Parents - Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 31

Ibn 'Umar said, "Making parents weep is part of disobedience and one of the major wrong actions."

Commentary on the Hadith

This profound narration from the esteemed companion Abdullah ibn 'Umar categorizes causing distress to parents—manifested through their weeping—as an act of disobedience ('uqūq) and enumerates it among the major sins (kabā'ir).

The term 'disobedience' here specifically refers to 'uqūq al-wālidayn, which signifies severing ties of kindness, being undutiful, or acting in rebellion against one's parents. This is among the gravest offenses in Islam, explicitly condemned in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

That such an act is deemed a major wrong action emphasizes its severe spiritual consequences. It indicates a failure in fulfilling the immense right (ḥaqq) that parents hold over their children, a right second only to the rights of Allah and His Messenger.

The specification of making them "weep" highlights that it is not merely overt acts of rudeness or neglect that constitute disobedience. Even causing them emotional pain and grief—through one's words, actions, or failures—falls under this severe prohibition, urging the believer to utmost gentleness and respect in all interactions with them.