Nafaqa (Spending) of the Parents

Sep 4, 2010 | Uncategorized

Question

So, about the nafaqa, is it such that the man only has to support his parents if he has the money and thus does not have to get a job specifically to support them.

Answered by: Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf

Assalamu alaykum

In the name of Allah the Inspirer of truth

Actually this issue of nafaqa was a bit confusing, but the following is what I could gather:

Yes, there is the condition of the son being wealthy (yasar) for the nafaqa of the parents (usul) to be obligatory on him. He has to spend on them if he has the ability.

However, if the father is incapacitated (zamin) then what will be taken into consideration is that the son should be capable of earning. If he is then he has to support them from whatever he has remaining after bearing his own expenses. If he does not have any thing left over after spending on his own needs: then, if he has a family he has to allow his parents to share in what he spends on his family. If he is alone and does not have a family and also does not have anything remaining then he would still be commanded to do so diyanatan.
(Radd al-Muhtar with the Durr 2:677)

And Allah knows best.

Mufti Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf