Adult child of refugee parent - struggling with guilt about moving out (seeking Islamic perspective)
As-salamu alaykum. I’m an adult daughter of a single mother who came as a refugee while pregnant with me. She’s had a really hard life and I love her a lot; I know much of her behaviour comes from trauma. Over the last 10+ years she’s had ongoing physical problems and what I suspect are mental health struggles (paranoia, distrust, negativity), but she doesn’t accept mental health issues and refuses help. Right now my husband, baby, and I live with her in social housing under her name. We pay all the bills, buy groceries, cover other expenses, and give her a small weekly amount. She isn’t working, and we’ve tried to support her while encouraging her to save. The problem is the emotional atmosphere. She often treats people-especially men-as disposable and tells me to cut people off “to protect myself.” She has repeatedly made negative remarks about my husband, criticised how we split finances (we share expenses almost 50/50), and insists that culturally a daughter’s husband should support the mother financially. A few months ago, when I was very vulnerable (7 weeks postpartum with PPD), we had a big fight where she insulted my husband and his mother. I reacted badly and said things I regret. She told us to move out within weeks and kept pushing. I apologised later, and things are calmer now, but that fight still weighs on me. At the moment things are “fine,” but I’m anxious it will happen again. My husband is uncomfortable and we both want our own space. At the same time I feel overwhelming guilt about leaving her alone. She’s emotionally low, constantly worried about her life, and has chronic abdominal pain. She adores my daughter and would be devastated if we moved away. My mum is very religious and has hinted she might go back to her home country if I don’t live with her. She also cherishes the role of grandmother in my daughter’s life. I feel torn between: - protecting my marriage and my mental health - and the guilt of leaving a traumatised, ageing parent who depends on me emotionally Questions I’m struggling with: - How do I set and keep healthy boundaries with a parent affected by trauma while respecting cultural expectations? - Is it reasonable, within Islamic and moral terms, to move out even if it upsets her? - How can we tell her we want to move while reassuring her we still love and will keep ties, given her religious feelings and threats to return to her home country? - What guidance does Islam offer about caring for parents, balancing duty to them with duties to your spouse and children, and protecting your own mental health? I’d appreciate practical, compassionate advice and Islamic perspective from people who have navigated similar situations. JazākAllāh khayr.