The true Muslim woman should support her husband in his deen (religion) by encouraging him to spend and give charity for the sake of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa), and not to waste money in extravagance and ostentatious purchases, as we see so many ignorant and misguided women doing.

The alert Muslim woman always wants goodness and success for her husband, so she urges him to do good deeds, and to do more of them, because she believes that by doing this, she will increase her honour in this world and her reward in the next.

One of the beautiful stories narrated about a woman’s encouraging her husband to spend for the sake of Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’aalaa) is the story of Umm al-Dahdah.

When her husband came to her and told her that he had given in charity the garden in which she and her children used to live, in hopes of receiving a bunch of dates in Paradise, she said,

“You have got a good deal, you have got a good deal.” (See Sahih Muslim, 8/33, Kitab al-jana'iz, bab al-lahd wa nasab al-laban 'ala'l-mayit.)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commented in amazement, “How many bunches of dates Abul-Dahdah will have in Paradise!” and he repeated this several times. (Reported by Ahmad and al-Tabarani; its narrators are rijal al-sahih. See also Majma' al-Zawa'id, 9/324, Kitab al-manaqib, bab ma ja'a fi Abil-Dahdah.)