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Nafaqah waive

Last updated: 31st October 2025
Question ID: #12493
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Asalaam alaikum, please help. I’m a second wife and live separately to my husband and have one child from previous marriage years ago. We did a nikaah and the first wife does not know about me. I work and pay all my own and my child’s expenses since our nikaah and also before that. My husband has been going through many tests since our nikaah and we have been wondering why. Is Allah SWT punishing him or us? He is asking me to waive nafaqah and said he’s researched and found information saying a second wife can waive nafaqah if she is happy to. He quoted one of the wives of our Prophet SAW Sawda giving up her night stay right to one of the other Prophet’s SAW wives to ensure she would not get divorced. My husband is under a lot of stress and pressure with his health and many other factors and I feel maybe I should waive it but if the tests he is going through since our nikaah are a sign from Allah SWT that he should give nafaqah then should I waive it? If so, is this permanent waiver? Is my husband sinning by not giving me nafaqah if I waive it? I’m not rich, have a very modest salary and live in rented flat. Please help with Quran advice and hadiths.



بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الجواب حامداومصليا

In the Shariah, it is necessary for the husband to give maintenance to his wife. However, if the wife willingly waived the right of maintenance she can do so and the husband will be absolved of this right.

Also, it should be understood that this is not a permanent absolution; the wife will still be entitled to have her rights of maintenance to be reinstated whenever she wishes.

المرأة إذا أبرات الزوج عن النفقة بأن قالت أنت برئ من نفقتي أبدًا ما كنت إمرأتك فان لم يفرض القاضي لها النفقة فالبراءة باطلة….(فتاوي قاضي خان ١/٥٥٣ دار النوادر)

And Allah knows best

15 Jumadal Ula 1447/ 31 06 November 2025

Mufti
Answer last updated on:
6th November 2025
Answered by:
Ulamaa ID 04
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