Assalamoalaikum, What is the financial responsibility of the working wife towards household and kids expenses, especially if the husband's salary is insufficient to meet the ends in this expensive modern world? can a husband ask her to contribute a little towards expenses?

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu`alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Spending on the wife and children is obligatory upon the husband, and the wife is not obliged to spend even if she is rich. However, there is nothing wrong with her husband asking her for help in spending, but the matter is up to her to respond to him or not, and it is not permissible for her husband to take anything from her money without her consent. Imam Ahmed reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu`alayhi wa sallam, said: “...A man’s property may not be taken except with his goodwill.”

Some scholars made an exception in case the husband stipulated that, in order to allow her to go out to work, she would give him some of her salary.

We would like to remind you that marital life is based on affection, mercy and cooperation, and it is part of the woman’s kindness and good treatment towards her husband to help him in the expenses of the family if she is well off, and this would lead to continuity of kindness and affection.

Allah knows best.