I have frequently heard Muslim woman say with confidence, oh I am a stay at home mom, Alhamdulillah, praise be o Allah I do not have to worry about bringing in an income to support my family. I have a great husband that provides for me, and besides that is the responsibility that Allah (swt) has put upon the man.
I do agree that it is nice to have a since of security and stress fee life style when you do not have to worry about the responsibility of working a full time job and maintaining the home as a woman these days. In fact I have done the very same thing myself for the past nine years.
Being a stay at home mom provides many regards that cannot be compared to working a full time job.
But on another note, say for example your husband looses his job, or falls ill, or worse case files for divorce or dies. Where does that leave you? A single mom, and perhaps widow.
Do you know that the average full time mom is worth over 200,000 dollars per year, simply based on the many tasks that she takes on?
As a woman there are many things that you need to make sure you have in line to protect yourself and your family for the future.
According to Islamic Law, a Muslim woman has various rights and responsibilities including her finances, but we are also in a unique situation as far as what is permissible and what is not.
According to the Majority of Islamic scholars, a Muslim woman has the right to maintain her finances, and does not require her father or husband, or brothers permission to do so. In fact Muslim woman were the first to be given this right.
In the past women were treated simply as a piece of property, and item to be sold and or inherited. During the time of Prophet Muhammad’s prophet hood these things drastically changed and Muslim women were given rights that many other women did not obtain for hundreds of years later, and still do not have even today.
Yes, a Muslim woman should respect and honor her husband’s wishes, however there are limits. Those wishes must not go against the will of Allah (swt) and those wishes must not be oppressive nor withdrawal any of her rights as a Muslimah. Otherwise, he is falling into sin.
Let me remind you that Khadijah (RA) the wife of Prophet Muhammad was a very wealthy woman, who ran her own business, and in fact Prophet Muhammad worked for her. The money that he collected was hers solely, and for many years she support him financially.
A Muslim woman has the right to family inheritance, and all though it is typically less than the male heir, due to his responsibility to provide for the women of his family; she does receive a portion depending on the number of children in the family, male and or female, and if they have a mother etc.
The division of shares are in ten categories. Husband, wife, father, mother, daughters, sons daughters, or daughter of sons son, on down.
Woman who choose to stay at home are highly recommended to find or create some type of income that can be used as savings. Remember our husbands are the maintainers of the household, so the income we receive is rightly ours and we are not obligated to assist with our husband’s financial obligations.
Invest in a halal investment, open and maintain your own personal savings account. Remember to stay away from Interests and credit cards, and also remember that any income that you receive is applicable to the laws of zakat as well.
