What Are My Responsibilities towards My Non-Muslim Parents?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I need to know my responsibilities towards my non-Muslim parents as a married woman who doesn’t work and doesn’t have brothers. How about my husband’s responsibilities towards my parents?
Answer
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Financial Support
In terms of your responsibilities to your parents for financial support, this article details it all:
Fiqh of Financially Supporting one’s Parents and Relatives
You must take care of your parents if they are poor, unable to care for themselves, provided that you are capable of doing this. Their religion is of no relevance. See this link: Married Daughters Supporting Elderly Parents.
Your Husband
Although your husband has no direct responsibilities toward his in-laws, he should know that you are obliged to take care of them provided the above conditions. It is a part of his being a good Muslim to accept that, and it would be part of his excellence to assist you in supporting them and being kind to them.
Kindness
Besides financial obligations, you are responsible for being kind to them, treating them, visiting them in a frequency that makes both parties satisfied without undue hardship, trying to give gifts and celebrate their occasions with them.
Generally speaking, if you are generous and kind to your parents, they will be happy. Give them a piece of your life, don’t put them on the back burner, and make them feel loved and involved. Sometimes, calling them can be even more effective than seeing them. Understand their needs and wants and act accordingly. Also, pray for their guidance; Allah is the Changer of Hearts.
Kindly check these links:
Goodness to Parents – A Reader
How Do I Please My Parents When They Do Not Approve My Islam?
Prepare Yourself for Your Parents Old Age – Advice from Imam Tahir Anwar
My Mother Is Alone, Is It Permissible for Me to Move out of Her Home?
May Allah Most High reward you for being concerned for them, and may He send you children that will do the same.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
