Should Husband Spend More on His Mom Than His Kids?

12 June, 2020

Q As-salamu `alaykum. I want to know how much the share in my husband’s salary that should go to his mother and that should go to his wife and kids? My husband gives 70% of his salary to his mother, married sisters and brother. Is it justified in Islam? I have all time mental sickness due to this. What does Allah say? I want to know with reference to Qur’an and Hadith.

Answer

Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

1- There are no specific proportions in the Quran stating what one should spend on his next of kin. Rather, the Quran requires a Muslim to support his dependents, from among them is his mother, equally. It is not Islamic to support any of them more than the others.

2- As for one’s brothers and sisters, they are not included in the dependents, namely a man is not obliged to spend on his brother though he should help them if they are in need.

Responding to your question, Prof. Dr. Monzer Kahf, Professor of Islamic Finance and Economics at Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies, states:

The Quran does not give percentages of what one should spend on his close relatives especially parents, brothers and sisters. However, it gives guiding principles and people implement them.

In this regard, the Quran requires that every person must spend according to his/her ability.

{O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which

Is Spending on Parents an Obligation on Male Children Only?

are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded. O you who have disbelieved, make no excuses that Day. You will only be recompensed for what you used to do.} (At-Tahrim 66:6-7)

If one’s mother has no income or wealth to spend on herself, her son is definitely required to spend on her to make her live as well as he and his own children and wife do.

Spending on all next of kin is based on fulfilling their needs and providing for them good quality of living depending on his financial ability.

It is not appropriate to make some (whether mother or wife) live higher than the other. This is the application of the rules of the Quran.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.