Can a Woman Work If There Is Too Much Financial Pressure On the Husband?

Question: We know that Allah has appointed the husbands to earn for their family, and it is His mercy that he has not obliged this on women. Today, with so much expense, if a single person is to feed a large family, it creates a lot of pressure on the individual. This stress is then exhibited with bad behavior with one’s children and those around him. Can women work alongside their husbands, and is permission necessary?

Answer:

Assalamu alaykum,

She Can Work

Thank you for your question. It is permissible for a woman to work to help out her husband financially, and his permission is required.
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/general-counsel/women-the-workplace-is-it-impermissible-for-me-to-work-even-if-i-observe-proper-limits/

Family Budget

However, my initial reaction is not that a woman should start working in order to take the pressure off of the husband but should start with creating a better family budget. There are budget and productivity gurus out there, and I have learned that one can live a very happy lifestyle with financial freedom, by simply being smart about money. Please learn from this expert:
https://budgetbootcamp.com/
https://productivitybootcamp.com/

Start With Part-Time

If after this, one feels that she should still work, perhaps she can start with a part-time job, at home if possible, and decide how to proceed from there. May Allah give you tawfiq and success in this world and the next.

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.