What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding a man who hoards vast amounts of wealth and is stingy with his wife and children, even in food and clothing, claiming that he is poor and owns nothing, while they
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The questioner : What is the ruling of the Shari'ah, in your view, regarding a man who hoards vast amounts of wealth and is stingy with his wife and children, even in food and clothing, claiming that he is poor and owns nothing, while they believe those false claims? Moreover, they are not safe from his harshness and his tongue. Perhaps you have some guidance and advice on this matter, may you be rewarded?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
The questioner : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The Shaykh : The guidance that should be directed to this man, if what is said about him is true, is that he should fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in himself and in his family, and that he should fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon him regarding the maintenance of his wife and his children. For providing for the wife and children is among the obligatory duties. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:[Al-Baqarah 2:233] And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sunan Abi Dawud 1905Sahih (Al-Albani) It is not permissible for him to be stingy with what is obligatory upon him in this regard. If he is stingy with it, he is a fool from the perspective of the Shari'ah and from the perspective of reason. From the perspective of the Shari'ah, he is a fool because he has wronged himself by leaving what Allah has made obligatory upon him. Whoever leaves what Allah has made obligatory upon him has wronged himself, for the soul is a trust with the person, and he must care for it properly by doing what brings him closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and leaving what distances him from Allah. As for his being a fool from the perspective of reason, it is because this wealth that he saves will return to those whom he was stingy with in his lifetime, for wealth is inherited after its owner. In this case, it will be a burden upon him, and its destination will be those whom he was stingy with in this worldly life, and this is foolishness.
And let him know that he will not spend any expenditure seeking the Face of Allah but that Allah will reward him for it, even what he puts in his wife's mouth, as is authentically reported in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And let him know also that he will not spend any expenditure for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) on his family and his children but that Allah will replace it for him, as Allah the Exalted said:[Saba 34:39] And if he knows this knowledge and believes in it, it will be easy for him to spend on his wife and his children.
As for the wife and the children, if they are able to take some of his wealth, they may take the amount of their maintenance in a good manner, even if he does not know about it. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted Hind bint 'Utbah to take from her husband's wealth what suffices her and her children in a good manner, when she mentioned to him that he was stingy and did not give them enough maintenance. And if they are not able to take anything and he refuses to spend on them, then they may take from zakah and voluntary charity, for in this case they are poor and destitute, even if he prevents them from taking zakah. For some people do not spend on their families and are not pleased for them to take from zakah. This is, as is known, an error. But as for them, if they are in need and are among those who are entitled to zakah for one of the descriptions that is the cause of entitlement, then they take it, even if the one who is supposed to spend on them dislikes it, if he is refusing what is obligatory. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This is a listener from Kuwait who sent a long message that actually contained a set of many questions. Perhaps we will review some of them in this week's episode, and the remaining questions in a future episode, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
The questioner : May Allah send prayers and peace upon him.
The Shaykh : The guidance that should be directed to this man, if what is said about him is true, is that he should fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in himself and in his family, and that he should fulfill what Allah has made obligatory upon him regarding the maintenance of his wife and his children. For providing for the wife and children is among the obligatory duties. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said:
Upon the father is the mothers' provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable.
وَعَلَى الْمَوْلُودِ لَهُ رِزْقُهُنَّ وَكِسْوَتُهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِYou are responsible for providing them with food and clothing in a fitting manner
ولهن عليكم رزقهن وكسوتهن بالمعروفAnd let him know that he will not spend any expenditure seeking the Face of Allah but that Allah will reward him for it, even what he puts in his wife's mouth, as is authentically reported in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). And let him know also that he will not spend any expenditure for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) on his family and his children but that Allah will replace it for him, as Allah the Exalted said:
But whatever thing you spend [in His cause] - He will compensate it; and He is the best of providers."
وَمَا أَنفَقْتُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ فَهُوَ يُخْلِفُهُ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الرَّازِقِينَAs for the wife and the children, if they are able to take some of his wealth, they may take the amount of their maintenance in a good manner, even if he does not know about it. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted Hind bint 'Utbah to take from her husband's wealth what suffices her and her children in a good manner, when she mentioned to him that he was stingy and did not give them enough maintenance. And if they are not able to take anything and he refuses to spend on them, then they may take from zakah and voluntary charity, for in this case they are poor and destitute, even if he prevents them from taking zakah. For some people do not spend on their families and are not pleased for them to take from zakah. This is, as is known, an error. But as for them, if they are in need and are among those who are entitled to zakah for one of the descriptions that is the cause of entitlement, then they take it, even if the one who is supposed to spend on them dislikes it, if he is refusing what is obligatory. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you. This is a listener from Kuwait who sent a long message that actually contained a set of many questions. Perhaps we will review some of them in this week's episode, and the remaining questions in a future episode, if Allah wills.