Marital Life, - The Islamic Fiqh Academyand Differences Between the Working Husband and Wife

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The council of the Islamic Fiqh Academy, a subsidiary organ of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, in its sixteenth session, which was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, issued a resolution and a Fatwa regarding the differences between the working husband and wife and the independent financial liability of both spouses.
First:The Independent Financial Liability of Both Spouses
The wife enjoys full legal competence and an independent financial liability. She is absolutely entitled, within the framework ofSharee‘ahrulings, to all that she earns from her work and to her own private property. She has a right to own and to dispose of all that she owns. The husband has no authority over her property and she does not need his permission to own and dispose of her property.
Second: Marital Financial Maintenance
The wife deserves complete marital financial maintenance which is determined according to what is acceptable, the husband’s financial ability and sound andSharee‘ah-approved social customs. This financial maintenance is obligatory on the husband, but not if the wife is defiantly disobedient.
Third: The Wife’s Work Outside the House
1-Taking care of the family, raising the children and looking after the future generation, are some of the basic responsibilities of the wife. She has the right, in case of need, to work outside the house provided that this work befits her nature and specialization, that doing so coincides withSharee‘ah-approved customs, that she abides by the rulings of Islam andSharee‘ahetiquettes and that she observes her basic responsibilities.
2-The wife’s going out to work does not eradicate her right to receive financial maintenance from her husband, which is obligatory on him, as long as her going to work does not involve a type of arrogance or condescension that makes the husband no longer required to provide for her.
Fourth: The Wife’s Support of Family’s Expenses
1-According to theSharee‘ah, it is not obligatory on the wife to share in paying the expenses of the family which are by default obligatory on the husband. It is impermissible to oblige her to do this.
2-The wife’s voluntary support in paying for the expenses of the family is recommended underSharee‘ahbecause doing so will achieve cooperation, unity and harmony between the spouses.
3-It is permissible for the spouses to reach an understanding and an agreement concerning the wife’s salary or wages.
4-If the wife’s going out for work results in extra expenditure, she should pay for this.
Fifth: Work Set as a Condition
1-It is permissible for the wife to put work outside the house as a condition in the marital contract. If the husband agrees, then he is required to fulfill that condition. Stipulation should be done explicitly when concluding the marital contract.
2-It is permissible for the husband to ask his wife to leave her work, after permitting her to work, if leaving it is for the family’s and the children’s welfare.
3-It is not permissible under theSharee‘ahto make the permission )or the stipulation( contingent on her paying for the family’s expenses which are originally obligatory on the husband or giving him part of her salary.
4-The husband has no right to compel his wife to work outside the house.
Sixth: The Wife’s Share in Ownership
If the wife actually helps in supporting the family with her own property or earnings in paying for a house, some real estate or a commercial project, she has the right to have a share in the ownership of the house or the project - according to the percentage of money that she invested.
Seventh: Abusing the Right to Work
1-In marriage, there are mutual rights and duties between the spouses, and they are determined by theSharee‘ah. The relation between the spouses should be based on justice, solidarity, support and mercy, and it is prohibited to violate these bases.
2-It is impermissible for the husband to abuse the right of preventing the wife from working or of asking her to leave work if in doing so he intends to harm her or if leaving her work will result in a harm that is greater than the expected benefit.
3-This also applies to the wife if she intends, by remaining in her work, to harm the husband or the family or if her work results in a harm that is greater than the expected benefit.
Recommendations
·The Academy recommends conducting social, economic and medical studies on the effects of the wife’s work outside the house on the family, as well as on the wife herself. These studies will reveal the facts of the issue. Samples of these studies should be from different societies.
·The Academy stresses the obligation of inculcating the concept of integration between the spouses and the keenness of Islam on building the relation between them on affection and mercy.
·The Academy recommends holding a special symposium that deals with the affairs of the Muslim woman in general, and her role in developing the Islamic society in particular. This should be done in accordance with civilizational development, and according to the criteria of theSharee‘ahso as to reach resolutions and recommendations that should be accredited by all Islamic governments and institutions before the international conferences about women and population.

