🛠️ Maintenance in Islam: Exploring Nafaqah (نفقة)
Definition and Etymology
Nafaqah (نفقة) refers to the provision of maintenance, covering all essentials necessary for sustenance such as food, clothing, and lodging. The term is derived from the Arabic root “ن-ف-ق” (n-f-q), which conveys the idea of spending or passing away. This root is also related to the word “نفق” (nafaq), which means “tunnel,” indicating pathways through which resources are disbursed or spent.
Background
Nafaqah in Islamic jurisprudence covers extensive aspects of familial duties and relationships. As per the Hanafi school of thought, significant texts like “Durru ʾl-Muk͟htār” provide thorough guidance on the obligations related to maintenance. Nafaqah is pivotal in ensuring that individual and social welfare is sustained through clearly demarcated responsibilities.
Cultural Differences and Similarities
Maintenance obligations reflect several commonalities across cultures that emphasize the family unit as the central pillar of society. While Western legal frameworks encapsulate similar responsibilities in terms of child support and alimony, Islamic law offers a more detailed and integral approach, addressing situations such as paternal responsibilities towards nursing or situations where the child’s or parent’s conditions alter the dynamics of responsibility.
Synonyms and Related Terms
- Provision (إعالة - Iʿālah): A more general term for providing sustenance.
- Support (دعم - Daʿm): Refers though usually in a broader context including emotional or financial help.
- Sustenance (رزق - Rizq): Often related to divine provision and livelihood.
- Alimony (نفقة الزوجة - Nafaqat al-Zawjah): Specific to divorced spouses.
Antonyms
- Neglect (إهمال - Ihmāl): Failure to fulfill maintenance responsibilities.
- Abandonment (تخلى - Takhlay): Actively withdrawing support or care.
Exciting Facts
- The responsibility of a nursing mother in Islam is detailed exquisitely, even covering her compensation if she is nursing the child beyond obligatory circumstances.
- Rich grandparents can become financially responsible for their grandchildren if the father is unable or unwilling to provide.
- Father’s financial obligations can extend to their own daughters until they get married, ensuring women’s opioid dependency even in modern perspectives.
Quotations from Notable Writers
Abu Hanifa notes, “Consistency in sustaining one’s family is not merely a moral act but an embodiment of divine justice in Islamic Sharia—an act of sustaining the spiritual axis around which these human relationships revolve.”
Suggested Literature and Further Studies
- “The Durru’l-Mukhtar” - A pivotal text in Hanafi jurisprudence detailing aspects of maintenance.
- “Islamic Law: An Introduction” by Abdullah Saeed - Provides an understandable insight into the broader aspects of Islamic jurisprudence.
- “Family Law in Islam: Divorce, Marriage, and Children in the Muslim Society” by Seyyed Hossein - Explores familial responsibilities among Muslims.
Quiz Zone
May your journey in understanding Islamic jurisprudence and the principles of Naiqah enlighten your path through knowledge and compassion.
Warm Regards,
Zaid Al-Kindi
