Is refraining from responding to one's parents considered disobedience (ʿuqūq) and a cause for God's wrath if the parents are the ones causing their children to be disobedient to them, and they treat them with arrogance, believing they have an absolute right to obedience based on the verse: "And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment" (Al-Isra: 23), even if this conflicts with the verse: "But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them" (Luqmān: 15)?

The rights of parents are great, and being dutiful to them is a cause for Allah's pleasure, while disobedience to them is a cause for His wrath. Their right to dutifulness does not fall, no matter how badly they treat their child, for the command to "accompany them in the world kindly" includes the polytheist parent who orders his child to commit shirk. Allah Almighty said: "But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, but accompany them in the world kindly" (Luqman: 14). It is obligatory to be dutiful to parents, treat them with excellence, and obey them in what is good, but there is no obedience to them in sin or what is harmful. Responding to evil with good brings affection and repels the evil of Satan. Allah Almighty said: "And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] with that which is better" (Fussilat: 34). If parents wrong their child, there is no impediment to advising them gently or seeking help from someone whose advice they would accept.