Is parental permission required for an obligatory Jihad ('Ayn)?

General Chapter

Al-Mughni

Book of Jihad

Book 54 · Issue 3 · Bab 1

Open in Qurani

Primary text

If Jihad becomes an individual obligation ('Ayn), parental permission is not required, nor is obedience to them in abandoning it. This applies to all individual obligations, such as Hajj, congregational prayer, Jumu'ah prayer, and necessary obligatory travel. This is because abandoning an individual obligation constitutes disobedience to Allah, and there is no obedience to anyone in disobedience to Allah. Al-Awza'i confirmed that parents cannot be obeyed in the abandonment of obligatory duties like Hajj, prayer, or fighting, as these become specific devotions ('Ibadah Ta'ayyanat) for which parental consent is irrelevant, similar to regular prayer. Evidence for Hajj not requiring parental consent is found in the verse: "And [due] to Allah from the people is the pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to make the journey to it," (Quran 3:97), which does not stipulate parental permission.