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[Must a Worshiper Answer His Parents’ Call While He Is Praying?]

Mufti:
Alsayyed Muhammad b. Abdallah Awad Al-Muayyady
تاريخ النشر:
Fatwa number: 16317
Number of views: 11
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[Must a Worshiper Answer His Parents’ Call While He Is Praying?]
Fatwa number: 16317
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Question

Question: If one of the parents calls their child while he is praying, should he continue his prayer, or cut it off to answer them and fulfill what they ask?

Answer

Answer (and from Allah is success): The parents have a tremendous right. Allah has commanded excellence toward them. The least rank of excellence is that nothing hurtful issue from the child toward them or cause them distress. If the praying child knows that continuing in the prayer when one of them calls him will cause constriction in the parent’s chest, anger, or agitation, then it is not permissible for him to continue; rather, he should end the prayer.
It is not permissible for the child to be the cause of what angers, distresses, or troubles them.
If, however, he knows that none of that will occur if he continues, then let him continue, because his continuing does not cause them harm.
This is what accords with what Allah has commanded of excellence toward them.
As for others whom Allah commanded us to treat well—relatives, neighbors, companions, and so on—the same does not apply to them; for although Allah commanded excellence toward them, they do not have the same right over a person as his parents. Allah singled the parents out for additional injunctions, care, compassion, mercy, and tenderness, and that nothing should issue from the child that hurts them, even if slight:
“Whether one of them or both reach old age with you, say not to them ‘uff,’ nor repel them, but speak to them a noble word. 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. Your Lord knows best what is within yourselves. If you are righteous—then indeed He is ever, to the oft-returning, Forgiving.’” [Al-Isrāʾ:23–25]
And He, Exalted, said:
“But if they strive against you to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them; but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness …” [Luqmān:15]
And He, Exalted, said:
“…His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with
hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months …” [Al-Aḥqāf:15]
—among other verses.
Source : Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.1

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