Date : 20-05-2012

Question :

Is it permissible for the married daughter to ask her father to give her a financial compensation because she didn`t complete her university studies although she got married voluntarily?


The Answer :

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.


It is obligatory upon the father to spend on his children who have no money. The evidence on this is that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: " 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Neglecting one's own dependents is a reason enough for a man to commit a sin." [Abu Dawud]. Here, not providing for dependents is wasting their rights. 


In this regard, the father should provide for them according to customary practice. According to scholars, "It is incumbent upon the father to provide for his dependents what suffices their basic needs of food, clothes, accommodation and the like. However, if he didn`t, then he isn`t liable to make up for that." {Umdat As-Salik, pp.309}.


In conclusion, the daughter mentioned in the above question doesn`t have the right to ask her father to compensate her for not having completed her university studies under the pretext that her brothers have. Moreover, the father doesn`t have to pay her any compensation. However, it is better that he gives her any amount as a form of charity and she should accept that and pray that Allah blesses her father since this is an act of kindness for which she will be rewarded. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.