How does a son determine that what his mother commands him to do harms him? Is continuous distress, psychological pressure, worry, and sorrow considered harm? What is the ruling on obeying a mother if obeying her leads to abandoning the recommended pursuit of knowledge or marrying someone he does not desire, along with the fear of disobedience and the expectation of suffering from depression or chronic psychological pressure? Can a mother's harm to her son – by asking him to abandon the recommended or forcing him to marry someone he does not want – be measured by a neighbor's harm to his neighbor?

Obeying parents is obligatory if it benefits them and causes no harm to the child. It is obligatory even if it is difficult for the child, as long as it does not harm him. However, obedience is not obligatory if the parents' command stems from foolishness or stubbornness. Harm varies depending on individuals, circumstances, and customs. The difficulty a child experiences might be bearable, or it could be severe and unbearable, thus causing real harm. Disobeying parents in matters driven by stubbornness and foolishness is not considered an act of disobedience ( 'uquq). Drawing an analogy with neighbors is incorrect, as obeying parents is obligatory even if they are polytheists, unlike the case with neighbors.