السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
1. As a rule, the Sharīʿah holds children—both male and female—responsible for maintaining their parents where parents are no longer able to maintain themselves.
2. Such maintenance may thereafter be curtailed by factors such as the extent of maintenance required, and the respective financial ability of each child.
3. When this rule is brought to bear upon your specific situation, your personal responsibility to maintain your parents shrinks considerably in light of two factors: (1) the fact that you now have your own dependents, and (2) the fact that your working brothers are both unmarried, and therefore presumably without dependents other than your parents.
4. Although the option exists that your parents may require less assistance by selling their house and purchasing a cheaper in a decent area, you should respect their decision not to do so, and go on providing assistance to them within the limits of your ability.
5. It would be a matter of great and double merit to your credit if you mediated the sale of the house to your brothers. By doing so you would be the one who bind together family ties that have deteriorated under the present circumstances. This is a matter of extremely high merit in the sight of Allah. Of this Allah says in the Qurʾān:
وَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوءَ الْحِسَابِ (21) وَالَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَأَنفَقُوا مِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ (22) جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ ۖ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ (23) سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ (24) الرعد 21-24
Those who maintained the relationships that Allah commanded to be maintained and fear their Lord and are frightful of evil reckoning. And those who are patient, seeking the Pleasure of their Lord, establish prayer and spend secretly and openly from what We have given them, and repel evil with good—those are the ones who will have the reward of the true home. Gardens of perpetual residence: they will enter them together with those of their fathers, spouses and progeny who were righteous. And the Angels will enter upon them from every gate, saying: Peace be upon you by virtue of your patience, and most excellent is the final home. [al-Raʿd 21-24]
6. In addition you would be bringing relief to your parents, which holds its own independent merit. Remember that the first command after worshipping Allah is to be good to parents:
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا (23) وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا (24) الإسراء 23-24
Your Lord has commanded that you worship none besides Him, and that you be kind to your parents. Should either or both of them reach old age with you, say no word of impatience to them, and do not be harsh to them, but speak to them respectfully. Lower yourself in humility before them out compassion, and say: My Lord, have mercy on them as they had mercy on me when I was little. [al-Isrā 23-24]
7. It would not be improper for you to ask that a part of the purchase price of the house be ceded to you in lieu of your own support and service. However, you should not insist upon this as a necessary condition of the sale. The reward promised by Allah for those who maintain family ties and serve their parents selflessly is infinitely greater than any chattels of this world.*
والله تعالى أعلم
And Allah knows best.
(Issued: November 2019)
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- Please note that one should be cautious of engaging in Mann – an act of reminding others of the favours you’ve done for them, as way of soliciting favours in return.
