Fatwa ID: 07512
Answered by: Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek
Question:
I was born in Karachi in the year 1968 and raised in a family of 5 people. My father had served the State Bank of Pakistan for 30+ years in the Karachi head office. He performed his duty with dignity, honesty and discipline. He retired from the service in the year 2000. Later on, he died in the year 2004.
We all understand that, in a human-to-human relationship, we have the obligation to contribute to life-related matters of each other, by any means according to the circumstances. I like to put forward 2 questions to your office, which have been in practice in my social circle for several years. The questions are as follows:
1-After marriage, how many times in a year should a family visit their friends and relatives circle, in the context of 3 different scenarios:
If both families live in different countries, such as Pakistan and others?
If both families live within the country, such as Pakistan, but in different cities?
If both families live within the country, such as Pakistan, and within the same city?
People in my social circle claim that: each family must visit their friends and relatives once, twice or thrice a year. If not, then their life has no meaning, and sometimes they used to say, there will be a curse upon those who do not follow that. The irony of the situation is, that they relate it to the Quran and/or Sunnah.
2-After marriage, how many times should a woman visit her parents’ house, in the context of 3 different scenarios:
If both families live in different countries, such as Pakistan and others?
If both families live within the country, such as Pakistan, but in different cities?
If both families live within the country, such as Pakistan, and within the same city?
People in my social circle claims that: Married women must visit her parents’ house once in a week, if both living in the same city. Married women must visit her parents’ house once in a year, if both lives within one country, but in different cities of it. If not, then their life has no meaning, and sometimes they used to say, there will be curse upon those who do not follow that. The irony of the situation is, they relate it with Quran and/or Sunnah.
I am contacting your office, considering your institution’s vast knowledge and existence in our world on Islamic Principles. In addition to that, your institution’s leadership has international recognition, which became the actual inspiration for me to approach your office. People in my social circle are using their ill-fated acts, which eventually create Enmity and Meanness.
Such actions not only fall under the category of falsification, but also facilitates the hindering of the true spirit of the religion of Islam. We are living in the 21st Century, and our world is a global village NOW, where the sharing of knowledge has become more convenient.
I will be delighted, if you provide information on the above questions in the form of softcopy (scanned authentic documents) in reply to this e-mail with all of the related references from the Quran and/or Sunnah. Let me assure you, the above 2 questions has no other motives, but to clarify and/or correct wrong perceptions on the subject within my social circle.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Islam has placed a tremendous emphasis on the maintenance and preservation of keeping family ties. There are immense rewards for the one who upkeep it. On the contrary, there are punishments for the one who severs it.
As humans, we need one and another. We are in a circle where we depend on each other. We can’t live on our own and be independent. To create a peaceful society we have to interact and communicate.
Allah emphasises on treating the relatives well and we are commanded to fulfil their rights. Allah mentions in the Quran in surah Nisa ayah 36: “And worship Allah and do not associate with Him anything, and be good to your parents and to your kinsmen and orphans and the needy and the close neighbour and the distant neighbour and the companion at your side and the wayfarer and to those owned by you. Surely, Allah does not like those who are arrogant or proud”
In the hadith it is mentioned: that whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, should unite the bond of kinship (i.e. keep good relations with his kith and kin).
As a Muslim the shariah supersedes everything. We have to adhere to the Quran and the sunnah. From this we prove the great importance of family and relatives.
1- There is no specific mention as how often you should visit your relatives based on these 3 scenarios. However one should make time and go visit them. The most important thing is to keep a good relationship and at times give a phone call and make salaam.
Based upon one’s financial means and ability, one should be able to see how often you can go and visit them whether it is in your own city or far away. There are no tight and strict rules to it.
2- When it comes to the parents, the scholars discuss about it mostly for a woman visiting her parents. In normal circumstances, women are advised to remain in their home and they will need their husband’s permission to go out.
When it comes To visiting her parents, the husband is not allowed to prohibit her from visiting her parents. This also has no set and specific rules. It depends on the situation, if one is able to go every day, once week or month or even a year.
