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How can one deal with parents who view their children as a financial project, demand things from their daughter that contradict her religion, prevent her from marrying a righteous young man due to his poverty, and yet still curse and insult her?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

There is no doubt that forcing children to do what they do not want, and not appreciating their feelings, generates a sense of oppression. However, the injustice of parents must be met with piety, patience, and kindness, for this is among the highest degrees of righteousness. Allah Almighty has commanded us to be dutiful to our parents, to lower the wing of humility to them, and to treat them with kindness, even if they treat us badly. Nevertheless, being dutiful to parents does not prevent a child from defending himself, or from discussing with parents what contradicts the Sharia or harms the child, provided that this is done with kindness and respect for their status. To alleviate negative feelings, one should view the parents' actions from a Sharia perspective (for advice and self-defense) and from a divine decree perspective (for compassion and supplication). Moreover, contemplating the attributes of the righteous who suppress their rage and forgive people helps in getting rid of the desire for revenge. As for wishing for death due to distress and affliction, it is forbidden; rather, one must be patient and have good thoughts about Allah.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy