Islamic Fiqh > Marriage and family > Parents' rights and filial piety (birr)
Birr toward parents: the goodness verse, concrete obligations (respect, spending, visits), grave disobedience and the limits when parents sow harm.
Birr toward parents is a major duty: the Quran forbids in it the slightest word of spite ("uff") and commands gentle company and prayer for them (surah al-Isra 23-24). The mother is named first, she who carried her child with hardship (surah Luqman 14). Asked about the greatest sins, the Prophet named disobedience to parents right after associating partners with Allah (al-Bukhari 2658; Muslim 2548). Concretely: supporting them, visiting them, humble speech, praying for them. And if parents push toward sin, they are not obeyed, yet kindness toward them is never suspended (surah Luqman 15).
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Updated on 07 October 2026 at 6:42 PM
The founding verse (surah al-Isra 23-24) forbids the slightest word of spite ("uff"), commands gentle company and prayer for them. The mother is named first: the Quran recalls that his mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship (surah Luqman 14). an-Nawawi dedicates a chapter of the Riyad as-Salihin to filial piety: supporting poor parents, visiting them, humbling oneself in speech, praying for them.
The weight of the fault: asked about the greatest sins, the Prophet answered: "associating partners with Allah, and disobeying parents" (al-Bukhari 2658; Muslim 2548). And the promise: "he is a loser, he is a loser: he who finds his parents in old age and does not enter Paradise" (at-Tirmidhi 2560).
Uquq covers harsh words, a frown, delay in answering, neglect of support when they are poor. The middle rule is Quranic: if parents push toward association, "do not obey them, but keep company with them in this world with kindness" (surah Luqman 15; surah al-Ankabut 8). The jurists draw from it: no obedience to the parent in injustice, yet kindness maintained with him.
Kindness is never suspended: even the unjust parent keeps the right to company, support and invocation.
Repair stays open: asking forgiveness, invoking: "Lord, have mercy on them both as they raised me small" (surah al-Isra 24), fulfilling vows they left due, extending kindness to their relatives after their death. Support for poor parents is treated in the chapters on nafqa (al-Mughni of Ibn Qudama): filial piety is there a degree of the alimentary obligation.
Birr is measured in details: the weekly phone call, the accompanied medical visit, money without complaint. Diaspora families organize solidarity (alternating visits, sharing costs): this is the direct application of the verse.