- PUBLISHERNajimudeeN M

Marital Life, - Your Husband Does Not Share Responsibilities with You - Are You the Cause?

Have you ever thought of compelling your husband to play his role as a father and fulfill his duty towards his children? Have you ever suffered from his negligence towards them? Have you ever tried to make him share the responsibility with you and make him the first one to know about your concerns? Hanaan Zayn, director of As-Sa‘aadah Center for Marital Consultation, helps women make an ideal father of their husband. Here are some of her simple methods through which you can make your husband love his parental role and encourage him to continue with it.
-“The husband should be the first one to know”. You should adhere to this saying so that he knows everything concerning his child and what is going on in the house.
-Be patient with your husband; the responsibility of the children is not easy so do not mock him if he makes a mistake. Rather, let the situation pass as a joke.
-Ask yourself and answer frankly: do you feel that the child belongs to both of you or do you feel that he is yours alone?
-Perhaps the father plays his role in a different way that he thinks is suitable. You should accept his way without complaint or criticism. You should not show your excessive care about your children because this does not give the father a chance to participate.
-Be keen on developing your love for your husband and give him a chance to feel this. These two things greatly effect the development of his role as a father.
-Also, be keen on developing the children’s relationship with their father, and this should be done through:
1.Using the words and expressions which inculcate in them esteem and love for their father which would make them feel like kissing his hand when he comes home and before they go to bed. Also, by using words that express their respect and love for their father.
2.Playing games with your husband and children. Playing together creates an atmosphere of mutual closeness and pleasure.
3.Going out for a short period and leaving the child with his father alone makes the father gain confidence in his ability to shoulder the responsibility of raising his child.
-Try to make your husband always feel that the child belongs to both of you by making him share some of the child’s responsibilities with you. This could be done with things like choosing a suitable school, paying the tuition fees, helping to study some subjects with him or going to the doctor with him. If you can not do this because of his conditions or because he refuses, you should at least tell him about everything that happens and ask him for his opinion.
-When you feel exhausted because of your responsibilities as a mother, do not express this in an emotional and irritated way so that you do not thereby stir up your husband’s obstinacy. Rather, you should ask him to help you by using good words which make him feel that you need his help.
-Parents must talk about the upbringing of the child and draw up a plan that requires the participation of both parents, and this will result in creating a happy and secure familial atmosphere for the child. Therefore, you should be keen on using this approach with your husband and frequently mention the children’s good situations, actions, and words.
-When he enters the home, do not hasten to tell him about your child’s problems for two reasons: the first is to wait until he is ready to talk and discuss things with you. The second reason is not to stir his enmity towards his child. You should leave him until he is able to discuss the problem and then together you can search for a solution. Do not hasten to mention the solution so that you make him feel the value of his opinion.
-Beware of forgetting caring for your husband because of your care for your children so that their relation does not turn into one of jealousy.
-You should always show your husband your appreciation of his great role. Be thankful to him for everything that he does for you and your family. You should express this explicitly and repeat it in front of your children so they will do the same thing.
-Give your husband a chance to spend some time outside the house with his friends or in doing some of his hobbies so that he can continue to perform his role efficiently.
Do not forget to live with your husband for a while as husband and wife and as two lovers - away from the character of the father and mother. These occasions would surely help you to perform your roles perfectly.

Marital Life, - Do You Give Your Wife Some Water?

