Feed one’s father as one feeds oneself

Question

Question: Saʿid said to his son ʿAbd al-Samad: “Keep parity between your food and clothing and mine, that is, whatever you eat and drink, give me to eat and drink as well. If you do not do so, but yourself eat, drink, wear and cover yourself well, and make me use bad things, then all this doing of yours will be haram.” Now ʿAbd al-Samad did not act on his father’s advice. Will his increasing his wealth, his eating and drinking be haram or not?

Answer

The son himself ought to have served with heart and soul and prepared everything for his father better than for himself. In the noble hadith it is stated: [ar]أنت ومالك لأبيك[/ar] “You and your wealth belong to your father.” Eating and drinking well oneself while giving one’s father inferior things is also contrary to modesty (haya).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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