Obedience To Parents

QUESTION:

A mother recommends to her adult children that they make Dua for those who selflessly assisted them in years of hardship, making sure to mention the person’s name in the Dua. Would this be an obligation on them, or is it optional?

ANSWER:

It is obligatory upon an adult child to obey and fulfil the instructions of his parents, provided that the instruction does not entail anything contrary to the Shar‘iah.

The obligation of obeying and honouring one’s parents is not restricted to attending to their worldly or physical needs. Rather, obedience and good treatment extends to permissible matters which are beneficial and praiseworthy and do not contain any element of Haraam in it.

Therefore, in the situation mentioned, the children should fulfil their mother’s instruction to make Dua for those who assisted them during their times of difficulty, and to mention these benefactors by name in their Duas. This is a permissible and virtuous act and does not entail anything contrary to the Shar‘iah.

Accordingly, the mother’s instruction should not be regarded as merely an optional recommendation but should be obeyed as it is an instruction towards a permissible and virtuous act.

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ ۝١٤ وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا

.وطاعة الوالدين وبرهما فرض خاص

 المحيط البرهاني vol 5 pg 386

مَطْلَبٌ طَاعَةُ الْوَالِدَيْنِ فَرْضُ عَيْنٍ

  Vol 4 pg 124 رد المختار

ALLAH TA’ALA ALONE IN HIS INFINITE KNOWLEDGE KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Mufti Muhammad Yusuf Sulaiman

Date: 21 Rabi-ul-Aakhir 1448 / 03 October 2026

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Yacoob Vally Saheb