sister in a good manner by providing for the needs of each of them according to your ability. It is not permissible for you to save any of your wealth for one of your children to the exclusion of the others. What you paid to one of your wives as mahr does not obligate you to pay the same amount to the other. May Allah guide everyone to what He loves and is pleased with. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: I have two wives, two sons, and two daughters, as well as my mother and a divorced sister who has three children with her in my house. In my effort to seek justice between my wives and my children in maintenance—food, drink, and clothing—I did the following: I allocated one hundred riyals per month to each wife so that she may freely dispose of it, whether by saving it or spending it on her own clothing and the like. I allocated fifty riyals per month to each of the children, male and female, to be spent according to their needs; if they do not spend it, I save it for them so that it becomes their property to be used for clothing or the like. I set the household expenses for House No. (1) at eight hundred riyals per month for food and drink; this house includes my mother, my wife, my son, my daughter, my sister, and her three children.
I set the household expenses for House No. (2) at four hundred riyals per month for food and drink; this house includes only my second wife, my son, and my daughter. Is this action correct according to the Shari'ah? Please give us a ruling, and may you be rewarded. Is it obligatory for me to be just in matters other than lodging and maintenance? I married my first wife and gave her her right of mahr, jewelry, and household furniture. Then I married my second wife. Am I required to give my first wife the same as I gave my second wife, or is it sufficient for each to have what she received of mahr, jewelry, and furniture? Is it permissible to prefer one of them over the other because of her good treatment and great service? May Allah preserve you.
A: It is obligatory for you to maintain your wives, your children, your mother, and your sister in a good manner by providing for the needs of each of them according to your ability. It is not permissible for you to save any of your wealth for one of your children to the exclusion of the others. What you paid to one of your wives as mahr does not obligate you to pay the same amount to the other. May Allah guide everyone to what He loves and is pleased with. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.