Question Summary:
1) What does Islam say about spending on wife’s parents and taking care of them? 2) Do I get reward like I take care of my parents?

Question Detail:

Assalamu alaikum,
My wife's parents are well to do. We live separately and they visit us often. My questions are:
 
1) What does Islam say about spending on wife's parents and taking care of them?  2) Do I get reward like I take care of my parents? (My father is expired mother is alive and I do take care of her also) 

Answer :

Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
1) It is indeed praise worthy that you take care of your wife’s parents. There are indeed many virtues of joining family ties. There are a number of verses in the noble Quran regarding the joining of family ties.
 {وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالأَرْحَامَ} [النساء:1]
Translation: “and fear Allah through whom you demand (your mutual rights) and (do not cut the relations of) kinship”.
{وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئاً وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَاناً وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْيَتَامَى وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْجَارِذِي الْقُرْبَى وَالْجَارِ الْجُنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالْجَنْبِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ} [النساء:36 ] 
Translation: “Worship Allah and join none with him (in worship), and do good to parents, kinfolk, orphans, poor, (the) neighbour who is near of kin, (the) neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the way farer (you meet) and those (slaves) whom your right hands possess”. 
{وَالَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَا أَمَرَ اللَّهُ بِهِ أَنْ يُوصَلَ} [الرعد:21]
Translation: “and those who join that which Allah has commanded to be joined (i.e. they are good to their relatives and do not sever the bond of kinship)”.
 
There are several Hadiths of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam regarding joining family ties. Such as:
 
وعن أَنسٍ رضي اللَّه عنه أَن رسولَ اللَّه صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قَالَ: "مَنْ أَحبَّ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ في رِزقِهِ، ويُنْسأَ لَهُ في أَثرِهِ، فَلْيصِلْ رحِمهُ" متفقٌ عَلَيهِ.
Translation: Anas radhiyallahi anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Whoever wants that his provision be increased and his lifespan be increased should join family ties.
وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " «دِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ، وَدِينَارٌ تَصَدَّقْتَ بِهِ فِي رَقَبَةٍ، وَدِينَارٌ تَصَدَّقْتَ بِهِ عَلَى مِسْكِينٍ، وَدِينَارٌ أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ. أَعْظَمُهَا أَجْرًا الَّذِي أَنْفَقْتَهُ عَلَى أَهْلِكَ» ". رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ.
Translation: Abu Huraira radhiyallahi anhu radhiyallahi anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam said: “A dinar which you spend in the path of Allah, a dinar which you spend in freeing a slave, a dinar which you spend on the poor and a dinar which you spend on your family, the greatest of them in terms of reward is that which you spent on your family”.
عن جابر رضي الله عنه عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : "أول ما يوضع في ميزان العبد نفقته على أهله" المتجر الرابح في ثواب العمل الصالح
Translation: Jabir radhiyallahi anhu narrated that the Prophet sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam said: “The first (thing) that will be placed in the scales of a slave is his expenditure on his family”.
وَعَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ -: " «إِذَا أَنْفَقَ الْمُسْلِمُ نَفَقَةً عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَهُوَ يَحْتَسِبُهَا كَانَتْ لَهُ صَدَقَةً» ". مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Translation: Ibn Masood radhiyallahi anhu narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam said: “When a Muslim spends on his family whilst hoping for reward for it then it would be (regarded as) charity”.
2) A person gets reward according to what is intended. If your intention is correct then Allah Ta’ala will certainly reward you. The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam stated “Verily actions depend upon intentions”.
وعن أبي العبَّاسِ عبدِ اللهِ بنِ عباسِ بنِ عبد المطلب رضِيَ اللهُ عنهما، عن رَسُول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - فيما يروي عن ربهِ، تباركَ وتعالى، قَالَ: «إنَّ اللهَ كَتَبَ الحَسَنَاتِ والسَّيِّئَاتِ ثُمَّ بَيَّنَ ذلِكَ، فَمَنْ هَمَّ بحَسَنَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَها اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وتَعَالى عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كامِلَةً، وَإنْ هَمَّ بهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللهُ عَشْرَ حَسَناتٍ إِلى سَبْعمئةِ ضِعْفٍ إِلى أَضعَافٍ كَثيرةٍ، وإنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا كَتَبَهَا اللهُ تَعَالَى عِنْدَهُ حَسَنَةً كَامِلةً، وَإنْ هَمَّ بِهَا فَعَمِلَهَا كَتَبَهَا اللهُ سَيِّئَةً وَاحِدَةً». مُتَّفَقٌ عليهِ.
 
Ibn Abbas radhiyallahi anhuma narrated that the Messenger of Allah sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam narrated from Allah Ta’ala “Verily, Allah destined good and bad, then Allah Ta’ala expounded that (i.e. the level of reward each person will get). Thus, whichever person intends good, however, he did not act upon it, Allah Ta’ala will write one complete reward for him. And whichever person intends good and acted upon it, Allah Ta’ala will write ten rewards to seven hundred rewards to considerably multiplied rewards. And whichever person intends bad and does not act upon it, Allah Ta’ala writes one complete reward for him. And whichever person intended bad and acted upon it, Allah Ta’ala will write one bad deed for him”.
 
Thus, your rewards will be multiplied according to your intention, sincerity etc.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mawlana Mohammed Patel,
Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia
Checked and Concurred by,
Maulana Ismail Desai.
 

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