The Ruling on Financial Maintenance for a Needy Relative

Question:
May Allah reward you with good and do you well. One of the listening brothers sent a message containing a collection of issues. In one of them, he says that he is poor, has no trade, and his condition is known to Allah. He asks whether he is obligated to provide for his parents and siblings, given the condition he described. May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Financial maintenance is obligatory for a needy relative, whether a parent or otherwise, upon one who has something in excess of his own needs. Allah the Exalted said, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Start with yourself, then with those who depend on you." If this questioner does not have anything in excess of his own maintenance, then he is not obligated to provide for his relatives. If he has something in excess, he starts with the closest, then the next closest: he starts with his wife and children, then his parents, and so on, the closest first. And Allah the Exalted says: . Yes.