Rights of parents

Respecting one's abusive father

Q: I have a father, he is a worst creature I have ever seen in my life unfortunately. He always abuses us, my mother, his own mother while talking to us almost 7/10 times. He never spends a single penny on us apart from studies.

I am 25 years old and I have seen the emotional torture for the last 25 years. He used to beat our mother, I wish with a dare, I answer his nonsense infront of 10 people, but my mother stops me always saying that he is my father. She actually covers his psycho behaviour.

Some time from now I will get married and I dont want my wife to see such evil stuff, and my children as well (in shaa Allah).

Whenever I think of taking some legal and respectful action against him, to settle down things for atleast me, I am being stopped by my mother in the name of Islam. I want to know my Islamic right, how can I save myself from emotional torture?

We did a medical test for his brain (MRI), it came fine perfectly, the doctor says he has now multiple personality disorder, but I don't agree, since he has been the same person from day 1.

I want go away from him to save myself, and in shaa Allah my future family. Can I do this in Islam, because I am always being stopped in the name of Islam.

Giving preference to one's cat over one's mother

Q: There is a dispute between my mother and I regarding the cat which I keep in my house. My mother wants me to remove the cat from the house, whereas I want to keep the cat, and this causes us to fight.

I live separately with my wife and I am not even living with my mother, yet she has made a huge fuss for me to remove the cat from the house and I am not willing to do that.

Please guide me as to what I should do? We have extreme love for cats, but now my mother seldom visits our home and only comes perhaps twice a month.

Mother speaking ill of her daughter to others

Q: I have been living with my pensioner mother since I got married as I am the only child. We currently live in the same complex as my in laws and they are very accommodating of my mother and treat her kindly. I had a previous incident where my nanny left because my mother was talking ill about my husband, myself and my in laws. Bitter complaints and bringing me down. This isn't the first time. She has been complaining and bringing my husband down to many others. To the point where she makes herself seem like a victim and they actually despise me as she paints me out to be so nasty and cruel.

I have spoken to her on many occasions regarding this. She agrees not to do it and then a few months later I find out that she's talking about me, my husband or my in laws. She even complained to my mother in law about me continuously.

I have recently found out, once again that my helper (who also works for my in laws) wants to leave as my mother is talking about me, my husband and in laws behind our backs.

How do I defend my mother in a situation like this? My in laws know as the helper had to tell my mother in law to take her back full time as she works part time for me. I am at my wits end. I am so angry, hurt and frustrated. I cannot respect her. I want to know Islamically what is my duty regarding my mother and what rights do I have? I am so tired of her being manipulative and emotionally toxic. I am considering putting her into a retirement/old age home. It is as if she wants to intentionally ruin or cause drama in my marriage and between my in laws and I.

I need some advice as to how to handle this situation as my in laws are telling me to leave her and just continue as normal. I can't! I am so fedup of her causing unnecessary drama.