Is a person sinful for disliking and not loving their father, despite treating him well and honoring him, if the father is the cause of these feelings due to his cruelty and ill-treatment?

Allah Almighty commanded children to honor their parents and be kind to them. If parents commit sins, the child must view them with mercy and strive for their guidance. If a child feels hatred towards their parents due to their actions, they must strive to control their emotions, and their hatred should be for the actions, not for the parents themselves, while also seeking to save them from sin. If the hatred persists due to an evident and unavoidable reason, there is no blame on the child, especially if the parent is a disbeliever, a transgressor, or an innovator, provided that the child maintains righteousness and avoids disobedience in word or deed.

Allah Almighty says: (And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [even] 'uff' and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, 'My Lord, have mercy upon them as they raised me when I was small.') [Al-Isra: 23-24]

Kindness to parents is imperative, as is obeying them in matters that do not involve disobedience to Allah, and offering them sincere advice. If a father does not provide for his children despite being wealthy, he is obligated to spend on them and treat them well. The children, in turn, must honor him and address him in the best manner. If necessary, they may take their case to court or seek mediation through relatives or neighbors, which is better than engaging in disputes.

The advice for anyone who feels hatred towards a disobedient father is to keep this feeling to themselves, strive to overcome it, endure what they witness from him, and help him obey his Lord, while still being dutiful and not disobedient to him, and praying for his guidance. However, if the father's strictness is a means of disciplining his children and an attempt to raise them, then it is not permissible to hate him, because the discussion is about disobedient oppressors, not about those who are strict for righteous reasons, to deter and educate.