Title: Is it obligatory for me to financially support my married brother and married sisters and their children?

Question: I am living and working full time in the USA. I have children and wife living with me in the USA and I fulfill all their financial needs. I also send money to my mother every month in Pakistan and fully financially support her. My father is deceased. I wanted to know is it obligatory for me to support my brother and sisters? My sisters are married with children and my brother is also married with child. They expect me to financially provide for all of them just because I am living in the USA, but I wanted to know Islamically is it fardh on me to financially provide for my sisters and brother and their families? I do send sadaqah and zakah money to them but I wanted to know will I be answerable to Allah for providing for my sisters and brother and their families financially?

Answer ID: 167249Posted on: Sep 1, 2020

Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim !

(Fatwa: 343/367/SN=05/1440)

According to Shariah, it is not wajib on you to support your brothers and sisters financially. If you don’t give them money then you will not be sinner. Yes, if you give them money time and again as ties of kinship then it will be a cause of reward for you.

ثم فرع على اعتبار الارث "بقوله" فنفقة من أي فقير له أخوات متفرقات موسرات عليهن أخماسا الخ .... قَوْلُهُ "أَيِّ فَقِيرٍ" مُقَيَّدٌ أَيْضًا بِالْعَاجِزِ عَنْ الْكَسْبِ إنْ كَانَ ذَكَرًا بَالِغًا الخ (در مختار مع الشامي 5/ 364، ط: زكريا)