Child's Support
Question :

How are the expenses of the child's upbringing calculated in the Sharia?

Answer :

It is obligatory on the father to support the children by providing them with food and drink, clothes, medicine, housing and all that they need for their living.

Mother's Obligation to Support the Children
Question :

If the father or the paternal grandfather does not support the children, is their mother obligated to do so?

Answer :

Yes, she is obligated to do so if she can afford it.

Mother's Expenses
Question :

Is one obligated to provide food and shelter for the wife or the mother?

Answer :

It is compulsory for a person to provide shelter and food for both of them when possible, and if it is not possible then the wife has precedence.

Child of Adultery
Question :

What is the Islamic ruling of financial responsibilities of the child resulting from adultery?

Answer :

If the child is under the care of his mother or his father, then it is obligatory on them to support the child financially.

Wife's Expenses
Question :

In a permanent marriage what are the obligations of the man in paying for the expenses of his wife? Are these obligations different for temporary marriage?

Answer :

The husband is obligated to pay the regular expenses of the permanent wife which is food, shelter and clothing in a usual way. Selecting the best kind of such expenses is not mandatory.
The man is not obligated to pay more than the dower in the case of temporary marriage.

Wife's Expenses
Question :

What are the religious instructions for divorce, including the dower and the money to be paid for child and the ex-wife?

Answer :

If the divorce was revocable, then maintaining the wife financially during the Iddah - the waiting period - is obligatory on the husband. If it was irrevocable, then such maintenance is not obligatory.
It is obligatory on the father to sustain his children financially whether their mother is divorced or not.
The dower is payable to the wife by the husband if he consummated the marriage, and half of the dower is due if he did not.

Wife's Relatives
Question :

I know that my wife has some rights over me, such as feeding, clothing, shelter etc. Do parents, brothers and sisters of my wife also have some rights over me?

Answer :

They do not have any rights over you, other than the general rights of brotherhood between believers.

Divorcing the Wife by Herself
Question :

A husband and wife have separated for more than a year, Thus husband does not provide for the wife. Neither wishes to live with the other and they both want to move on with their lives. However, the husband does not give the wife a divorce and behaves as if she doesn’t exist. In this situation, can the wife do the divorce?

Answer :

The wife cannot divorce herself. If the wife was undertaking the husband’s marital rights, and the husband does not provide for her, the religious authority (i.e. the marja) can divorce her if such is proven to him.

Supporting the Father
Question :

I know it is obligatory on one to support his father financially. If his father asks his son for money and the son finds out that his father is gambling with it, is it still obligatory on the son to give his father the money?

Answer :

It is not obligatory on the son to pay money to his father to support him financially. He is obligated to provide sustenance to his father when the latter needs it. This can be done without actually giving him the money.