Monday, 11 May 2026 (24 Dhuʻl-Qiʻdah 1447 AH)
Question: Is it permissible for a son to go out to seek knowledge without the approval of his parents, even though they are neither incapacitated nor weak, but rather strong and not in need of him?
Answer – and Allah is the One who grants success:
Seeking knowledge is obligatory, and seeking the approval of the parents is obligatory. The child must not fall short in either of the two obligations, as long as he finds a way to combine them. So the child must seek knowledge, and at the same time he must seek to please his parents, show gentleness towards them, and be considerate of them.
It is not permissible for the child to abandon seeking knowledge in order to please his parents, nor to abandon seeking to please his parents under the pretext of seeking knowledge. Allah, exalted is He, has 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…" [Luqman:15].
Source: Min Thimār al-ʿIlm wa al-Ḥikmah vol.3