Advice for a student of knowledge who is undutiful to his mother

This is a message from the sender: (M. Q. L) from Jizan. He says: There is a man, a student of knowledge, who prays, fasts, and gives charity, but unfortunately, he has boycotted his mother. Does his prayer, fasting, and charity benefit him, while he has boycotted his mother and does not turn to her, and she is a believer who prays and fasts, and we know her to be so?
Answer: In any case, his boycotting of his mother is a great evil and a grave act of undutifulness. It is obligatory for him to repent to Allah for that, and for him to return to dutifulness toward her, being kind to her, taking her feelings into account, and seeking her forgiveness. This is what is obligatory upon him. It is not permissible for him to remain in a state of boycotting and undutifulness; rather, this is a great evil and a major sin. It is obligatory for him to abandon it, seek his mother's forgiveness, seek her pleasure, and repent to Allah for that (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for his prayer, fasting, and other acts of worship, they are not invalidated. Rather, his acts of worship are valid and his deeds are valid, provided he performs them in the manner prescribed by the Shari'ah. However, his faith will be weak; his faith will be deficient due to this sin. For sins, according to the people of the Sunnah and the community, diminish faith and weaken faith, but they do not make their perpetrator a disbeliever. Only the Khawarij declare someone a disbeliever for sins, and they are unjust and sinful in this regard. They have erred and are mistaken according to the people of the Sunnah and the community.
As for the people of the Sunnah, they say: No, a sin diminishes faith, but its perpetrator does not become a disbeliever nor is he eternally in the Fire. Rather, he is a sinner, and his sin diminishes his faith and weakens his faith. It causes the anger of Allah to be upon him, and he is in danger of entering the Fire because of it, but he does not become a disbeliever. Even if he enters the Fire, he will not remain in it eternally. This is the position of the people of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) — according to the people of the Sunnah and the community — that they do not remain in the Fire eternally if they enter it due to their sins.
The conclusion is that boycotting his mother is a sin, a major sin, and undutifulness, but that does not become a cause of his disbelief or the invalidation of his deeds, unless he considers that permissible and views undutifulness to parents as lawful. This makes him a disbeliever — may Allah protect us — whoever considers undutifulness to parents lawful, or considers riba (usury or interest) lawful, or considers zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) lawful. This makes him a disbeliever who has apostatized from Islam, unless he is like one who is ignorant, such as someone who grew up in a land far from Islam. If it is explained to him that dutifulness to parents is what Allah has made obligatory, and that undutifulness to them is what Allah has forbidden, and if he knows and it is explained to him, and then he persists, he becomes a disbeliever, may Allah protect us.
The presenter: This is a student of knowledge, O Shaykh!
The Shaykh: If he is a student of knowledge, in any case, his major sin is more severe. We ask Allah for well-being.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and may Allah bless you.