What Are the Duties Of Family Members Towards Each Other?
Question: Assalamu ‘alaykum. What are the duties of family members towards each other?
Answer:
Wa ‘alaykum assalam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.
I pray you are well.
In general, kind, gracious, forgiving, and beautiful character is what the duties of a Muslim are towards his relatives. This is who relationships thrive, and this is a key aspect of the Sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Some family members are more deserving than others, such as one’s mother, then the father, etc. There is a balance to be maintained, however.
Some relationships have financial duties too, such as the obligation support one’s wife and children. One must provide for one’s parents if they cannot support themselves. Other family members are entitled to financial support too in certain situations. The details are best studied properly from a fiqh text due to the nature of the rulings and the many scenarios that present themselves. [Maydani, al-Lubab]
Course On Prophetic Excellence
May Allah bless us with the character that allows us to make our relationships thrive. Amin.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.