69/9. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5364 — Reasonable Family Support
If a man does not provide for his family
Hadith About Taking Enough for Family Needs in a Reasonable Way
Sahih Bukhari : 5364
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5364
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ هِنْدَ بِنْتَ عُتْبَةَ، قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ شَحِيحٌ، وَلَيْسَ يُعْطِينِي مَا يَكْفِينِي وَوَلَدِي، إِلاَّ مَا أَخَذْتُ مِنْهُ وَهْوَ لاَ يَعْلَمُ فَقَالَ " خُذِي مَا يَكْفِيكِ وَوَلَدَكِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ ".
A'isha Narrated from:
Hind bint `Utba said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Abu Sufyan is a miser and he does not give me what is sufficient for me and my children. Can I take of his property without his knowledge?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Take what is sufficient for you and your children, and the amount should be just and reasonable.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5364In-book reference : Book 69, Hadith 14USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 64, Hadith 277
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5364
This Hadith is about family maintenance and fairness. Hind bint Utba said that Abu Sufyan did not give enough for her and her children. She asked if she could take from his property without his knowledge. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered that she could take what was sufficient for her and her children, but the amount should be just and reasonable. The Hadith about family support in Islam does not open the door to taking freely. It ties the matter to need, sufficiency, and fairness. The core message is clear: family needs matter, but the way they are met should stay within what is known as reasonable and proper.
What we learn from this hadith
- A wife and children have real needs that should be met.
- Taking from property in this case was tied to sufficiency, not extra desire.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم limited the matter to what is just and reasonable.
- Family support should be handled with fairness.
