Fatwa ID: 09441
Answered by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Question:
I hope you’re well. My parents are struggling to look after one of their children with autism. I can see that as my sibling’s behaviour is getting more challenging with age, my parents are getting weaker, slower and more exhausted. In terms of myself, I would like to start a family and manage a household of my own in future and I understand that this would take a lot of responsibility and effort, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to look after my sibling too.
Is it permissible for our family to send the disabled sibling to a carehome, where they get their own accommodation and have allocated carers. The catch is that as a family we would see the sibling less frequently and would be limited to visiting periods (once a month, weekends etc)?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Caring for a disabled child (such as one with autism) is considered a form of Nafaqa (obligatory support) that is due from the parents as long as they are able. This includes financial support and physical care if required. This obligation continues even after the child reaches adulthood if the child is unable to earn due to disability. The obligation to provide for and care for close relatives is well established in the Shariah and is the responsibility of the family and will transfer over to the next of kin (siblings) after the parent’s death. [1,2]
Although it is ideal for a family to personally care for a disabled child and have them live at home, this is not always possible. As parents grow older or face health and financial difficulties, providing constant care can become very challenging and unfeasible. Hiring live in caregivers can get very expensive and may also be beyond the family’s means. In such cases, placing the child in a care home may be the most practical option to ensure the child’s needs are properly met and that the family is not overburdened. The Shariah takes this into consideration and stresses the principle of (لا ضرر ولا ضرار), meaning that harm should neither be inflicted nor reciprocated. If keeping the child at home leads to harm, whether to the child or to the family (such as elderly parents becoming physically unable to provide adequate care), then seeking an alternative arrangement is permissible as long as all other options and exhausted and it is done within the bounds of the Shariah.
This includes arranging suitable care through other means, as long as the facility ensures that the disabled relative is cared for properly, that the relative’s needs are fulfilled and their dignity is respected, and that this be done not with the intention of abandoning the relative. It is also important to ensure that the care home follows Islamic guidelines, such as providing Halal food and maintaining an environment that respects the child’s religious beliefs and spiritual needs.
While Nafaqah and physical care may be delegated, the responsibility to maintain family ties remains obligatory upon the family. Family members should continue to visit the child regularly, check up on the relative and their well-being, and offer emotional support as much as they can. The frequency of visits can vary depending on individual circumstances, but the family should make an effort to remain present in the child’s life and ensure that they are properly taken care of, even after the parents’ death.
Only Allah ﷻ knows best.
Written by Mufti Abdurrahman Mohammad
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
[1]
(والنفقة) تجب (لكل ذي رحم محرم) منه (إذا كان صغيراً فقيراً، أو كانت امرأة) ولو (بالغة) إذا كانت (فقيرة أو كان) ذو الرحم (ذكراً زمناً أو أعمى) وكان (فقيراً) لأن الصلة في القرابة القريبة واجبة دون البعيدة، والفاصل أن يكون ذا رحم محرم، وقد قال اللهتعالى: {وعلى الوارث مثل ذلك} وفي قراءة ابن مسعود (وعلى الوارث ذي الرحم المحرم مثل ذلك) ثم لابد من الحاجة والصغر والأنوثة، والزمانة والعمى أمارة الحاجة لنحقق العجز، فإن القادر على الكسب غني بكسبه، بخلاف الأبوين لأنهما يلحقهما تعب الكسب والولد مأمور بدفع الضرر ويجب ذلك على مقدار الميراث.
وتجب نفقة الابنة البالغة والابن الزمن على أبويه أثلاثاً: على الأب الثلثان، وعلى الأم الثلث.
عنهما، فتجب نفقتهما مع قدرتهما على الكسب. هداية. قيد بالمحرم لأن الرحم غير المحرم لا تجب نفقته كابن العم، وإن كان وارثاً، ولابد أن تكون المحرمية بجهة القرابة، ولذا قيدنا بالمحرمية بقولنا (منه) أي الرحم، فلو كان قريباً محرماً من غير جهة الرحم كابن العم إذا كان أخاً من الرضاع فإنه لا نفقة له كما في البحر عن شرح الطحاوي، (ويجب ذلك) عليهم (على قدر الميراث) لأن التنصيص على الوارث تنبيه على اعتبار المقدار، ولأن الغرم بالغنم. هداية.
(Al-Lubāb Fī Sharh Al-Kitāb, vol. 3, pg. 105, Al-Maktabah Al-‘Ilmiyyah)
[2]
وَالنَّفَقَةُ لِكُلِّ ذِي رَحِمٍ مَحْرَمٍ إذَا كَانَ صَغِيرًا فَقِيرًا، أَوْ كَانَتْ امْرَأَةً بَالِغَةً فَقِيرَةً، أَوْ كَانَ ذَكَرًا فَقِيرًا زَمِنًا، أَوْ أَعْمَى وَيَجِبُ ذَلِكَ عَلَى قَدْرِ الْمِيرَاثِ وَيُجْبَرُ كَذَا فِي الْهِدَايَةِ وَتُعْتَبَرُ أَهْلِيَّةُ الْإِرْثِ لَا حَقِيقَتُهُ كَذَا فِي النُّقَايَةِ.
(Al-Fatāwā Al-Hindiyyah, vol. 1, pg. 566, Al-Maṭba’ah Al-Kubrā Al-Amīriyyah)
الْقَاعِدَةُ الْخَامِسَةُ: الضَّرَرُ يُزَالُ
أَصْلُهَا قَوْلُهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ {لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ} أَخْرَجَهُ مَالِكٌ فِي الْمُوَطَّإِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ مُرْسَلًا، وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْحَاكِمُ فِي الْمُسْتَدْرَكِ وَالْبَيْهَقِيِّ وَالدَّارَقُطْنِيّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، وَأَخْرَجَهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ مِنْ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَعُبَادَةَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ.
(Al-Ashbāh wa al-Naẓāʾir, pg. 72, Dār Al-Kutub Al’Ilmiyyah)