Requesting consent from one’s parents to keep Nafl fasts
Question:-
Is it necessary for one to take consent from their parents to keep Nafl fasts if the parents are unhappy about their child fasting? What about Qadhaa fasts?
Answer:-
The Ulama have written that one should seek permission from his/her parents to keep Nafl fast (which also includes the Sunnah fasts) if the parents are displeased. If the parents do not permit their child to fast then the child should refrain from doing so (in the case of Nafl). However, Qadha fast is a right of Allah, hence the Baaligh child should fast even though the parents disapprove of it.
In the above scenario, if it is possible for the child to please his parents and thereby attain their consent to keep Nafl fast, then there is no harm in doing so.
وفي الحديث فضل بر الوالدين وتعظيم حقهما —–وفي شرح السنة : هذا في جهاد التطوع لا يخرج الا باذن الوالدين اذا كانا مسلمين فان كان الجهاد فرضا متعينا فلا حاجة الي اذنهما وان منعاه عصاهما وخرج —-وكذلك لا يخرج الي شيء من التطوعات كالحج والعمرة والزيارة ولا يصوم التطوع اذا كره الوالدان المسلمان او احدهما الا باذنهما —– (بذل المجهود ص93/94 ج9)