Q. Can a woman give a ring or earrings to charity or as a gift to a friend or relative, knowing that her husband does not approve of that? He says that jewelry is a form of investment. Can she do so without informing him?
(Name and address withheld)
A. In Islam, a woman has complete independence of her financial affairs. She is responsible for what she does. As such, her husband may advise her on some aspects of what she wants to do, but he has no control over it. In other words, she does not have to obtain his permission before acting in a certain way. Therefore, if she is sure of the appropriateness of her intended action, she may go ahead with it.
This is the general rule. However, a housewife normally gets her jewelry from either her parents, or her husband, or as a gift from some other relative. A gift is a legitimate way of acquisition. When you receive a gift, you are the owner of that gift. The person who has given it to you no longer has any control over it, unless he makes it clear at the time that he retains some rights over it and you accept. Unfortunately, many men treat the jewelry they give to their wives or daughters as if it continues to be their own. They do not want the recipient to do anything with it without their prior consent. This is not the Islamic way.