Woman working from home due to constraints

Q: My husband works in his father’s business. His father deals in interest and sells haraam. My husband knows it is haraam but is not interested in getting another job.

Also, my husband has almost hit me. I really want to be financially independent from him. I don’t know where we will be financially in a few years’ time. I do have enough savings to study something and go out and work. Should I do this?

I have considered starting a home business, but I don’t know what kind of home business will succeed and generate income. I don’t know what to sell or where to start from.

A: If there is a need for a woman to do some work then it should be done from within the confines of the home. On account of the abundant fitnah, we will never encourage women to leave their homes for studying purposes, etc.

Everybody starts of in the condition that you are in presently. Trust in Allah Ta'ala, experiment and it will gradually succeed insha-Allah, whether it is baking, making savouries, etc. that you try to sell from home.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

وَ قَرنَ فِی بُیُوتِکُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجنَ تَبَرُّجَ الجَاهلِیَّة  الاُولٰی وَ اَقِمنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اٰتِينَ الزَّکٰوةَ  وَ اَطِعنَ اللّٰه وَرَسُولَه ؕ اِنَّمَا یُرِیدُ اللّٰهُ  لِیُذهبَ عَنکُمُ الرِّجسَ اَهلَ البَیتِ وَ یُطَهرَکُم  تَطهِیرًا (الأحزاب 33)

عن علي رضي الله عنه أنه كان عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال أي شيء خير للمرأة فسكتوا قال فلما رجعت قلت لفاطمة أي شيء خير للنساء قالت لا يرين الرجال ولا يرونهن فذكرت ذلك للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال إنما فاطمة بضعة مني (كنز العمال، الرقم: 46012، مسند البزار، الرقم: 526)

فروع استأجر امرأته لتخبز له خبزا للأكل لم يجز (الدر المختار 6/62)

قال العلامة ابن عابدين رحمه الله (قوله لم يجز) لأن هذا العمل من الواجب عليها ديانة لأن النبي قسم الأعمال بين فاطمة وعلي فجعل عمل الداخل على فاطمة وعمل الخارج على علي (رد المحتار 6/62)

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)