The Obligation of Sons to Care for Their Mother

Question:
May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good. After this, a message reached the program from the Arab Republic of Egypt, sent by a listener who referred to himself by letters. He resides in the Kingdom and has a case in which he says: I am an Egyptian citizen, but, if Allah wills, I am working in my second country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, having left my job in Egypt. I have an elderly mother, and my youngest brother lives with her, along with his wife, in the family home to care for her. My other brothers are each working with their wives and children, far from the country where we reside and where my mother lives. But, unfortunately, in the recent period, when I took my leave to Egypt, I found my mother in a very bad state, to the extent that I called my sisters to care for her and to remove my brother’s wife, who, as Allah knows, was mistreating her in our absence. So, what is my position regarding my mother? Am I sinful toward her for leaving her in that condition? And do you direct me to anything else? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Yes, it is obligatory for you to care for your mother, attend to her affairs, and provide for her needs, because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, has commanded you to do so. He, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: and say to them a kind word, and lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.” So, it is obligatory for you to fulfill the rights of your mother, care for her, and serve her. If there is someone who acts on your behalf, such as your wife, your daughters, your present sons, or your brothers, then the intended goal is achieved by that, even if you are not present. If there is no one to attend to her affairs, then you remain with her and seek sustenance in your country. And it is obligatory for each of your brothers to do what is obligatory for you, because the right is obligatory upon all of them. However, if they do not fulfill their duty, then you fulfill your duty, and the reward and recompense for that will be for you with Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. This is a source of envy for you, and a good thing by which Allah, the Exalted, has distinguished you.