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In this age, women shoulder many responsibilities and burdens which form mental and physical pressures. A woman goes to work and suffers due to the means of transportation, domineering bosses and the required mental and physical effort. Then comes her main job that she was created to do and from which she can never escape or violate: her responsibility to take care of her husband, home and children. This includes the required effort, patience and energy to look after her children physically and emotionally, and to follow up on their educational process. She also has to look after her husband emotionally and physically. Being under all these pressures, a woman looks at her husband and hopes that he will feel her pain, help her with some of her responsibilities and alleviate some of her burdens.
Many men refuse to help their wives with the housework. Could the poor hard-pressed woman demand assistance as one of her rights? Is it obligatory upon her husband to help her?thinking that the West gives such rights to the woman while Islam deprives her of them. She may regard the western man, who helps his wife with all the housework, as a symbol of civilization. At the same time, she considers the Muslim husband to be a symbol of backwardness. This attitude degrades the Muslim man greatly.
If both husband and wife contemplate the lives of the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions, they would find fine examples that a woman can ask her husband to follow. She can ask her husband to imitate what they did in their homes and with their wives. Surely, a Muslim man would rather imitate the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions than Western men?
The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“The best amongst you are those who are best towards their wives, and I am the best amongst you towards my wives.”How was the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the best person at home and with his family? ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, informed us that he would be at the service of his family, and when he would hear theAthaan)call to prayer(, he would go out forSalaah)prayer(.
‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, also informed us of what types of services he would do: The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would mend his shoes, sweep the house, sew his clothes and milk the sheep; that is to say he would help his wives with all their housework. He really was a great Prophet!
He was married to nine women and if he had ordered any of them with tasks, he would have been obeyed and would not be burdening her, as each of the wives would have only done the tasks assigned to her. However, the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, freed them from these responsibilities out of mercy and love.
The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“I advise you to be kind to women. They are with you and have not any power over their own affairs. You have certainly taken them by the trust of Allaah and you have had them lawful ]to you[ by the word of Allaah The Almighty.”The Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, encouraged men to help women, pointing out that man will be rewarded for all that he does for his wife. The Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, applied his advice.
Does the modern Muslim man even bring his wife a glass of water like the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, would do, following the example of the Prophet,sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?.

- PUBLISHERNajimudeeN M

Dought & clear, - The Gospels that are extant nowadays were written after the time of ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) and have been tampered with a great deal.

