Mother’s expenses on son

The Fuqaha have written that if the mother is poor and unable to maintain herself, then the responsibility of maintenance will be upon the son, even though he may be a poor person, as the mother is unable to go out to earn. The following textual references attest to this ruling.

Now, if your mother was unable to maintain herself and your sister maintained her, then she is entitled to claim all such expenses from you with the proviso that, there was an agreement between your sister and yourself that all amounts spent in maintaining your mother will be recouped from you at a later stage. She will have to provide proof for all such expenses. If such an agreement did not exist, then the act of maintaining your mother carried out by her will be considered as Tabarru (voluntary act/gesture of goodwill) for which she will be rewarded in the court of Almighty Allah, but cannot be claimed at this stage.

A Mas’ala is discussed in Fataawa Mahmoodiyya on Page 401, vol.25, where an adopted son spent on his step-father’s house without entering into any formal agreement. Hadrat Mufti Saheb Rahimahullah stated that his spending is an act of Tabarru (a voluntary act) for which one cannot claim any expenses.