Whose maintenance is Islamically obligatory?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is obligatory to spend on one's wife and children. The wife's maintenance is obligatory even if she is wealthy, while the children's maintenance is obligatory under two conditions: their poverty and inability to earn, and that the father's maintenance is in excess of his needs. It is also obligatory to spend on poor parents if the son is wealthy. As for other relatives, such as brothers and sisters, their maintenance is obligatory under three conditions: their poverty, the availability of surplus wealth beyond the needs of the provider, and that the provider is an heir.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/7937
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 7937
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy