Authenticity of Hadith on Disobedience to Parents and Its Impact on Deeds

Does Disobedience to Parents Nullify Good Deeds? Exploring the Hadith

Question: Is the hadith authentic that says if a person brings deeds like those of the prophets but is disobedient to their parents, all their deeds are wasted? If it is authentic, please provide the reference.

Answer: A statement is often quoted as a Hadith Qudsi: “If a person disobeys their parents, even if they perform the deeds of all the prophets, I will not accept them.” According to my knowledge, this hadith is not found in the major hadith collections but is mentioned in the Shia book “Jami’ al-Sa’adat” by the Shia scholar Muhammad Mahdi al-Naraqi. Therefore, this statement is found in a Shia book but not in any of the trusted Sunni collections, so it should not be quoted as an authentic hadith.

Some hadiths indicate that the deeds of a disobedient person to their parents are not accepted. Sheikh Albani mentioned a narration in his “Silsilah al-Sahihah” from Abu Umamah (RA) that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Three people whose obligatory and voluntary acts of worship are not accepted: the disobedient to parents, the one who reminds others of his favors, and the one who denies destiny.” (Silsilah Ahadith Sahihah, Albani: 1785)

Although Sheikh Albani classified this hadith as Hasan (good), many other scholars have considered it weak. For example, Ibn al-Jawzi in “Al-Ilal al-Mutanahiyah” said it is not authentic, and scholars like Al-Dhahabi and Al-Haythami have pointed to its weakness. Therefore, this narration is disputed in terms of its authenticity. However, it is clear that disobedience to parents is a major sin.

Sheikh Ibn Baz was asked whether the prayers, fasting, and charity of a disobedient person to their parents are accepted. He replied that disobedience to parents is one of the major sins and must be avoided, but it does not invalidate their prayers, fasting, and other righteous deeds. However, such a sinner is at the brink of a major sin. (binbaz.org.sa)

Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi

 ❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