What should a man do whose wife and he are employed, and they have four children, but his salary is insufficient for living expenses, and his wife refuses to help him, claiming that he is obligated to provide for them, and she also refuses to return to their home country where he could cover all her expenses and those of their children?

The husband is obligated to spend on his wife and needy children. The wife is not obligated to spend unless she volunteers to do so. It is not permissible for the wife to leave the house without her husband's permission. If the husband wishes to move to his country, the wife must return with him; otherwise, she is considered disobedient (nashiz). It is permissible for the husband to stay alone to earn a living. There is no harm if a man is absent from his wife for earning a livelihood, or for Hajj, or for fighting in a jihad. It is advisable for the spouses to communicate and understand that married life is built on compassion and cooperation.