My father frequently utters the words of divorce regarding my mother, and he is lax in performing the prayers, while my mother is the opposite: a praying, worshipping woman. I have often advised my father.

The questioner : My father frequently utters the words of divorce regarding my mother, and he is lax in performing the prayers. My mother is the opposite; she is a praying, worshipping woman, and this is a favor from Allah upon her. I have often advised my father not to be lax with these words, meaning the words of divorce, but he did not care. I am now about to start working, and I want to send some money to my mother without my father, even though his situation is very, very weak. Is this permissible for me, O honorable Shaykh?

The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Who among people is most deserving of my good companionship?" He said: It was said: "Then who?" He said: It was said: "Then who?" He said: It was said: "Then who?" He said: In the third or fourth instance. Based on this, if the mother is in need and the father is in need, the mother's need takes precedence. If you send something to your father and he takes it for himself and nothing of it reaches your mother, then send to your mother, and there is no blame on you. If you have financial ease, then send to both of them, for that is part of dutifulness.
But better than that is that you send to your father a gift, a gift of advice, warning him of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and commanding him to fear Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), for that is the best thing you can gift to your father.
And your father is, in reality, in danger due to his negligence of the prayer, for the prayer forbids immorality and wrongdoing, and it is the pillar of the religion. If a person neglects it, he has neglected the pillar of the religion. And if a person neglects it, he will have no deterrent against immorality and wrongdoing.
Furthermore, his laxity with the words of divorce is one of the major problems, because if he divorces with the intention, meaning with the intent, then his wife is divorced if there is no obstacle to the divorce taking effect. And if she is divorced twice, then in the third time she is not lawful for him until she marries another husband.
So you must emphasize the advice to him in this matter so that he does not approach a forbidden private part without knowing it.
May Allah guide everyone to what He loves and is pleased with.

The questioner : O Allah, amen. The listener is Abdullah, from Riyadh. He actually wrote a letter in his own style. The summary of this letter is: Honorable Shaykh Muhammad.