(Before Asr Prayer)
A person asked the question that: ‘Your Holiness! Allah the Exalted has made the service and obedience of parents incumbent upon man but my parents are extremely displeased with me due to my having entered into the bond of Bai’at [Pledge of Allegiance] with Your Holiness. They do not even want to see my face. Thus, when I was about to come to Your Holiness to take the Bai’at, they told me not even to correspond with them and that now they don’t even want to see my face. How then can I now discharge my Divine obligation in this regard?’
The Promised Messiah (as) answered that:
Where the Holy Quran gives the commandment to obey and serve parents, it also says this:
رَبُّکُمْ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِیْ نُفُوْسِکُمْ ؕ اِنْ تَکُوْنُوْا صٰلِحِیْنَ فَاِنَّہٗ کَانَ لِلْاَوَّابِیْنَ غَفُوْرًا1
Allah the Exalted knows very well whatsoever is in your hearts. If you are righteous, then He is Most Forgiving to those who humble themselves towards Him.
The Companions, may Allah be pleased with all of them, also faced such difficulties that, due to religious constraints, they came to have disputes with their parents. You should, on your part, be prepared in any case to take care of and support your parents at all times. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, you should not let it pass you by. You will certainly receive the reward for your intention. If you have had to separate from your parents only for the sake of your religion and for giving precedence to the pleasure of Allah the Exalted, then it is a necessity.
Keep reformation in mind, keep your intent pure, and keep praying for them. This matter is not something new. Hazrat Ibrahim (as) faced the same situation. The right of God has precedence in any case, so keep God Almighty supreme. Strive to fulfil your obligations towards your parents, and keep praying for them and keep a pure intent.2
1 Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:26 [Publisher]
2 Al-Hakam, vol. 12, no. 16, p. 4, dated 2 March 1908