Causing Suffering and Disappointment to Parents (al-‘Uquq)

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Hadid ibn Hakim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Minimum of al-‘Uquq, (to cause disappointment) is to say ‘Uff (expression of disapproval). Had Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, known anything expressing a lesser degree of disappointment than this ‘Uff, He would have prohibited it.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

143. Muhammad Bin Yahya, from Ahmad Bin Muhammad, from Abdul Rahmaan Bin Abu Najraan, from Safwaan, from Halaf Bin Hammaad, from Al-Husayn Bin Zayd Al-Hashimy, who has narrated the following: Abu Abdullah (asws) said: ‘Zaynab the perfume seller came to the wives and the daughters of the Prophet (saww), and she used to sell the perfume to them. The Prophet (saww) came over whilst she was among them. So he (saww) said: ‘You bring aroma to our (saww) house’. She said, ‘Your (saww) house is better in aroma due to your (saww) fragrance, O Rasool Allah (saww)!’ He (saww) said: ‘When you sell, do it well and do not cheat, for it would be more pious and protective of the wealth’. She said, ‘O Rasool Allah (saww), I did not come to sell anything, but rather I came to ask you (saww) about the Magnificence of Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic’. So he (saww) said: ‘Majestic is the Majesty of Allah (azwj). I (saww) shall tell you about some of that’. Then he (saww) said: ‘This earth with what is upon it, compared to that which is below it, it like a ring thrown in the desert, and these two with what is within them and what is upon them, compared to what is beneath them is like a ring thrown in the desert, and the third one, until it ends with the seventh’. And he (saww) recited this Verse: “[65:12] Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number”. The seven earths (firmaments) along with all that is contained within it and what is on it are upon the back of the rooster, like a ring thrown in the desert. And the rooster has two wings to it – a wing in the east and a wing in the west, and its legs are on the fringes of it, and the seven (firmaments) and the rooster and all that is contained with these and whatever is on it, are upon a rock, like a ring thrown in the desert. And the rock along with all that it contains, and all that is on it, are upon the back of the whale like a ring thrown in the desert. And the seven (firmaments), and the rooster, and the rock, and the whale along with that they contain and what is on them are upon the dark ocean like a ring thrown in the desert. And the seven (firmaments), and the rooster, and the rock, and the whale, and the dark ocean are upon the outgoing air like a ring thrown in the desert. And the seven (firmaments), and the rooster, and the rock, and the whale, and the dark ocean, and the air are upon the soil (Al-Sarayy) like a ring thrown in the desert’. Then he (saww) recited this Verse: “[20:6] To Him belongs what is in the heavens and on earth, and all between them, and all beneath the soil”. Then the information about the soil (Al-Sarayy) is terminated. And the seven (firmaments), and the rooster, and the rock, and the whale, and the dark ocean, and the air, and the soil (Al-Sarayy) along with all that these contain and whatever is on it, compared to the first sky is like a ring thrown in the desert. And all of this, and the sky of the world along with what is on it and what is contained within it, compared to that which is above it, is like a ring thrown in the desert. And these two skies and whatever these two contain, and what is on them, compared to what is above these two, are like a ring thrown in the desert. And these three, along with what is contained within them and whatever is on them, compared to the fourth, are like a ring thrown in the desert, (and it is like this) until it ends with the seventh. And these and all that is contained within them and whatever is on them, compared to the ocean hidden from the people of the earth, is like a ring thrown in the desert. And these seven, and the hidden ocean, compared to the cold mountain are like a ring thrown in the desert’. And he (saww) recited this Verse: “[24:43] And He sends down of the clouds that are (like) mountains wherein is hail”. And these seven, and the hidden ocean, and the cold mountain, compared to the air which the hearts are confused about, are like a ring thrown in the desert. And these seven, and the hidden ocean, and the cold mountain, and the air, compared to veils of the light are like a ring thrown in the desert. And these seven, and the hidden ocean, and the cold mountain, and the air, and the veils of the light, compared to the Chair (Al-Kursy) are like a ring thrown in the desert’. And he (saww) recited this Verse: “[2:255] His Throne (Chair) includes the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous”. And these seven, and the hidden ocean, and the cold mountain, and the air, and veils of the light, and the Chair, compared to the Throne are like a ring thrown in the desert’. And he (saww) recite this Verse: “[20:5] The Beneficent One, Who is established on the Throne”. (And in the report of Al-Hassan) – ‘The veils before the air about which the hearts are confused’.

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

2. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Mughirah from abu al-Hassan (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Be good (to parents), you will have paradise, if you cause suffering (to parents) and are hardheaded, then be prepared to suffer in the fire.”’

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

3. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from al-Hassan ibn Ali al-Kufi from ‘Ubays ibn Hisham from Salih al-Hadhdha’ from Ya’qub ibn Shu’ayb from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “When it will be the Day of Judgment a curtain of the curtains of paradise will rise and everything with a spirit will sense its fragrance from a distance of a five hundred years journey except one group of people.’ I (the narrator) has said that then asked, ‘Who is that group?’ The Imam said, ‘It is those who cause suffering and disappointments to their parents. ’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

4. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Nawfali from al-Sakuni from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Over and above every virtuous deed there is a virtuous deed, up to a man’s accepting martyrdom and being killed for the cause of Allah. When he is killed for the cause of Allah, then there is no virtuous deed over and above it. Also, over and above every sin of causing suffering and disappointment to parents there is another sin until a man murders one of his parents, and when he does this there is nothing above this sin in the sins of causing suffering to parents.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Isma’il ibn Mehran from Sayf ibn ‘Amirah from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “If one looks with anger to his parents when they are unjust to him, Allah will not accept any of his prayers.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

6. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Muhammad ibn Ali from Muhammad ibn Furat from abu Ja’far (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said in one of his speeches, ‘Beware of causing suffering and disappointment to parents. The fragrance of paradise can be sensed from a distance of a one thousand year journey, but those causing suffering and disappointments to parents, those failing to maintain good relations with relatives, an old fornicating man and one who drags his garments out of arrogance and boastfulness will not sense such fragrance. Greatness belongs only to Allah, Lord of the worlds.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

7. It is narrated from him (narrator of the Hadith above) from Yahya ibn Ibrahim ibn abu al-Balad al-Sullami from his father from his grand father from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Had Allah known anything expressing a lesser degree of disappointment than ‘Uff, He would have prohibited to use it against parents. Using the expression ‘Uff is the minimum form of causing suffering and disappointment to parents. Of the cases of causing suffering and disappointment to parents is one’s look and staring at them.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

8. Ali has narrated from his father from Harun ibn al-Jahm from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sulayman from abu la’ far (a.s.) who has said the following: “Once, my father saw a man walking with his son who was leaning against his father’s arm. My father in dislike never spoke to him until he left this world.”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.

9. Abu Ali al-Ash’ari has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhsin ibn Ahmad from Aban ibn ‘Uthman from Hadid ibn Hakim from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘The minimum form of causing suffering and disappointment to parents is the expression, ‘Uff. Had Allah known anything less disappointing than ‘Uff, He would have prohibited it.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.