Question 673: Is a wife's expiation (kaffarah) the husband's responsibility?

199 13 Feb 2021
Read Answer

Answer

✅Answer:

Please pay attention to the following narration:

1 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ بُنْدَارَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ الْأَحْمَرِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حَمَّادٍ عَنِ الْمُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي رَجُلٍ أَتَى امْرَأَتَهُ وَ هُوَ صَائِمٌ وَ هِيَ صَائِمَةٌ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ اسْتَكْرَهَهَا فَعَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَتَانِ وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ طَاوَعَتْهُ فَعَلَيْهِ كَفَّارَةٌ وَ عَلَيْهَا كَفَّارَةٌ وَ إِنْ كَانَ أَكْرَهَهَا فَعَلَيْهِ ضَرْبُ خَمْسِينَ سَوْطاً نِصْفِ الْحَدِّ وَ إِنْ كَانَتْ طَاوَعَتْهُ ضُرِبَ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ سَوْطاً وَ ضُرِبَتْ خَمْسَةً وَ عِشْرِينَ سَوْطاً.

📚 Al-Kafi, vol. 4, p. 103

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about a fasting man who approaches his fasting wife: 'If the man forced the woman, two expiations are on the man. If the woman agreed with him, one expiation is on the man and one expiation is on the woman!'

And if he forced the woman, 50 lashes, which is half the legal punishment, are to be struck upon the man. If the woman agreed with him, 25 lashes are to be struck upon the man and 25 lashes upon the woman!

✅ Expiations that are on a woman for various reasons, including not fasting during breastfeeding or pregnancy, or an unjustified delay in making up fasts until the next year, or intentional breaking of the fast, etc., must be paid by the woman herself if she has wealth. There is no evidence that the husband is responsible for paying these expiations.

✅Also, pay attention to the following narration:

2 عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمُؤْمِنِ بْنِ الْهَيْثَمِ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ فَقَالَ هَلَكْتُ وَ أَهْلَكْتُ فَقَالَ وَ مَا أَهْلَكَكَ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ امْرَأَتِي فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ أَنَا صَائِمٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ أَعْتِقْ رَقَبَةً قَالَ لَا أَجِدُ قَالَ فَصُمْ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ قَالَ لَا أُطِيقُ قَالَ تَصَدَّقْ عَلَى سِتِّينَ مِسْكِيناً قَالَ لَا أَجِدُ فَأُتِيَ النَّبِيُّ بِعِذْقٍ فِي مِكْتَلٍ فِيهِ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ صَاعاً مِنْ تَمْرٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ خُذْ هَذَا فَتَصَدَّقْ بِهَا

📚 Al-Faqih, vol. 2, p. 115

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) said: 'A man came to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'I have perished and I have caused another to perish!'

The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'What has caused you to perish?' He said: 'I approached my wife in Ramadan while I was fasting!'

The Prophet said to him: 'Free a slave.'

He said: 'I don't have one!'

He said: 'Then fast for two consecutive months!'

He said: 'I don't have the strength or ability for that!'

He said: 'Then give charity to 60 needy people!'

He said: 'I don't have that!'

Then a basket containing 15 sa' of dates was brought to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family).

The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Take this and go give it as charity!'

✅ In the above narration, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) paid the expiation for a person who had nothing to give for expiation, and this is a concession and a permission to transfer wealth to a person unable to give expiation so that he may give it.

Based on this narration, if a woman has an expiation on her, although it is her own responsibility, her husband is permitted to give her the expiation so that she may pay it to the poor and needy, although there is no obligation in the narrations for the husband in this regard.

✅ What has been made obligatory in the narrations for a man to give his wife is sustenance (nafaqah) and the charity of Eid al-Fitr (fitriyya), the narrations for which are recorded in Shi'i hadith collections.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