His parents burden him with demands for money though they have sufficient resources
7-4-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamualaikum brother I am coming from a family which other than the name nothing else is Islamic my parents want to live on interest money my father drinks at times they don't say prayers nothing is followed.After marriage my wife told me what's right and wrong now Alahmdulliah i am a following Muslim to the best of my knowledge.Due to this reason my parents relationship with me has been strained apart from that my mother and father don't want to stay in a house that i am providing for them to make them comfortable instead they want to stay near my sister only that i have to give rent for that house plus send money for them to manage monthly i am unable to afford so much but my parents just don't seem to understand they tell me to ask my wife's family.my mother inherited money from her father i have told her use that money for anything for them but she insists that she gives most of it to my sister as she felt that she did not give her enough and i can get from my in laws.I am the one who has supported them for the past 13 year financially and still will insha Alllah but now she wants to keep the money for my sister and her children and keep making me send even if it is not in my capacity.This is very depressing i am very disturbed kindly help me Islam tells me to be good to my parents but continuous pleading has not changed their heart they think i have gone off and changed and i should just keep sending money.This is making me very sad and upsetting my married life as i am lost half the time my wife also has pleaded with them but they have closed their hearts to my son , wife and me, is this cause they don't follow islam and that shaitaan is playing with them that they can't use the conscience.What can a son like me do who wants to give my parents a good comfortable life they keep making me feel guilty for everything even when i went for ummrah.My wife is scared to bring my son to their house but she does because of me.please reply i am very upset .
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
May Allaah reward you for being so keen on being dutiful and kind to your parents. Verily, the rights of the parents are immense, and showing dutifulness and kind companionship to them are some of the most emphasized obligations, regardless of their state. Kindly, refer to Fataawa 87019 and 82254.
Part of dutifulness to parents is to provide for them if they are in need and if the child has the financial ability to provide for them. But if they have sufficient income, then their child is not obliged to provide for them unless he does so as a donation on his part. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 181219.
Accordingly, you are not obliged to rent a house for your parents other than the one you have arranged for them; and you are not obliged to give them something from property that they do not need or that you cannot afford.
One of the most praiseworthy acts of dutifulness to parents is to give them advice and urge them to do good and forbid them from doing evil in a gentle, wise manner, and to help them return to Allaah in repentance. Please refer to Fataawa 19274 and 16844.
Allaah knows best.