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Is considering parents' failure to respect their son's boundaries of privacy as disobedience (ʿuqūq) regarded as disobedience?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Kindness and good manners towards parents are obligatory. The fundamental rule is the necessity of seeking permission to enter, even if one of the parents wishes to enter their child's room. This is based on the generality of Allah's statement: "O you who have believed, do not enter houses other than your own houses until you ascertain familiarity and greet their inhabitants" (An-Nur: 27). A man should seek permission from his father, mother, son, and sister. It is legislated to seek permission from everyone, even maharim (unmarriageable kin), so that one's 'awrah (private parts) are not exposed. The most apparent view is that a man must seek permission from his mother, sister, and his adult sons and daughters. The jurists have agreed on the impermissibility of entering another person's house without their permission, whether the owner, tenant, or borrower. If the relative is not a mahram, explicit permission is required. However, if they are a mahram and reside with the homeowner, verbal permission is not strictly necessary, but they should indicate their entry. If they do not reside there and the door is closed, they should not enter without permission. It is preferable for family members to allow each other an open time for customary permission to enter. If one has private times, they should close the door or place a curtain to indicate the necessity of seeking permission. Relying on signs for permission to enter is permissible. Spying on a child and prying into their private matters is not permissible unless there is suspicion.

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

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