Mother keeps taking loan on interest debt.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Assalamo
Aleikum
My
father is died. I and my brothers give to my mother enough money monthly to
keep her survive, yet she takes loan on usury - RIBA (from an individual on
huge rate of interest @ 5% to 10% per month) and she spends money on very
unnecessary way in society. Once I paid huge debt of her and again she
started taking loan and again I settled another huge debt. I have my wife and
children and I am financially not so well to keep on giving her money like
this. Even I warned her frequently not to take loan and to spend unnecessary
money, she has built up a huge debt and now she is asking me to pay off her
debt. In our country, we do not have Sharia court and I cannot impose HIJR on
her.
Therefore,
I have decided that I should not pay this debt so that the moneylenders will
not lend further money to my mother. If she has kept something in mortgage, let
her loose whatever property she has. Even after her death, I should not bother
to pay off her debt. I am asking you question, whether I am right in my above
decision? Am I religiously responsible to pay off the parents debt in the above
circumstamnces??
Please
DO NOT disclose my name.
Allah
Hafez
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Answer:
Mother keeps taking
loan on interest debt
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His
help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide,
and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear
witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear
witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His
Messengers.
To bear the complete financial upkeep of one’s parents in
their old age is one of the absolutely obligatory duties of a believing
off-spring in Islam. If what you have related is indeed true, that in spite of
you providing sufficiently according to your means for the upkeep of your
mother, she takes on ‘unnecessary’ loans….and that too on ‘riba’ which has been
categorically forbidden by Allah and His Messenger (saws)….and the one and only
reason you are refusing to pay her outstanding debts this time is so that she
will not be able to raise any more unlawful debt….you are absolutely within
your rights in Shariah to refuse to obey this unlawful command of your mother.
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3696 Narrated by An-Nawwas ibn Sam'an
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "A
creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the
Creator."
Respected brother in Islam, just because as in this
particular case, it would be lawful and permissible for a believing off-spring
to disobey the unlawful ‘command of their parents….it does not and should not
be taken as a license to disrespect, or be harsh, or be rude to one’s
parents!
Disobeying an unlawful ‘decision’ or ‘command’ of one’s
parents is one thing; to disobey or be undutiful towards one’s parents is
altogether another!
One cannot over-emphasize the importance and significance
of serving and being dutiful to one’s parents in Islam…… Second only to the
heinous and the ultimate abomination of ‘shirk’ in the Sight of Allah is for an
off-spring to be undutiful to one’s parents!
Allah says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 17 Surah Bani Israel verses 23-24:
Your
Lord has enjoined the following: You should not worship anyone but Him
Alone! Treat your parents with
great kindness; if either or
both of them attain old age, do not even say ‘uff’ to them; nor rebuke them; but speak to them kind words. Treat them with humility and tenderness and
pray, “O our Lord, be merciful to them,
just as they brought me up with kindness and affection in my childhood.”
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah
Luqman verse 14:
14 And We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him and in years twain
was his weaning: (hear the command) "Show gratitude to Me and to thy
parents: to Me is (thy final) Goal.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah
Nisaa verse 36:
36 Serve Allah and join not any partners with Him: and do good to
parents kinsfolk orphans those in need neighbors who are near neighbors
who are strangers the companion by your side the way-farer (ye meet) and what
your right hands possess: for Allah loveth not the arrogant the vainglorious;
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4941 Narrated by Abu Umamah
A man said, "O Messenger of Allah
(saws), what rights can parents demand from their children?" He (saws) replied, "They are (or
your relation with them will determine) your
Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 5120 Narrated by Mu'awiyah ibn Hayadah
I asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah(saws)! To whom
should I show kindness most?’ He (saws)
replied: ‘Your mother.’ I asked (again):
‘Who next?’. He (saws) replied: ‘Your mother!’.
I asked: ‘Who next?’ He (saws)
replied: ‘Your mother!’ I asked again:
‘Who next?’ and he (saws) replied: ‘Your father, and then your relatives in
order of relationship.’
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4939 Narrated by Mu'awiyah ibn Jahimah
Jahimah came to the Prophet (saws) and said,
"Messenger of Allah (saws), I desire to go on a military expedition and I
have come to consult you. He (saws)
asked him if he had a mother, and when he replied that he had, he (saws) said,
"Stay with her, for
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.18 Narrated by Aisha
The Prophet (saws) said: "The word 'Ar-Rahm' (womb) derives its
name from 'Ar-Rahman' (i.e. Allah). So
whosoever keeps good relations with it (womb i.e. kith and kin), Allah will
keep good relations with him, and whosoever will sever it (i.e. severs his
bonds of kith and kin) Allah too will sever His relations with him!"
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.821 Narrated by Anas
The Prophet (saws) was asked about the ‘Kabair’
(the absolute gravest sins in the Sight of Allah). He (saws) replied:
"They are:--
To join others in worship with Allah,
To be undutiful to one's parents,
To kill a person (which Allah has forbidden
to kill) (i.e. to commit the crime of murder),
And to give a false witness."
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 8.290 Narrated by Abu Bakra
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Shall I
inform you of the biggest of the Great Sins?" They said, "Yes, O
Allah's Messenger (saws)!" He (saws) said, "To join partners in
worship with Allah, and to be undutiful to one's parents."
Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 3655 Narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "There
are three people to whom Allah has forbidden
Thus my respected brother, even if you have to disobey
this unlawful ‘command of your mother, you make absolutely sure that at all
times, you fear Allah and with absolute patience, and humility, and tenderness,
and politeness…..strive your absolute utmost to convince your mother regarding
her unacceptable ‘habit’.
But my respected brother, whatever you do in your efforts
to change the unlawful and unacceptable ‘habit’ of your mother, you make
absolutely sure that at all times, you fear Allah your Lord, and under any
circumstances you do not offer even a word of contempt or abuse or harshness or
threats towards her….for that then would be a manifest transgression of the
prescribed Boundaries of the Lord Most Majestic.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only
due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me
alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is
the Only Source of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister