Nafaqah (Financial support)

Whose duty is it to pay for the household necessities?

Q: I am currently working for my father whereby I am in a secluded office doing his book work. For this I earn a wage. My husband also earns a reasonable wage and my question is:

1. Should I, as the wife, pay for household necessities and groceries or is it the duty of my husband? Please bear in mind that my husband and I are newly married and I have not had the confidence to bring up money matters with him as yet.

2. How do I go about discussing this with him in a sensible manner?

Husband refusing to give wife her possessions after divorce

Q: Currently my husband and I are separated after domestic violence and assault. I did leave myself after the physical abuse. I have now requested a faskh-e-nikah from Jamiatul Ulema. I have a 3 year old daughter.

1. I understand after the divorce, that shariah gives me custody until age 9/10 provided I do not remarry. What would be a fair amount of visitation/sleep over, with her best interest in mind in accordance with shariah for my husband with regard to our daughter considering her best interest with regard to her age and that I'm staying 400km from his home.

2. When we got married my husband agreed on giving me an allowance each month. Over the last several months he stopped giving me this allowance and he said he's saving it for me. Now he refuses to give me the R55000 that I had saved with him prior to the seperation.

a. Am I entitled to this money?

b. In the 5 month separation and iddah period that will inshallah soon follow, am I entitled to receive this allowance? He has not paid any maintenance in this separation period so far except for paying my medical aid.

3. He refuses to return my jewellery that was given to me from him and his family on engagement and nikah. He says it will stay with my daughter because it has to remain in the family. He also refuses to return any clothing or any other items (laptop etc) he purchased for me and that I purchased with my allowance over the 5 years. Is he allowed to refuse returning of my things even though I have taken ownership of theses things.

Taking care of one's stepson

Q: I married my husband and he has a son from his previous marriage. His son's biological mother is still alive, and when he was 8 years old, his father took him from his mother and since then he never saw his mother. With years we had two children on our own and my stepson is living with us.

My husband is away and I do most of the expenses, taking care of the three children. My husband sends me very little because his son is staying with me. I have to say, things are not very good between me and my stepson. And my husband always takes his side. I feel he doesn't give me the dignity as a wife and my marriage is falling apart, because of this I try my best to keep a good relationship with my stepson, but I can't love him as I love my own children and I really feel bad for him. And on good terms with my husband because we have 2 children. But I'm not happy.

My question is, can my stepson see his mom because his father has never allow him to do so? And what are my duties to him and my husband. All the responsibility is on my shoulder. And sometimes I want to divorce. Can I ask my stepson to leave. Please help me be because I want my stepson to be happy as well. 

Child born out of wedlock

Q: I am a 34 year old married Indian living in South Africa. I came here in 2014 alone for work, I met a Christian lady in 2015 and had sex with her, I did not know her but it happened suddenly/by chance and it was only once no more after that day, it was protected with condom. After one year that lady claimed that she gave birth to a baby girl from me, I wasn't sure with it and then I did a DNA test, the result is positive and says the baby is mine. So in this case what must I do? I cant marry her as I am already married and have 2 sons and they are with me now, I can't even adopt that child. What is the punishment of this great sin? Please advise me.

Responsibility of an illegitimate child

Q: I was 18 when I met my now husband...and I found out after I fell in love with him that he has a illigitimate child..he had no contact with her since birth and did not want to as the mother didn't want him to have any rifts over the child as she was to marry a man she cheated with on my husband in the past... For 16 years there was no contact and I married my husband on the grounds that this will never be a problem 1 day as I was never given a option to accept this with him or not... Furthermore for years he did not want this himself..

A few months ago after 16 years the child contacted het father and out of no where he wanted to have a relationship with her but his ex and child is not muslim and I could not bring myself to accept this...

Firstly the child isn't islam..2ndly I feel betrayed at the fact that I have to change my life for others mistakes of 16 years..my pious parents accepted this marriage on grounds that this would never come back like this...

I do feel bad as I told my husband...i cannot accept his estranged ex and child which isn't muslim in my life after so many years when now I want to start my own family and if he wants his child I have no choice but to divorce him as I cannot accept and fix a 16 year lost relationship of him and his daughter.. Am I wrong to not accept this?because I feel like I've been wronged by him and his false promise at the time of marriage..im scared Allah will punish me for stopping him and the child from having a relationship...

Please help