The Ruling on Obeying One's Father in Leaving Voluntary Acts of Worship

Question:
I am a young man who desires to perform certain acts of obedience, such as fasting on voluntary days like Thursday and Monday, and going to Makkah to perform the lesser pilgrimage, among other things. However, my father forbids me from doing so. What is my position regarding him?

Answer:
You must seek your father's permission and ask his forgiveness in this matter; because dutifulness to them is obligatory, and these are voluntary acts, so you do not prioritize voluntary acts over what is obligatory. Being dutiful to your father is obligatory, and your fasting during the day may hinder his interests and cause him problems. You should strive to please your father and seek his forgiveness until he permits you to fast on Monday and Thursday, and until he permits you to go for the non-obligatory lesser pilgrimage. As for the obligatory lesser pilgrimage and the obligatory major pilgrimage, it is obligatory for him to permit you. If he refuses to let you perform the obligatory major pilgrimage, if you are able, or the obligatory lesser pilgrimage if you are able, you may do so even if he does not permit it. But this applies to voluntary acts, the voluntary lesser pilgrimage, the voluntary major pilgrimage, and the like.

Question: Even if the father orders his son to shave his beard, for example?

Answer: This is disobedience. It is not permissible for him to obey him in shaving the beard, nor in dragging the garments, nor in leaving the congregational prayer. Disobedience is not permissible; rather, obedience is only in what is good. There is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator. As for voluntary acts, one should strive with his father until he grants permission, so that there is no evil or undutifulness between him and his father.