What is the position on women and their own wealth? Does she need guardian or husband's permission to spend it?

 

Question: What is the position on women and their own wealth? Does she need guardian or husband's permission to spend it?

In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate.

All praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon His Chosen Messenger, the Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions, and followers.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,

“Verily, women are like men…”

[Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and Bazzar; Ibn al-Qattan declared Bazzar’s report from Anas to be rigorously authentic (sahih)]

Imam al-Tahtawi explained this as meaning that they are similar to them in terms of moral responsibility. [Hashiyat al-Tahtawi `ala al-Durr al-Mukhtar, 1.83, Bulaq ed.] Therefore, the rulings relating to men and women in the Sacred Law of Islam are the same, except where mentioned otherwise.

Imam Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudama (Allah have mercy on him), the brilliant Hanbali jurist, explained in his Mughni [4.299-301, #3473] that,

“The words of al-Khiraqi indicate that the sound-minded woman has the right of disposal over all her wealth, whether by gifting or through transactions. This is one of the narrations from Ahmad, and the position of Abu Hanifa, Shafi`i, and Ibn al-Mundhir…

Its evidence is the words of Allah High, “If ye find them of sound judgment, deliver over unto them their fortune,” [Qur’an, 4.6] which is explicit in removing any preventions from them and giving them unrestricted disposal over their wealth.

It has been established that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “O women! Give in charity, even if it be from your jewelry…” [Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, with similar wordings]

This is because a woman has full rights of transaction, and her spouse has no rights over her money. Therefore, he does not have the right to prevent her from disposing of any part of her wealth.” [Ibn Qudama, al-Mughni, 1.83]

And Allah alone gives success.

Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani

قال الإمام ابن قدامة (رحمه الله تعالى) في المغني: 4/299-301

( 3474 ) فَصْلٌ : وَظَاهِرُ كَلَامِ الْخِرَقِيِّ , أَنَّ لِلْمَرْأَةِ الرَّشِيدَةِ التَّصَرُّفَ فِي مَالِهَا كُلِّهِ , بِالتَّبَرُّعِ , وَالْمُعَاوَضَةِ .  وَهَذَا إحْدَى الرِّوَايَتَيْنِ عَنْ أَحْمَدَ . وَهُوَ مَذْهَبُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ وَالشَّافِعِيِّ وَابْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ ... . وَلَنَا , قوله تعالى : { فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ } . وَهُوَ ظَاهِرٌ فِي فَكِّ الْحَجْرِ عَنْهُمْ , وَإِطْلَاقِهِمْ فِي التَّصَرُّفِ , وَقَدْ ثَبَتَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ { يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ تَصَدَّقْنَ , وَلَوْ مِنْ حُلِيِّكُنَّ } ... وَلِأَنَّ الْمَرْأَةَ مِنْ أَهْلِ التَّصَرُّفِ , وَلَا حَقَّ لِزَوْجِهَا فِي مَالِهَا . فَلَمْ يَمْلِكْ الْحَجْرَ عَلَيْهَا فِي التَّصَرُّفِ بِجَمِيعِهِ ,.

في الموسوعة الكويتية:

د - ذِمَّتُهَا الْمَالِيَّةُ : 13 - لِلْأُنْثَى ذِمَّةٌ مَالِيَّةٌ مُسْتَقِلَّةٌ كَالرَّجُلِ ... وَلَهَا أَنْ تَتَصَرَّفَ فِي مَالِهَا كُلِّهِ عَنْ طَرِيقِ الْمُعَاوَضَةِ بِدُونِ إذْنٍ مِنْ أَحَدٍ , وَهَذَا بِاتِّفَاقِ الْفُقَهَاءِ . أَمَّا تَصَرُّفُهَا فِي مَالِهَا عَنْ طَرِيقِ التَّبَرُّعِ بِهِ , فَعِنْدَ جُمْهُورِ الْفُقَهَاءِ : يَجُوزُ لَهَا التَّصَرُّفُ فِي كُلِّ مَالِهَا بِالتَّبَرُّعِ عِنْدَ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ وَالشَّافِعِيَّةِ وَابْنِ الْمُنْذِرِ وَرِوَايَةٍ عَنْ الْإِمَامِ أَحْمَدَ

قال العجلوني (رحمه الله تعالى) في كشف الخفاء: 1/248

انما   النساء شقائق الرجال  رواه أحمد وأبو داود والترمذي عن عائشة ورواه البزار عن أنس قال ابن القطان هو من طريق عائشة ضعيف ومن طريق أنس صحيح

في النهاية لابن الأثير: 2/492

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