The Rights of Parents and Parents In-Law

30-7-2000 | IslamWeb

Question:

My question is related to parents. It has been mentioned in many places to take care of parents. How does a woman after marriage can take care of her parents? What are the rights of her husband's parents on her and her rights on them? In other words, are parents in-law to be treated as your own parents? Are rewards and punishments the same as for one's own parents?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

Obeying ones parents is an obligation on every Muslim man and on every Muslim woman. Getting married does not have any effect on this obligation. This obedience can take many forms such as, dealing with them kindly, visiting them very often, and taking care of them. After getting married, the woman can show obedience to her parents by asking about them, visiting them from time to time, talking with them in a soft way as well as showing respect to them. She should welcome them in her home with warmth and pleasure. As for the husband's parents, they have great rights over their son's wife such as respecting them and being kind and sympathetic to them. In fact, all this is part of living in harmony with one's husband because any good the wife does to her parents-in-law is a good she does to her husband himself. But the obedience of the parents-in-law does not reach the stage of the obedience of one's parents as far as obligation, reward and punishment are concerned.

Allah Knows best.