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It is well known among us Muslims that Allaah revealed the Gospel (Injeel) to ‘Eesa (peace be upon him), but when I studied some things about Christianity, they told me that the Gospel was not brought by the Messiah, rather it was written by the disciples of the Messiah after the crucifixion (or after Allaah raised him up to Him, as it says in the Qur’aan). How can we reconcile between the two views?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no contradiction between the two views such that we would need to ask how they can be reconciled. Rather the reason why the questioner is confused is that he is mixing up two things that we must believe in and that are both true, praise be to Allaah.
The first issue is the Gospel that was revealed from the Lord of the Worlds to the Prophet of Allaah ‘Eesa (peace be upon him). Belief that Allaah revealed a Book to His Prophet ‘Eesa and that the name of this book was the Gospel (Injeel), are basic principles of faith that we must believe in. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The Messenger (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers’ — and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)’”
[al-Baqarah 2:285]
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Jibreel, when he asked him about faith, as mentioned in the well-known hadeeth: “Faith means to believe in Allaah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in His divine will and decree, both good and bad.” (Agreed upon).
Disbelieving in that or doubting it is misguidance and kufr or disbelief in Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Believe in Allaah, and His Messenger (Muhammad), and the Book (the Qur’aan) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him); and whosoever disbelieves in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away.
137. Verily, those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe (again), and (again) disbelieve, and go on increasing in disbelief; Allaah will not forgive them, nor guide them on the (right) way”
[al-Nisa’ 4:136-137]
“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allaah and His Messengers (by believing in Allaah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, “We believe in some but reject others,” and wish to adopt a way in between.
151. They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment”
[al-Nisa’ 4:150-151]
The second issue is the Gospel or, more precisely, the Gospels that the Christians have today. Although one of the basic principles of our faith is to believe in the Gospel that was revealed to ‘Eesa, we also believe that there is no longer any book that remained as it was revealed by Allaah, neither the Gospel nor anything else, apart from the Qur’aan. Even the Christians themselves do not believe that the books that they have before them were revealed in that form from God, nor do they claim that the Messiah wrote the Gospel or at least that it was written during his lifetime. Imam Ibn Hazm (may Allaah have mercy on him) says inal-Fasl fi’l-Milal(2/2):
We do not need to try hard to prove that the Gospels and all the books of the Christians did not come from God or from the Messiah (peace be upon him), as we needed to do with regard to the Torah and the books attributed to the Prophets that the Jews have, because the Jews claim that the Torah that they have was revealed from God to Moosa, so we needed to establish proof that this claim of theirs is false. With regard to the Christians, they have taken care of the issue themselves, because they do not believe that the Gospels were revealed from God to the Messiah, or that the Messiah brought them, rather all of them from first to last, peasants and kings, Nestorians, Jacobites, Maronites and Orthodox are all agreed that there are four historical accounts written by four known men at different times. The first of them is the account written by Matthew the Levite who was a disciple of the Messiah, nine years after the Messiah was taken up into heaven. He wrote it in Hebrew in Judaea in Palestine, and it filled approximately twenty-eight pages in a medium-sized script. The next account was written by Mark, a disciple of Simon ben Yuna, who was called Peter, twenty-two years after the Messiah was taken up into heaven. He wrote it in Greek in Antioch in the land of the Byzantines. They say that the Simon mentioned is the one who wrote it, then he erased his name from the beginning of it and attributed it to his disciple Mark. It filled twenty-four pages written in a medium-sized script. This Simon was a disciple of the Messiah. The third account written was that of Luke, a physician of Antioch who was also a disciple of Simon Peter. He wrote it in Greek after Mark had written his account, and is similar in length to the Gospel of Matthew. The fourth account was written by John the son of Zebedee, another disciple of the Messiah, sixty-odd years after the Messiah has been taken up into heaven. He wrote it in Greek, and it filled twenty-four pages in a medium-sized script. End quote.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said inal-Jawaab al-Saheeh(3:21):
With regard to the Gospels that the Christians have, there are four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They are agreed that Luke and Mark did not see the Messiah, rather he was seen by Matthew and John. These four accounts which they call the Gospel, and they call each one of them a Gospel, were written by these men after the Messiah had been taken up into heaven. They did not say that they are the word of God or that the Messiah conveyed them from God, rather they narrated some of the words of the Messiah and some of his deeds and miracles. End quote.
Moreover, these books which were written after the time of the Messiah did not remain in their original form. The original versions were lost long ago. Ibn Hazm said:
With regard to the Christians, there is no dispute among them or anyone else that only one hundred and twenty men believed in the Messiah during his lifetime… and all of those who believed in him concealed themselves and were afraid during his lifetime and afterwards; they called people to his religion in secret and none of them disclosed himself or practised his religion openly, because any of them who was caught was executed.
They continued in this manner, not showing themselves at all, and they had no place where they were safe for three hundred years after the Messiah was taken up into heaven.
During this time, the Gospel that had been revealed from Allaah disappeared, apart from a few verses which Allaah preserved as proof against them and as a rebuke to them, as we have mentioned. Then when the Emperor Constantine became a Christian, then the Christians prevailed and started to practise their religion openly and assemble in safety.
If a religion is like this, with its followers practicing it in secret and living in constant fear of the sword, it is impossible for things to be transmitted soundly via a continuous chain of narrators and its followers cannot protect it or prevent it from being distorted.
End quote.Al-Fasl, 2/4-5.
In addition to this huge disruption in the chain of transmission of their books, which lasted for two centuries, these books did not remain in the languages in which they were originally written, rather they were translated, more than once, by people whose level of knowledge and honesty is unknown. The contradictions in these books and their shortcomings are among the strongest evidence that they have been distorted and that they are not the Gospel (Injeel) that Allaah revealed to His slave and Messenger ‘Eesa(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Allaah indeed spoke the truth when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“Had it been from other than Allaah, they would surely, have found therein many a contradiction”
[al-Nisa’4:82].

- PUBLISHERNajimudeeN M