Visiting My Non-Muslim Family - Is It OK?

I came to Islam, I used to be Christian (or some other religion), and now I’m here as a Muslim, and I want to know, can I still go visit my parents sometimes?

I have heard this asked as though somebody must have told you, “you couldn’t.” Then I found that there were some brothers and sisters telling them, “No, they are Kuffar. You have to cut all relation with them.” Well, that’s a Cult. That’s not a religion, that’s a Cult! When you have to cut relations with your family, why do you have to cut relations with them? Why? The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) didn’t order that. The Quran forbids you to cut the relationship with your family like that. Forbids you!

At the beginning of Surah An-Nisa, it forbids the believers to cut this relation because it orders you to keep the relation of the womb. How in the world are you going to go against this? I don’t know.

But the thing in Islam is - you mustn’t obey your parents if they ordered you to worship other than Allah. But anything else, no, you obey them. If your parents tell you “We want you to do this or do that or do so and so,” you better take it real serious. If it’s not against Islam, then you have the same responsibility to your parents, that a Muslim has to his Muslim parents.

You also have the responsibility to care for them, and love them, at least give them the dignity, the respect, that they’re due; and your money. You can’t withhold that  from your relatives. Especially, if you say, “I don’t want to give it to them, I don’t want to give it to my mom and dad because they’re not Muslim. I’d rather send it over to some other country where the Muslims are.” No! That’s wrong. If your parents need the money, it’s wrong that you send it to some other country, I don’t care what religion they are. Check it out, find out but it’s important to give parents their rights, regardless of their belief.

Sheikh Yusuf Estes