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Fatwa CenterTotal forsaking of parents impermissible
Question
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. Is there any condition in which a child can leave their parents completely? May Allaah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Parents enjoy a refined status in Islam and have great rights over their children. It is enough that they are the reason for their very existence in this world; this is why Allaah assigned great rights for them over the children and coupled their rights with His own rights over His slaves. Children are enjoined to show dutifulness and kindness towards their parents. For more information, please, refer to fataawa 87019 and 87856.
It is impermissible for children to forsake their parents; rather, they are legislatively enjoined to show dutifulness and kindness towards them, even if they are non-Muslims who are endeavoring to lead them astray. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {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 (this) world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me (in repentance). Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.} [Quran 31:15]
Al-Bukhari 
allocated a chapter in his book Al-Adab Al-Mufrad entitled 'Chapter: Dutifulness to Parents, even if they are unjust.' He cited the following report. Ibn ʻAbbaas 
said, “If any Muslim obeys Allaah regarding his parents, Allaah will open two gates of the Paradise for him. If there is only one parent, then one gate will be opened. If one of them is angry, then Allaah will not be pleased with him until that parent is pleased with him.” He was asked, “Even if they wrong him?” “Even if they wrong him,” he replied. [Al-Bukhari]
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was asked about the ruling on maintaining ties of kinship with relatives who commit prohibited acts. He answered, “The point is that parents enjoy a refined status and have great rights over their children; it is impermissible to forsake one's parents who commit prohibited acts. Rather, they must be kindly and wisely advised and directed, and the help of relatives (brothers or sisters or maternal or paternal uncles or aunts, etc.) may be sought to accomplish this objective...”
Scholars underlined an exceptional case that entails deeming it allowable for children to forsake parents who commit sins for a sharee'ah-acceptable benefit such as deterring them from committing such prohibited acts. Shaykh Ibn ʻUthaymeen was asked, "Is it permissible to forsake one's Muslim parents for a sharee'ah-acceptable benefit?” He replied, “It is allowable for a sharee'ah-acceptable benefit for them. In that case, there is no harm in forsaking them; however, this does not waive the obligation of upholding the ties of kinship with them, providing for their basic needs, food, clothing, accommodation and the like as per the sharee'ah...”
However, in most cases, there is no sharee'ah-acceptable benefit in forsaking one's parents; therefore, we believe that it is impermissible for children to forsake their parents. Moreover, Shaykh Ibn ʻUthaymeen underlined that this does not contradict fulfilling the enjoined obligation of upholding the ties of kinship and showing kindness towards them. This means that it is not a total forsaking.
Allaah knows best.
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