Is it permissible for the wife to take zakat money, which her husband authorized her to distribute, without his knowledge, to fulfill her needs due to his failure to provide for her?
Scholars have unanimously agreed that a wife does not receive from her husband's because her maintenance is obligatory upon him; she is, therefore, self-sufficient through it and does not need zakat. If the husband falls short in providing maintenance, the wife may take from his wealth what is customary without his knowledge, as Hind bint Utbah did. This ruling also applies to the dowry if the husband refuses to pay it; the wife may take her right from his wealth according to the principle of "al-Zafar" (taking one's right by force when denied). Therefore, it is not permissible for a woman to receive zakat from her husband because she is not one of its rightful recipients, and Islamic law has provided other ways for a woman to obtain her rights.
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