Is the wife entitled to a monthly allowance?

What the husband
must do is spend on his wife on a reasonable basis, which includes the costs
of accommodation, food, drink and clothing, according to scholarly
consensus, and includes medical treatment and medicine according to the more
correct opinion.

With regard to
accommodation, that is because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Lodge
them (the divorced women) where you dwell, according to your means, and do
not treat them in such a harmful way that they be obliged to leave”

[at-Talaaq 65:6].

If this refers
to one who is divorced, then it is more applicable to one who is not
divorced.

With regard to
food, drink and clothing, that is because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“but the father
of the child shall bear the cost of the mother’s food and clothing on a
reasonable basis”

[al-Baqarah
2:233].

And the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Their rights over you are
that you should provide for them and clothe them on a reasonable basis.”

Narrated by
Muslim (1218).

It was narrated
that Mu‘aawiyah al-Qushayri said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, what are the
rights of the wife of one of us over him? He said: “That you should feed her
as you feed yourself, clothe her as you clothe yourself, not strike her on
the face or curse her, and not forsake her except in the house (as a form of
discipline).”

Narrated by Abu
Dawood (2142) and Ibn Maajah (1850). Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Saheeh Abi Dawood.

Ibn Rushd (may
Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars are agreed that the rights that
the wife has over the husband include maintenance and clothing, because
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“but the father
of the child shall bear the cost of the mother’s food and clothing on a
reasonable basis”

[al-Baqarah
2:233],

and because the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Their rights over
you are that you should provide for them and clothe them on a reasonable
basis”; and he said to Hind: “Take what is sufficient for you and your
child, on a reasonable basis.” With regard to maintenance, the scholars are
agreed that it is obligatory.

End quote from
Bidaayat al-Mujtahid wa Nihaayat al-Muqtasid (2/44).

With regard to
medical treatment and medicine, please see the answer to question no.
83815.

If the husband
does that, he has done what is required of him, and he is not obliged to do
anything beyond that, or to give his wife a personal allowance, unless he
chooses to do so.

But the husband
should understand the virtue of being generous towards his dependents, and
treating his family kindly, and should understand that whatever he spends on
his wife, he will be rewarded for it, for giving gifts increases love. So if
he is well off, he should not refuse to give her this allowance, especially
if she does not have any other source of income.

Al-Bukhaari (55)
and Muslim (1002) narrated from Abu Mas‘ood al-Badri (may Allah be pleased
with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“If a man spends on his family, seeking reward for that with Allah, then it
will be counted as an act of charity on his part.”

And Muslim (994)
and others narrated from Thawbaan, the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), [that he said]: “The best dinar
that a man spends is a dinar that he spends on his dependents, and a dinar
that a man spends on his mount (for jihad) for the sake of Allah, and a
dinar that he spends on his companions (in jihad) for the sake of Allah.”

Abu Qilaabah
said: He began by mentioning his dependents. Then Abu Qilaabah said: What
man earns a greater reward than a man who spends on his young dependents,
whom Allah keeps from needing people or benefits or makes independent of
means through him?

Al-Bukhaari
(1295) and Muslim (1628) narrated from Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas (may Allah be
pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said to him: “You will never spend anything, seeking thereby
the pleasure of Allah, but you will be rewarded for it, even a morsel that
you put in your wife’s mouth.”

And Allah knows
best.