Q. You quoted a Hadith which suggests that it is permissible for a wife to steal from her husband. Is it possible that the Prophet could have permitted thieving? What sort of Islam are you propagating? Suppose that the husband has brought the money home to pay an outstanding debt only to discover in the morning that it is all gone, because his wife has stolen it to buy some luxuries. What would you say to that?
A. Haroon
A. We only preach what we have learned from and through God’s messenger, Muhammad, (peace be on him), and we will only say what we believe would please God Almighty. Therefore, we take whatever is authentically reported of Hadith and act on it, giving always the first priority to the Qur’an. But also, when we read a Hadith, we try to understand it within its context. We cannot treat a text said on a particular occasion without first considering that occasion to determine whether the statement attributed to the Prophet has a general or special application.
In this particular case, the woman concerned was Hind bint Utbah, Abu Sufyan’s wife. She complained to the Prophet that her husband was miserly and asked whether she could take some money from him without his knowledge. The Prophet told her: “Take what is sufficient for you and your child, in line with what is reasonable.”
This Hadith, then, speaks about the special case of a stingy husband who does not fulfill his duty of looking after his wife and children and does not provide for their living. The Prophet allowed her to redress this omission on her husband’s part by taking from him what is sufficient, and he added that it should remain within ‘what is reasonable’. So it is not a blank check for every wife. Of course a wife whose husband provides her with a decent standard of living, according to his means, may not take his money without his knowledge, because there is no overriding necessity, as in the case of the woman who complained of her husband’s miserliness. If the husband does not bring the essentials for his wife and children, then he has no right to keep all his money. Islam considers that one’s wife and children to be one’s partners in his wealth and property. So, if a woman finds herself in a situation where her children’s essential requirements, including food and clothing are not provided, she may take from her husband’s money what redresses his omission.
Q.1. Could you give me the exact translation of the Hadith which mentions the three ways that earn reward for a deceased person. Could you also provide the Arabic text.
Q.2. I also suggest that a website should be established where you include your answers of readers’ questions.
M. Shafiq-ur Rahman
Sydney
A.1. The Hadith you have mentioned may be translated as follows: “When a human being dies, all his actions come to an end, except in one of three ways: A continuous act of charity, a useful contribution to knowledge, or a dutiful child who prays to God for him (or her).” In Arabic the Hadith runs as follows: ida mata ibn Adam, inqataa amaluhu illa min thalath: sadaqah jariyah, aw ilmin yuntafau bihi, aw walad salih yadau lahu
A.2. There is already a website which provides most questions and answers published in Arab News. It is HYPERLINK “http://www.ourdialogue.com http://www.ourdialogue.com