Discover the meaning of the term Al-nfqa (نفقة) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 2 min readDerived from al-nafaq, perishing: one says the beast nafiqat when it died and perished.
In language: a noun of infaq, derived from al-nafaq, perishing. In religious law: what a thing's subsistence depends upon, such as food, clothing and lodging; the word applies also to slaves, the owner being bound to maintain them by unanimous agreement; and likewise beasts, per Abu Yusuf. Hisham said: I asked Muhammad about nafaqa; he said: it is food, clothing and lodging, as in the Khulasa. One may mention nafaqa and omit clothing and lodging; one may also mention all three together, for clarity's sake and out of fondness for explicitness. Nafaqa is incumbent for three reasons: marriage, kinship, and ownership.
In language: a noun of infaq, which is the going forth. Al-Tahanawi said: the composition indicates the passing, as in sale: 'the goods nafaqat (sold off)'; or death: 'the beast nafiqat': it died; or vanishing: 'the dirhams nafaqat': they vanished. It is said: nafaqa is what a man spends in charity, for his family, or in God's path; plural nafaqat, as in God's saying: 'what prevented their spendings from being accepted is that they disbelieved'.
Wealth incumbent by ownership, marriage, or kinship.
In language: the outlay.
A noun of infaq: the flowing upon a thing of that by which its subsistence is maintained.