Rights of parents

Rights of non-Muslim parents upon their Muslim children

Q: What are the rights of our parents upon us as convert Muslims? (Mind you our parents are non Muslims) Since someone said, even their prayers don't help us with anything because they are not Muslims and they are therefore not important to us because they are non Muslims. Is this true? 

Another question is that once you get married and your parents ask you to do something for them whilst your husband refuses, who should you obey? We know Islam says jannah lies under your mother's feet so when it comes to that, which side does the woman take? Does she have to obey the husband and ignore the parents?

Rectifying one's relationship with one's mother after her demise

Q: My parents are no more. During my mother’s lifetime, due to various reasons, I was sometimes harsh with her. I used to shout at her and speak rudely, and unfortunately I could not ask for her forgiveness while she was alive. 

However, during the final stage of her life, around two hours before her death, she became very ill and I took care of her sincerely. At that time, she gave me many duas. But throughout my life before that, I regret that I was often rude to her. 

Whenever I pray Salah, I constantly ask Allah for forgiveness for the way I behaved with my mother. Even after her death, I once saw her in a dream. In the dream, I was saying to her, “Please forgive me, Mom. If you do not forgive me, Allah may also not forgive me.” She did not say anything and was only looking at me. 

Please guide me on how I can seek forgiveness properly and how a person can know if Allah has forgiven them for such a sin.

Biological parents having a greater right over a person compared to his foster parents

Q: I have a question regarding milk parents. 

I was conceived by my biological parents with the intention of being adopted by my aunty (fathers sister) as she hadn’t had any children with her husband for 11 years. 

When I was born, I was adopted and grew up in another city with my (new) milk parents. From small I was told about my adoption so it wasn’t something shocking to me. 

I grew up knowing my siblings and visiting my biological parents often, but my milk parents were like my real/main parents and my biological were like my aunty and uncle. 

Now that I’m older and married and my siblings are also older and married and I’m staying in the town I grew up with my biological parents. I hadn’t been there as much and made the khidmat owed to my biological parents. 

My biological parents said multiple times that I should treat my milk parents as my real ones and that they (the biological ones) hold no haq over me. I asked my shaikh what to do and he says that shariah is above everything and that their words or emotions don’t govern what the actual rights to them are. 

So my question is who holds more right over me, the milk parents who raised me or the biological parents who bore me? 

When it comes to khidmat or instruction, who holds more weight? 

And lastly, if they excuse me from khidmat what does it mean?

Assisting one's mother financially

Q: My mom divorced 15 years ago. My dad died 10 years ago but after his death since we were kids, mom decided to come and stay with us. She doesn't share any inheritance saying it's her right and her property and the rent which came from the property she favours the eldest brother and doesn't give us any of the part for 9 years. 

Now I am married and she's demanding me to take care of her monthly allowance which I simply denied because I am living separately and said that for 9 years you didn't give me my money that we got from tenants neither the share of the inheritance so why would I give you the allowance. Is it allowed for me to deny the request based on that or should I give her the allowance which I know will be given to my eldest brother who's 28 and physically good enough to earn by his own but he doesn't since he's spoiled by my mother and doesn't will to work or contribute to the house at all?

Assisting one's drug addict father in fulfilling all his halaal needs

Q: My children's father is addicted to drugs. 

I do not feel comfortable with them spending time in his company & I'm advising them to help him with food only if he gets sick as I feel they are enabling his habit. He manipulates them to feel sympathy for him & uses them for money, transport, food etc. Am I incorrect for doing this?