Does a man prioritize his parents over his children, as in the story of the man upon whom the rock fell, who then mentioned his deed and that he had gone far in search of wood?
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The questioner : This is a follow-up to the question, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Ask, but O man, is it a follow-up or independent?
The questioner : All right, O Shaykh, regarding the hadith of the three men upon whom the rock fell.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The man who said: "My pasture is behind me, and the children are [with me]."
The Shaykh : He went in search of wood.
The questioner : He went in search of wood, and the children were crying with hunger at his feet. O Shaykh, is it prescribed now for a person who has a need, meaning a matter that cannot be fulfilled except by this thing, and he has children and he has his parents, does he prioritize the parents, even though he can obtain this thing later, but now the need is for the child? Is it prescribed, based on the fact that Allah the Exalted answered his supplication, is it prescribed for a person to do this in these days?
The Shaykh : No, it is not so, because we say: this man, as you know, was grazing his sheep, and a person always says: "Now return, now return, now we will reach the pasture," until the time slips away. Otherwise, taking care of the children and the fathers and mothers is more important than taking care of wealth. But this is a known thing; a person always lets things drag on until he does not realize that the time has passed. Even a person writes and works on writing, and his heart is [elsewhere], and then he finds that the time has slipped away.
The questioner : I mean, does he prioritize the parents in this matter, even though he can obtain this thing later, and leave the children?
The Shaykh : No, this was his independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). This was his independent legal reasoning. And if such a thing happens, and the parents are sleeping and the children are crying from hunger, we prioritize the children.
The questioner : And what does it mean that his supplication was answered?
The Shaykh : But this was his independent legal reasoning, and Allah the Exalted rewards a person according to the extent of his effort. Yes.
The Shaykh : Ask, but O man, is it a follow-up or independent?
The questioner : All right, O Shaykh, regarding the hadith of the three men upon whom the rock fell.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The man who said: "My pasture is behind me, and the children are [with me]."
The Shaykh : He went in search of wood.
The questioner : He went in search of wood, and the children were crying with hunger at his feet. O Shaykh, is it prescribed now for a person who has a need, meaning a matter that cannot be fulfilled except by this thing, and he has children and he has his parents, does he prioritize the parents, even though he can obtain this thing later, but now the need is for the child? Is it prescribed, based on the fact that Allah the Exalted answered his supplication, is it prescribed for a person to do this in these days?
The Shaykh : No, it is not so, because we say: this man, as you know, was grazing his sheep, and a person always says: "Now return, now return, now we will reach the pasture," until the time slips away. Otherwise, taking care of the children and the fathers and mothers is more important than taking care of wealth. But this is a known thing; a person always lets things drag on until he does not realize that the time has passed. Even a person writes and works on writing, and his heart is [elsewhere], and then he finds that the time has slipped away.
The questioner : I mean, does he prioritize the parents in this matter, even though he can obtain this thing later, and leave the children?
The Shaykh : No, this was his independent legal reasoning (ijtihad). This was his independent legal reasoning. And if such a thing happens, and the parents are sleeping and the children are crying from hunger, we prioritize the children.
The questioner : And what does it mean that his supplication was answered?
The Shaykh : But this was his independent legal reasoning, and Allah the Exalted rewards a person according to the extent of his effort. Yes.