Ruling on the acceptance of the deeds of a person who is undutiful to his parents, and swearing an oath on the mushaf
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Question:
A letter from one of the listening brothers who preferred not to have his name mentioned. In his first question, he says: If a person is undutiful to his parents, will his prayer, fasting, and charity be accepted? And what do you advise people to do? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Undutifulness to parents is among the major sins and among the great prohibitions, so it is obligatory to guard against it. It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:Sahih al-Bukhari 2408 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 88b We said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah! He said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3021Sahih (Darussalam) He was reclining, so he sat up and said: It is agreed upon that it is authentic.
And Allah says in His Noble Book: : [Al-Isra: 23] meaning: He commanded [Al-Isra: 23, 24]. And He, the Exalted, says in Surat Luqman: [Luqman: 14].
So it is obligatory for the son to be grateful to his parents, to be good to them, to be dutiful to them, and to obey them in what is right. It is forbidden for him to be undutiful to them, whether by speech or by action. He has no right to raise his voice at them, he has no right to hit them, he has no right to withhold financial maintenance from them when they are in need of it, and he has no right to disobey them in what is right. Rather, it is obligatory for him to obey them in what is right, to be dutiful to them, to lower his voice when he speaks to them, and to be polite with them in everything.
But he does not obey them in disobedience. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 2625Sahih (Al-Albani) Mishkat al-Masabih 3696 So if they order him to commit unlawful sexual intercourse, or to drink intoxicants, or not to pray in congregation, he does not obey them. But he obeys them in what is right, he is dutiful to them in what is right, he is good to them, he speaks to them in the best manner, and he spends on them if they are in need of it. This is how the believer is with his parents. Their right is great, and being dutiful to them is among the most important obligations. But being undutiful to them does not invalidate the prayer, nor the fast, nor the righteous deeds. However, the person who does so is in danger from this great major sin.
Deeds are only invalidated by shirk (associating partners with Allah). Allah the Exalted said: [Al-An'am: 88]. As for undutifulness to parents, or severing family ties, or other sins, they do not invalidate the deeds. Only major shirk invalidates them.
Likewise, raising one's voice at the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is feared to invalidate one's deeds in his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Al-Hujurat: 2] meaning: So that your deeds may not be rendered worthless. This indicates that it is feared that the person who raises his voice at the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and speaks to him loudly may have his deeds rendered worthless. This is a great warning. For this reason, the Companions were polite with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and spoke to him in a light, soft, and lowered voice, out of politeness toward him (peace and blessings be upon him).
The point is: It is obligatory for the believer to be dutiful to his parents, not to be undutiful to them, and to be good to them in their lifetime and after their death. It is forbidden for him to be undutiful to them by bad speech, cursing, hitting, or any mistreatment of them, or raising his voice at them, or not obeying them in what is right. All of this is undutifulness.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: We ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: O Allah, amen.
The presenter: Our brother also asks and says: If a person swears an oath on the Qur'an, and he swears in his heart, is this permissible or not?
The Shaykh: How?
The presenter: He says: If a person swears an oath on the Qur'an, and he swears in his heart—perhaps he means secretly—is this permissible or not? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: This question is not clear. If one swears on the Qur'an, it becomes more severe in the oath, and there is no need to swear by the Qur'an. One swears, and there is no need to bring the Qur'an. One should fear Allah while swearing, and seek truthfulness, and it is not necessary to bring the Qur'an. Many people request that the Qur'an be brought; this has no basis and there is no need for it.
It is obligatory for the believer to be truthful wherever he is, and it is not permissible to lie, whether with the Qur'an or without the Qur'an. One must be truthful in disputes and in other matters. One has no right to lie except if he is wronged. If he is wronged, then he has the right to lie, and he may use figurative interpretation if he is wronged.
As for if he is not wronged, then he has no right to lie, and he has no right to swear falsely about anything. For example, if he is accused of taking so-and-so's money, or hitting so-and-so, or killing so-and-so, he has no right to swear. He denies it, rather, he must acknowledge the truth, give them their money, and retaliation is obligatory upon him if its conditions are met. He does not lie.
As for if he is wronged, that is another matter. He has the right to use figurative interpretation if he is wronged. If he is told: Swear that you did not do such-and-such, and he did not do it, and it did not happen from him, he swears by Allah that it did not happen from him. There is nothing wrong with this for him, because he is truthful.
The point is: He has no right to lie, whether by bringing the Qur'an or without the Qur'an. Rather, he must seek truthfulness, except in the matters in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted lying, such as reconciliation between people, war, and a man's speech to his wife. So if he is compelled to swear in this, or he sees the benefit in this, then there is no harm in saying: By Allah, such-and-such did not happen in war, or By Allah, I did not do such-and-such in war, if he sees the benefit for the Muslims in it.
Or By Allah, he did not do this—saying to his wife—By Allah, I did not do this to please her, and it does not harm anyone else, nor her. Or in reconciliation between people, he comes to a tribe and says: By Allah, so-and-so did not say this... to reconcile between them. Or By Allah, the tribe did not say it. Or By Allah, she loves you. Or By Allah, she wishes for peace with you; to reconcile between them in a way that does not harm anyone. All of this is permissible.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. So we understand from your permissibility that swearing an oath on the mushaf is not prescribed.