Therefore it is necessary to maintain a good relationship with one’s family and relatives. There are no hard and fast rules. It all depends upon the individual and one will be highly rewarded.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Abdoullah Limvoonheek
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
Reference:
Mariful Quran surah Nisaa Ayah 36
وَاعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ وَلَا تُشۡرِكُوۡا بِهٖ شَيۡـئًـا ؕ وَّبِالۡوَالِدَيۡنِ اِحۡسَانًا وَّبِذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَالۡيَتٰمٰى وَ الۡمَسٰكِيۡنِ وَالۡجَـارِ ذِى الۡقُرۡبٰى وَالۡجَـارِ الۡجُـنُبِ وَالصَّاحِبِ بِالۡجَـنۡۢبِ وَابۡنِ السَّبِيۡلِ ۙ وَمَا مَلَـكَتۡ اَيۡمَانُكُمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَنۡ كَانَ مُخۡتَالًا فَخُوۡرَا
عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ مَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيُكْرِمْ ضَيْفَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَلْيَقُلْ خَيْرًا أَوْ لِيَصْمُتْ ”
Sahih Bukhar hadith 6138
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ “ إِنَّ الرَّحِمَ سُجْنَةٌ مِنَ الرَّحْمَنِ، فَقَالَ اللَّهُ مَنْ وَصَلَكِ وَصَلْتُهُ، وَمَنْ قَطَعَكِ قَطَعْتُهُ ”
Sahih Bukhari hadith 5988
(قَوْلُهُ وَلِلزَّوْجِ أَنْ يَمْنَعَ وَالِدِيهَا وَوَلَدَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِهِ وَأَهْلَهَا الدُّخُولَ عَلَيْهَا) ؛ لِأَنَّ عَلَيْهَا الْخَلْوَةَ مَعَهُ فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ شَاءَ وَبِدُخُولِ هَؤُلَاءِ يَتَعَذَّرُ ذَلِكَ وَقِيلَ لَا يَمْنَعُ وَالِدِيهَا مِنْ الدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهَا فِي الْأُسْبُوعِ مَرَّةً وَفِي غَيْرِهَا مِنْ الْمَحَارِمِ التَّقْدِيرُ بِسَنَةٍ وَهُوَ الصَّحِيحُ (قَوْلُهُ وَلَا يَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنْ النَّظَرِ إلَيْهَا وَكَلَامُهَا فِي كُلِّ وَقْتٍ شَاءُوا) لِمَا فِي ذَلِكَ مِنْ قَطِيعَةِ الرَّحِمِ وَلِأَنَّ أَهْلَهَا لَا بُدَّ لَهُمْ مِنْ افْتِقَادِهِمْ وَالْعِلْمِ بِحَالِهَا وَلَا يَمْنَعُهَا مِنْ الْخُرُوجِ إلَى الْوَالِدَيْنِ
الجوهرة النيرة ج٢ ص٨٦
الدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهِ فِي مَنْزِلِهِ اخْتَلَفُوا فِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لَا يَمْنَعُ مِنْ الْأَبَوَيْنِ مِنْ الدُّخُولِ عَلَيْهَا لِلزِّيَارَةِ فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ، وَإِنَّمَا يَمْنَعُهُمْ مِنْ الْكَيْنُونَةِ عِنْدَهَا، وَبِهِ أَخَذَ مَشَايِخُنَا – رَحِمَهُمْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى -، وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ وَقِيلَ: لَا يَمْنَعُهَا مِنْ الْخُرُوجِ إلَى الْوَالِدَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ مَرَّةً، وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى كَذَا فِي غَايَةِ السُّرُوجِيِّ وَهَلْ يَمْنَعُ غَيْرَ الْأَبَوَيْنِ عَنْ الزِّيَارَةِ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، وَقَالَ مَشَايِخُ بَلْخٍ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ وَعَلَيْهِ الْفَتْوَى، وَكَذَا لَوْ أَرَادَتْ الْمَرْأَةُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ لِزِيَارَةِ الْمَحَارِمِ كَالْخَالَةِ وَالْعَمَّةِ وَالْأُخْتِ فَهُوَ عَلَى هَذِهِ الْأَقَاوِيلِ كَذَا فِي فَتَاوَى قَاضِي خَانْ وَلَيْسَ لِلزَّوْجِ أَنْ يَمْنَعَ وَالِدَيْهَا وَوَلَدَهَا مِنْ غَيْرِهِ وَأَهْلَهَا مِنْ النَّظَرِ إلَيْهَا وَكَلَامَهَا فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ اخْتَارُوا هَكَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ
الفتاوى الهندية ج١ ص٥٥٧
