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Is it permissible to travel with the father without the mother's consent, given that the children are aware of the dangerous situation in the intended destination, and of the potential for the mother's anger that may result from it, and out of consideration for the father's request for assistance due to his old age and illness, especially since refusing to travel may provoke the father's anger and perhaps lead to his being disobeyed, and does the disobedience of one parent affect the children's religiosity?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

If there is a conflict in honoring one's parents, the mother is given precedence by the majority of scholars. Her right is more emphasized due to the effort and hardship she endured during pregnancy, breastfeeding, raising, serving, and nursing.

They cite the hadith of Abu Hurairah, who mentioned the mother three times before the father. Al-Muhasibi stated that there is a consensus among scholars regarding the mother's superiority in righteousness. The Qur'an also alluded to this by specifically mentioning the mother in the verse: "And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him through weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years."

Some Shafi'i scholars held the view that parents are equal in righteousness, but the correct opinion is that of the majority, which gives precedence to the mother.

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

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