🏡 Rights & responsibilities · #4
How much maintenance must a husband give his wife?
There is no fixed figure in the texts; maintenance is measured by the husband's means and the wife's reasonable needs.
Allah says that the one with ample means should spend according to his means, and the one whose provision is restricted should spend from what Allah has given him. This means a high-earning husband should not give at a minimum level, and a struggling husband is not burdened beyond his capacity. If there is a dispute, the Syariah Court will assess the husband's income, the wife's needs and the local cost of living before setting an amount. Use our calculator as an initial guide only, and refer to Maintenance to plan the family budget.
Allah says that the one with ample means should spend according to his means, and the one whose provision is restricted should spend from what Allah has given him. This means a high-earning husband should not give at a minimum level, and a struggling husband is not burdened beyond his capacity. If there is a dispute, the Syariah Court will assess the husband's income, the wife's needs and the local cost of living before setting an amount. Use our calculator as an initial guide only, and refer to Maintenance to plan the family budget.
Difference between schools. The Shafi'i school classically sets the amount of food according to the husband's status (rich, middling, poor), whereas the Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis measure it by the wife's sufficiency (kifayah) according to custom.
Sources
Surah at-Talaq 65:7Surah al-Baqarah 2:233Sahih al-Bukhari 5364