What are the scholarly schools of thought regarding a man's expenditure on his wife and children and its manner, and what is the ruling on a husband giving his wife cash for household expenses when she is wasteful, and is it sufficient for him to provide necessities? How can this be reconciled with the Almighty's saying: "And do not give the incompetent your property," and with the guardianship of men based on what they spend?

The schools of thought among the people of knowledge obligate a man to spend on his wife in a reasonable manner, based on the Almighty's saying: "Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth, and he whose provision is restricted - let him spend from what Allah has given him. Allah does not burden a soul beyond what He has given it. Allah will bring about ease after hardship." There is no specific prescribed method for maintenance in Islamic law; rather, it is determined by custom and according to the husband's capacity, in fulfillment of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) saying to Hind: "Take what suffices you and your child, in a reasonable manner." There is no legal impediment for a man to give maintenance and household expenses to his mature wife, and this does not contradict the Almighty's saying: "And do not give the foolish your wealth," for the foolish are those who squander wealth, regardless of their gender. Moreover, this does not contradict a man's guardianship, as the money is his, and the wife is in the position of an agent. The original principle is that the man himself directly manages the spending. What was mentioned about Ibn Abbas interpreting the foolish as women and children has not been found; rather, it is the saying of some of the Salaf, and there is no contradiction between the verse and what was mentioned that would necessitate reconciliation.