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Fatwa CenterHusband Has No Right to Prevent His Wife from Bringing What Benefits Her and her Children
Question
Assalam alaikum. May Allah reward you.
My husband made a condition that I ask his permission before I take anything new into the house. In reality this means that I can not buy anything for myself or our children with my own money before I ask his permission. Is this a right that he has?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
It is established by scholars that a woman has an independent financial liability and enjoys full legal competence to dispose of her wealth as she wishes, and that her husband does not have any authority over her in this regard. Allah, The Exalted, Says (what means): {And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.} [Quran 4:4] Allah, The Exalted, allows a husband to take only what his wife willingly gives him, and this proves that it is valid and permissible for her to dispose of her wealth. Moreover, it was authentically narrated that the Prophet 
said to women: “Spend in charity, even if it is from your jewelry.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] He did not command them to seek the permission of their husbands in doing this.
Therefore, it is permissible for a woman to buy from her wealth whatever is beneficial to herself or her child, and she does not have to seek the permission of her husband to do so nor ask him for permission to bring into the house what she buys. She is not obliged to obey her husband in this regard (if he refuses) as long as what she buys does not cause harm to him. The enjoined obedience of the wife to her husband is not absolute. It is incumbent on a wife to obey her husband in what is good and permissible, and this does not apply to preventing one’s wife from doing what is in her interest or in her child’s interest and does not cause harm. However, you should reach an understanding with your husband about such matters in order to preserve the affection between you and avoid problems.
Allah Knows best.
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