Nafaqah (Financial support)

Responsibility of an illegitimate child

Q: I was 18 when I met my now husband...and I found out after I fell in love with him that he has a illigitimate child..he had no contact with her since birth and did not want to as the mother didn't want him to have any rifts over the child as she was to marry a man she cheated with on my husband in the past... For 16 years there was no contact and I married my husband on the grounds that this will never be a problem 1 day as I was never given a option to accept this with him or not... Furthermore for years he did not want this himself..

A few months ago after 16 years the child contacted het father and out of no where he wanted to have a relationship with her but his ex and child is not muslim and I could not bring myself to accept this...

Firstly the child isn't islam..2ndly I feel betrayed at the fact that I have to change my life for others mistakes of 16 years..my pious parents accepted this marriage on grounds that this would never come back like this...

I do feel bad as I told my husband...i cannot accept his estranged ex and child which isn't muslim in my life after so many years when now I want to start my own family and if he wants his child I have no choice but to divorce him as I cannot accept and fix a 16 year lost relationship of him and his daughter.. Am I wrong to not accept this?because I feel like I've been wronged by him and his false promise at the time of marriage..im scared Allah will punish me for stopping him and the child from having a relationship...

Please help

Providing for one's father's new wife and her children

Q: My father has married a young woman who has brought three young children with her and a grandson. My father does not work and he is almost seventy now. He has no pension whatsoever and his only source of income is the money me and my siblings give him. This is his third marriage. The first was to mother who passed away, he got divorced in the second marriage and he was living with my elder sister until now. Then he got married and decided to move into the unfinished house we were building for him. The question is, me and my siblings do not have well paying jobs and still we tried our best to care for him but now he has brought a woman and 4 children that will need support from him. As a Muslim, is it my duty to care for his family? It was already hard to care for him alone and just how are we going to manage taking care of 6 people including him and his wife? Will Allah Ta'ala be angry with us? Because when we send him money now its never enough and we also have our own lives to care for.

Divorced couple keeping each other informed via sms regarding the needs of their child

Q: Husband has issued one talaaq and wife is observing iddat. What is the ruling regarding informing each other about the child getting sick, needing to be taken to the doctor, etc. as these are matters that will be ongoing for life? Completely understood that they become complete strangers and no communication allowed, is it allowed to send an sms to prove the money was deposited into account, the child needed to go for tests, etc. to keep the parents informed about the child.

Husband not taking care of his family

Q: If a husband does not give enough money for spending at home e.g. groceries, shopping, rent, credit card bills, etc. and because of that situation every time there is a fight between the couple and this affects the kids as well, so what should the wife do to take care of the kids and house. The husband has alot of money for other expenses but he is not bothered about his family.

Mother asking her children for financial assistance

Q: Is it wrong for a mother to seek some assistance from her sons, of which all three are working, even if her husband is working? My sons feel that I must first divorce my husband before they will help me or he must sell his car so he can have more money to maintain me. I only asked for R200 from each of them towards my medical costs. Please advise me if I am wrong in asking them for assistance.