30/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1714c — Reasonable Spending on Children
The case of Hind
Hadith About Reasonable Family Maintenance and Children’s Needs
Sahih Muslim : 1714c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1714c
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ جَاءَتْ هِنْدٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ أَهْلُ خِبَاءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُذِلَّهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ وَمَا عَلَى ظَهْرِ الأَرْضِ أَهْلُ خِبَاءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ يُعِزَّهُمُ اللَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ خِبَائِكَ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَأَيْضًا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ " . ثُمَّ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ رَجُلٌ مُمْسِكٌ فَهَلْ عَلَىَّ حَرَجٌ أَنْ أُنْفِقَ عَلَى عِيَالِهِ مِنْ مَالِهِ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لاَ حَرَجَ عَلَيْكِ أَنْ تُنْفِقِي عَلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ " .
A'isha Narrated from:
Hind came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, by Allah, there was no other household upon the surface of the earth than your household about which I cherished Allah bringing disgrace upon it, (and now) there is no other household upon the surface of the earth than your household about which I cherish Allah granting it honour.Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: It is so, by Him in Whose Hand is my life She said: Allah's Messenger, Abu Sufyan is a niggardly person. Is there any harm for me if I spend upon his children out of his wealth without his permission? Thereupon Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) said: There is no harm for you if you spend upon them what is reasonable.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1714cIn-book reference : Book 30, Hadith 10USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 18, Hadith 4253
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1714c
This hadith about family maintenance includes two clear parts. First, Hind spoke about how her feeling toward the Prophet’s household had changed from wishing disgrace to wishing honor. Then she asked about Abu Sufyan being tight with spending and whether she could spend on his children from his wealth without his permission. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said there was no harm if she spent on them what was reasonable. The teaching is careful. It focuses on the children’s needs and sets a limit: reasonable spending. For people searching Abu Sufyan miserly hadith or reasonable maintenance hadith, the message is fair support, not open taking.
What we learn from this hadith
- Children’s needs are part of the question in the hadith.
- The permission is limited to reasonable spending.
- The text does not support taking beyond the stated need.
