A husband making his wife work while he is able to earn

Question

السلام علیکم ورحمتہ اللہ وبرکاتہ

My question is that if a man gets his wife to do a job when he himself is healthy and can earn. So what will be the order on him?

— Saiyed Lukman Razvi, Modasa, Gujarat, India

Answer

وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته

The pure Sharī`ah gives the husband the responsibility to provide for his family and this is an obligation upon him.

If he, however, is genuinely unable to fulfill this then he is not blameworthy.

If he is fit and able to work and yet does not and fails to provide for his family then he is certainly sinful and blameworthy.

The wife is not obliged to provide for her husband and children even if the husband is not able, the responsibility does not fall upon her.

If she does work to support her husband and the form of work she does, does not violate the Sharī`ah then there is no harm in this.

If the husband forces his wife to work in order to provide for him and his family then he is sinful and if the work is such that it entails her not practicing proper pardah or disobeying any other command of the Sharī`ah, then both, the husband and wife are sinful and Allāh knows best.

Faqīr Salmān al-Nūrī · (May he be forgiven)

Verified by Muftī Zāhid Ḥussain al-Qādirī