FatwaFederal TerritoriesMarriage & Family
AL-KAFI # 1650 : TUNTUTAN HUTANG NAFKAH TERTUNGGAK DARIPADA HARTA SI MATI
Is unpaid spousal maintenance a debt after the husband dies, and can the wife claim it before the estate is divided under faraid?
Short answer
Unpaid maintenance owed to a wife is regarded as a debt on the husband according to the majority of jurists, with the Hanafi school excepted.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Marriage & Family
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Unpaid maintenance owed to a wife is regarded as a debt on the husband according to the majority of jurists, with the Hanafi school excepted. Section 69 of Act 303 likewise treats maintenance arrears as a debt payable from the estate if the husband dies. The debt must be settled from the deceased's estate before faraid distribution, and the claim may be brought in the Syariah Court.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
Tuntasnya, kami berpendapat bahawa tunggakan nafkah terhadap isteri yang tidak ditunaikan dianggap sebagai hutang berdasarkan pandangan majoriti fuqaha, Maka hutang wajib dilangsaikan daripada harta si mati sebelum pembahagian harta pusaka secara faraid dilaksanakan.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI # 1650 : TUNTUTAN HUTANG NAFKAH TERTUNGGAK DARIPADA HARTA SI MATI”, 11 March 2020. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/4302-al-kafi-1650-tuntutan-hutang-nafkah-tertunggak-daripada-harta-si-mati. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/claiming-unpaid-maintenance-from-deceased-estate/