Parents and Elders
- How can I command good and forbid evil regarding my father's actions and behaviors, and also with those older than me, without showing a lack of respect and manners?
- Does sin befall one who does not respect the elder and show mercy to the younger? And is this act forbidden, or is it merely a matter of Islamic manners? And what is meant by "our elder" in the Hadith: "He is not of us who does not respect our elder"?
- What is the ruling on scolding or reciprocating the abuse of elders in kind, if the mother commanded not to respect them, while the parents [of the questioner] forbade that and commanded to respect them?
- Is a divorced woman considered sinful if she refuses to live with her parents, especially if her mother is temperamental and disrespectful to elders, and she cannot tolerate problems?
- How is social justice achieved in Islam; is it through Zakat alone, or through other means as well?
- Is the questioner considered sinful and a severer of kinship ties for not visiting his paternal uncles and aunts who caused severe injustice to his father and deprived the questioner and his siblings of their rights, due to his lack of love for them and his feeling of pain and sadness upon seeing them, despite his knowledge of the virtue of maintaining kinship ties and his fear of Allah?
- Is a shortcoming in personal interaction with a female teacher, such as not carrying her bag due to shyness, considered a shortcoming in the etiquette of a student of knowledge, and does that affect success in seeking knowledge?
- Is it permissible, or rather a lie, to teach a boy to address a man as "my uncle" (ʿammī) and a woman as "my aunt" (khāltī) out of politeness, knowing that they are not actually so?
- How do I raise my children to respect and revere elders and interact with them courteously, citing evidence from the Quran and Sunnah?
- Is it a religious obligation to carry out the orders of those older than us in age (father, paternal uncle, teacher)?
- What is the ruling on hitting a younger sister who misbehaves and disrespects her elder siblings, despite the mild reprimand of the parents, and how can one deal with her and with the parents who condone her actions?
- Is obedience to the older brother obligatory in the presence of the parents, especially if the father is absent? And is his obedience obligatory despite his inappropriate style? And does this obedience differ with the father's presence at home?
- What is the Islamic method or Sunnah for addressing an older brother or older sister?
- What is the ruling on one who takes a small amount of money from her grandmother without her knowledge to meet her needs, knowing that the grandmother is well-off and would not give her if she asked?
- Is it permissible to use the term "father" (walid) for elderly Islamic scholars, noting that Christians use the term "pope" (papa) for their scholars, and that this term was not used by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) or the early Muslims, and that Allah (our Lord) said concerning the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah to you"?
- Am I obligated to obey my brother, who is five years my junior, in his requests, while he does not obey me? And is what my mother says true, that I must respect him because he is a man and I am a woman, or is the opposite true because I am older than him?
- Is it permissible for a teacher to say to her students: "Allah does not permit nor does He make lawful for whoever speaks during my class," and is there a sin incurred by one who speaks after this statement?
- Is it permissible to speak with a foreign woman under the pretext of promising to marry her? Is it permissible to shun one's mother for any reason? What is the punishment for severing ties of kinship?
- Does the saying "A person earns respect through their character, not their age" contradict Islam's call to respect elders?