Do I Have to Stay Home for My Parents' Plan?

Assalamu alaikum - I'm a 30-year-old woman living and working in a different city (about 500–600 km away). Right now I'm staying with my parents because I'm on sick leave and using healthcare in their city. They asked me to remain at home, so I have stayed for the past month. In a week I plan to go back to my apartment - it's been empty more than a month, I'm renting it, and I'm worried bills or other things might be neglected. Today my dad casually told me he and my mom are planning a five-day visit to my brother and they expect me to stay at home while they're away. Their reasons: someone should check the house so nothing is stolen, and they have two cats and a dog that needs feeding (the dog is kept on a leash and needs food). My dad said, “you should sometimes adapt to us,” and reminded me I used to come back here a few times for that reason, spending money and risking my job. I suggested they could go for 3–4 days, and feed the dog the first day and leave food for the next days, then return. They insist five days is necessary. I feel disappointed - my whole life they find ways to keep me tied to home and I haven’t really been able to grow up. I managed to leave a year ago, but they still pull me back. From an Islamic perspective, do I have to stay at home? Am I required to do this for them? My answer as a fellow Muslim: You should honor and be kind to your parents - Islam emphasizes good treatment of parents and caring for their needs. But that duty does not automatically mean you must sacrifice your own lawful responsibilities (like work, housing, financial obligations) or put your wellbeing or job at risk without a clear necessity. Consider these practical and Islamic points: - Talk calmly and kindly with your parents, starting with salaam. Explain your concerns: your rented apartment has been empty, bills need attention, and you need to return to work. Make dua and seek a balanced solution. - Offer compromises: you could shorten their trip, arrange for a trusted neighbour, relative, or friend to check the house and feed the pets, or hire a pet-sitter if possible. Show you’re willing to help but not to the point of harming your own responsibilities. - If the animals truly need daily care that only you can provide, discuss rotating help or paying someone to assist. Parents appreciate practical solutions. - If staying would cause you financial loss or jeopardize your job, that’s a legitimate concern. Islam does not require you to bear undue harm. Try to explain this gently and propose alternatives. - Keep addressing the underlying issue: your independence and their tendency to control. With patience and respectful firmness, gradually set boundaries while still maintaining kindness and dutifulness. So no, you are not religiously obliged to stay home in a way that harms your own legitimate needs. But handle it with sabr (patience), respect, and clear communication, and try to offer practical alternatives to meet their worries without sacrificing your responsibilities. Make dua that Allah eases the situation and guides your parents to accept a fair solution.