The Shaykh: It has no basis. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A letter from one of the listening brothers who preferred not to have his name mentioned. In his first question, he says: If a person is undutiful to his parents, will his prayer, fasting, and charity be accepted? And what do you advise people to do? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Undutifulness to parents is among the major sins and among the great prohibitions, so it is obligatory to guard against it. It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
Allah has forbidden for you, (1) to be undutiful to your mothers
إن الله حرم عليكم عقوق الأمهاتShould I not inform you about the gravest of the major sins
ألا أنبئكم بأكبر الكبائر؟The major sins are associating others with Allah, disobeying the parents
الإشراك بالله، وعقوق الوالدينBeware of false speech, and beware of false testimony
ألا وقول الزور، ألا وشهادة الزورAnd Allah says in His Noble Book: :
And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ(23) And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. (24) And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small."
أن لا تعبدوا إلا إياه وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاهُمَا فَلا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُلْ رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًاBe grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination.
أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُSo it is obligatory for the son to be grateful to his parents, to be good to them, to be dutiful to them, and to obey them in what is right. It is forbidden for him to be undutiful to them, whether by speech or by action. He has no right to raise his voice at them, he has no right to hit them, he has no right to withhold financial maintenance from them when they are in need of it, and he has no right to disobey them in what is right. Rather, it is obligatory for him to obey them in what is right, to be dutiful to them, to lower his voice when he speaks to them, and to be polite with them in everything.
But he does not obey them in disobedience. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Obedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized.
إنما الطاعة في المعروفA creature is not to be obeyed when it involves disobedience to the "Creator.”
لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالقDeeds are only invalidated by shirk (associating partners with Allah). Allah the Exalted said:
But if they had associated others with Allah, then worthless for them would be whatever they were doing.
وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُمْ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَLikewise, raising one's voice at the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is feared to invalidate one's deeds in his lifetime (peace and blessings be upon him), as Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: :
O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَنْ تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ لا تَشْعُرُونَThe point is: It is obligatory for the believer to be dutiful to his parents, not to be undutiful to them, and to be good to them in their lifetime and after their death. It is forbidden for him to be undutiful to them by bad speech, cursing, hitting, or any mistreatment of them, or raising his voice at them, or not obeying them in what is right. All of this is undutifulness.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: We ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: O Allah, amen.
The presenter: Our brother also asks and says: If a person swears an oath on the Qur'an, and he swears in his heart, is this permissible or not?
The Shaykh: How?
The presenter: He says: If a person swears an oath on the Qur'an, and he swears in his heart—perhaps he means secretly—is this permissible or not? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh: This question is not clear. If one swears on the Qur'an, it becomes more severe in the oath, and there is no need to swear by the Qur'an. One swears, and there is no need to bring the Qur'an. One should fear Allah while swearing, and seek truthfulness, and it is not necessary to bring the Qur'an. Many people request that the Qur'an be brought; this has no basis and there is no need for it.
It is obligatory for the believer to be truthful wherever he is, and it is not permissible to lie, whether with the Qur'an or without the Qur'an. One must be truthful in disputes and in other matters. One has no right to lie except if he is wronged. If he is wronged, then he has the right to lie, and he may use figurative interpretation if he is wronged.
As for if he is not wronged, then he has no right to lie, and he has no right to swear falsely about anything. For example, if he is accused of taking so-and-so's money, or hitting so-and-so, or killing so-and-so, he has no right to swear. He denies it, rather, he must acknowledge the truth, give them their money, and retaliation is obligatory upon him if its conditions are met. He does not lie.
As for if he is wronged, that is another matter. He has the right to use figurative interpretation if he is wronged. If he is told: Swear that you did not do such-and-such, and he did not do it, and it did not happen from him, he swears by Allah that it did not happen from him. There is nothing wrong with this for him, because he is truthful.
The point is: He has no right to lie, whether by bringing the Qur'an or without the Qur'an. Rather, he must seek truthfulness, except in the matters in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted lying, such as reconciliation between people, war, and a man's speech to his wife. So if he is compelled to swear in this, or he sees the benefit in this, then there is no harm in saying: By Allah, such-and-such did not happen in war, or By Allah, I did not do such-and-such in war, if he sees the benefit for the Muslims in it.
Or By Allah, he did not do this—saying to his wife—By Allah, I did not do this to please her, and it does not harm anyone else, nor her. Or in reconciliation between people, he comes to a tribe and says: By Allah, so-and-so did not say this... to reconcile between them. Or By Allah, the tribe did not say it. Or By Allah, she loves you. Or By Allah, she wishes for peace with you; to reconcile between them in a way that does not harm anyone. All of this is permissible.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. So we understand from your permissibility that swearing an oath on the mushaf is not prescribed.
The Shaykh: It has no basis. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.