Repentance for Undutifulness to One’s Mother and the Path to Her Satisfaction

Question:
Your Eminence, father, I am a young man who committed a great sin that I have been unable to forget, and it resulted in my being sent to prison. I have deeply regretted it. It was that I struck my mother, may Allah protect us from that. Does repentance and regret suffice to expiate my sin, given that my mother is still angry with me? Please advise us, may Allah reward you, and ask you to pray for the forgiveness of this sin for me, and for Allah to make me beloved to my mother?

Answer:
There is no doubt that undutifulness to parents is a great sin, and there is no doubt that undutifulness to the mother is more severe than undutifulness to the father.
The authentic report from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is: . The authentic hadith states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , the mother has a greater right than the father, and undutifulness to her is among the greatest of major sins. Therefore, when it was asked of the Messenger of Allah, “Who is most deserving of my good company?” he said: , then the next closest, then the next closest. So undutifulness to the parents is among the greatest of major sins, and the mother is more severe, and undutifulness to her is more severe. It is obligatory for you to repent, so do not despair. You must repent, and praise be to Allah, for whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance, even from shirk (associating partners with Allah). You must repent to Allah, return to Him, and increase in supplication that Allah forgives you for what you did. Seek forgiveness from your mother, and pray for her in public and in private, that Allah guides her and grants her success, and that He places love for you in her heart after her anger toward you. You should strive in praying for her forgiveness and mercy, that Allah rewards her with good for you and your brothers, and that He rewards her with Paradise. Be sincere in your repentance and regret, and do not return to harming her, oppressing her, or being undutiful to her. Walk in righteousness. Whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance, even from kufr (disbelief). We ask Allah to forgive you, to guide you, and to grant you sincere repentance. We ask Allah to guide the mother, and to grant her success in being pleased with you, if you are sincere in your repentance to Allah for your undutifulness to her. We ask Allah to grant her success in being pleased with you and forgiving you, and to grant you success in being sincere in dutifulness to her and doing good to her, and in repenting to Allah for what has passed of your undutifulness to her.