What is the ruling on a woman whose husband does not work, while she works and orders him to work, but to no avail? Is she permitted to seek a divorce by compensation (khul') from him to separate from him?
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The questioner : Okay, before you go, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : An American sister, it seems she wrote me a letter, and I was in Makkah, and it seems she actually wrote two letters. She says that she was married to an American and had a son from him, then she divorced the American because she became a Muslim and he refused to become a Muslim.
The Shaykh : Good.
The questioner : After that, she married a Palestinian young man. She said, "I thought he was a Muslim man, a young man, and he appeared to be righteous and everything was fine." The important thing is that after she married him, it seems she was working, so he stayed at home and did not work or do anything. So she would say to him, "Why don't you look for work and such?" She would leave at six in the morning and return home at five in the afternoon, then she would take care of her son as well, and cook for herself and for him, while her husband sat at home, sitting in front of the television from morning until evening.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : She said that in Ramadan, she excused him, saying he was tired and such, and did not want to work. But she said that she was working in Ramadan, so she tried to convince him. Her father and mother, of course, are Christians, and they offered him a job and said to him, "Come work with us in our flower shop, and there is nothing forbidden in it, it is all just flowers."
The Shaykh : Very good.
The questioner : So he refused that. They employed their daughter, but they did not need him, but for the sake of their daughter and to provide for the household. She borrows from her parents because her salary is not enough to pay the bills.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : And he is sitting like this. Now he told her that he wants to study, and she became pregnant with him. He tells her that she must have an abortion because the child has not reached four months in her womb.
The Shaykh : What does he say to her?
The questioner : He wants to study and does not want her to become pregnant, because if she becomes pregnant, meaning, may Allah guide us, she will not be able to work, and he does not want to work because he wants to study.
The Shaykh : What does he say to her? O Professor Mahmoud.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What does he say to her? I did not understand.
The questioner : He wants her to abort the child, to cause the fetus to be expelled, because she is pregnant in the third month. So he said to her, "As long as it has not reached the fourth month, there is no harm in abortion?"
The Shaykh : May Allah guide him. Okay, and then?
The questioner : She asks, "Is it permissible for me to abort myself?"
The Shaykh : No, let her divorce him. Yes, let her seek a divorce by compensation (khul').
The questioner : By Allah, O Shaykh, I wanted to say this, but I was afraid, because the man was reported to have said words insulting us, and he is from the Muslim Brotherhood. But I said, if I want to judge, I was afraid that my emotions would interfere in the matter. I said, I will not speak about this until I ask.The Shaykh : And so I told her that, if Allah wills, I will write to you.
The Shaykh : Take it from me and do not worry. This person is not fit to be a husband for such a Muslim woman who works. Instead of him working for her, making her rich, and keeping her at home, is he not?
The questioner : But O Shaykh, this is the one we are discussing now.
The Shaykh : May Allah grant you health.
The questioner : Okay, I will leave you now, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Okay, and you are well, if Allah wills. And soon, if Allah wills, you will hear the good news of the arrival of the happy and easy child.
The questioner : If Allah wills. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : An American sister, it seems she wrote me a letter, and I was in Makkah, and it seems she actually wrote two letters. She says that she was married to an American and had a son from him, then she divorced the American because she became a Muslim and he refused to become a Muslim.
The Shaykh : Good.
The questioner : After that, she married a Palestinian young man. She said, "I thought he was a Muslim man, a young man, and he appeared to be righteous and everything was fine." The important thing is that after she married him, it seems she was working, so he stayed at home and did not work or do anything. So she would say to him, "Why don't you look for work and such?" She would leave at six in the morning and return home at five in the afternoon, then she would take care of her son as well, and cook for herself and for him, while her husband sat at home, sitting in front of the television from morning until evening.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : She said that in Ramadan, she excused him, saying he was tired and such, and did not want to work. But she said that she was working in Ramadan, so she tried to convince him. Her father and mother, of course, are Christians, and they offered him a job and said to him, "Come work with us in our flower shop, and there is nothing forbidden in it, it is all just flowers."
The Shaykh : Very good.
The questioner : So he refused that. They employed their daughter, but they did not need him, but for the sake of their daughter and to provide for the household. She borrows from her parents because her salary is not enough to pay the bills.
The Shaykh: Allahu Akbar.
The questioner : And he is sitting like this. Now he told her that he wants to study, and she became pregnant with him. He tells her that she must have an abortion because the child has not reached four months in her womb.
The Shaykh : What does he say to her?
The questioner : He wants to study and does not want her to become pregnant, because if she becomes pregnant, meaning, may Allah guide us, she will not be able to work, and he does not want to work because he wants to study.
The Shaykh : What does he say to her? O Professor Mahmoud.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : What does he say to her? I did not understand.
The questioner : He wants her to abort the child, to cause the fetus to be expelled, because she is pregnant in the third month. So he said to her, "As long as it has not reached the fourth month, there is no harm in abortion?"
The Shaykh : May Allah guide him. Okay, and then?
The questioner : She asks, "Is it permissible for me to abort myself?"
The Shaykh : No, let her divorce him. Yes, let her seek a divorce by compensation (khul').
The questioner : By Allah, O Shaykh, I wanted to say this, but I was afraid, because the man was reported to have said words insulting us, and he is from the Muslim Brotherhood. But I said, if I want to judge, I was afraid that my emotions would interfere in the matter. I said, I will not speak about this until I ask.The Shaykh : And so I told her that, if Allah wills, I will write to you.
The Shaykh : Take it from me and do not worry. This person is not fit to be a husband for such a Muslim woman who works. Instead of him working for her, making her rich, and keeping her at home, is he not?
The questioner : But O Shaykh, this is the one we are discussing now.
The Shaykh : May Allah grant you health.
The questioner : Okay, I will leave you now, if Allah wills.
The Shaykh : Okay, and you are well, if Allah wills. And soon, if Allah wills, you will hear the good news of the arrival of the happy and easy child.
The questioner : If Allah wills. May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Welcome.
The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.