FatwaFederal TerritoriesMarriage & Family
AL-KAFI #1428: ANTARA NAFKAH ISTERI DAN IBU BAPA: MANA PERLU DIUTAMAKAN?
Between spousal maintenance and maintenance for parents, which should take priority?
Short answer
Maintenance for the wife takes priority over maintenance for parents, because her maintenance is a settled obligation, while support for parents is obligatory only if they are poor and the child has surplus wealth after providing for his family.
A reference, not a fatwa. First sentence of the summary below — read the original fatwa and consult your state authority before acting.
- Authority
- Federal Territories Mufti Office
- Date
- Status
- Opinion (irsyad)
- Series
- Al-Kafi li al-Fatawi
- Topic
- Marriage & Family
No evidence of gazettement in the source — this is not a gazetted fatwa.
Summary
Maintenance for the wife takes priority over maintenance for parents, because her maintenance is a settled obligation, while support for parents is obligatory only if they are poor and the child has surplus wealth after providing for his family. The exception is when parents cannot afford medicine, treatment and basic food and drink, in which case their needs come first. The ruling also urges all siblings to share the duty of caring for their parents so that one child is not burdened alone.
Written in our own words from the original fatwa — check the source before acting on it.
kami berpendapat nafkah kepada isteri adalah didahulukan, kecuali dalam keadaan ibubapa yang tidak berkemampuan dalam menyediakan ubatan, rawatan dan makan minum yang menjadi asas kehidupan.
Read the full fatwa on the Federal Territories website (new tab)
How to cite
Cite the original fatwa and its authority. Rujuk Fatwa is only where you found it.
Federal Territories Mufti Office. “AL-KAFI #1428: ANTARA NAFKAH ISTERI DAN IBU BAPA: MANA PERLU DIUTAMAKAN?”, 16 November 2019. https://muftiwp.gov.my/ms/artikel/al-kafi-li-al-fatawi/3804-al-kafi-1428-antara-nafkah-isteri-dan-ibu-mana-perlu-diutamakan. Found via Rujuk Fatwa: https://rujukfatwa.com/en/fatwa/wife-or-parents-maintenance-which-takes-priority/