Are son-in-laws and daughter-in-laws responsible in taking care of their father-in-law?

Q. A mother has passed away. The father is living and is blind. Whose responsibility is it to take care of the father? Is it the responsibility of the brother and sister-in-law or the sister and brother-in-law?

A. The responsibility of taking care of ones parents is the responsibility of the son and the daughter. It is not the responsibility of the son-in-law and daughter-in-law to take care of their father in law. If the son-in-law and daughter-in-law willingly do so, they will be greatly rewarded for it. Thus, the son and daughter should equally accept the responsibility of taking care of the father and should endeavor to serve him to the best of their ability.

However the primary responsibility to house the father is the responsibility of the son. As far as the daughter is concerned, the daughter’s primary responsibility (after marriage) is to take care of her husband and children. She should do whatever she can for her elderly father without compromising the rights of her husband.

Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

Mufti Ismaeel Bassa

themufti.com