A husband is not obliged to pay travel expenses for his wife

23-12-2008 | IslamWeb

Question:

If a Muslim man gets married and after he marries, his wife asks him to pay for her to visit her home country every year, the husband agrees reluctantly because he doesn't want to upset her, but he doesn't want to pay for this, because he wants to save more money each year, what should the man do if the wife insists he pays? Before marriage the wife didn't mention anything about wanting to visit home each year and for it to be paid. I know it is not obligatory for a husband to pay for it, I believe from research he may refuse it. Also, if this man doesn't like his wife, regrets marrying her, and wants to end the marriage because of this payment issue, and because there's a lack of attraction between him and his wife, they argue, she is messy etc., is it allowed for him to divorce her? Jazah kallaah khairun.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

 

A husband is not obliged to pay travel expenses for his wife –as you mentioned in the question –but if he does so, then this is an act of keeping good marital relationship with his wife and being kind to her.

As regards divorcing her, then you should not divorce her just because of this (arguments about travel expenses) unless the marital relationship is impossible between you and her or that you hate her, in which case you may divorce her.

We have already issued Fatwa divorced their wives">104995 clarifying the religious rulings that apply to divorce, because at times divorce can be obligatory, forbidden, desirable, disliked and permissible. So, please refer to the above Fatwa for more benefit.

Allaah Knows best.