Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

Does the hadith about disobedience to parents preventing entry to paradise also apply to grandparents? My grandmother advised against phone use, saying it could harm my eyes. If I use it with precautions like a blue light filter, is it permissible? If I watch haram content, would it also count as disobedience to her?

Answer

Thank you for your question. Obedience to the grandparents is just as important as obedience to the parents, so I advise you to listen to them to the best of your ability.

Grandparents

It says in the Tahdhib, “Goodness to the grandmother and grandfather doesn’t drop when the parents are present, and the compassion that is due to them is not detracted from because the parents are present. [Baghawi, Tahdhib, 7/454]

In the Quran, grandparents are often referred to as parents, such as Prophet Ibrahim (Allah give him peace) being referred to as our “father” [Quran, 22:78], and “mothers” in Surat al-Nisa are also used to indicate grandmothers. [Quran, 4:23]

Obedience

Do your best to obey your grandparents and know that whatever they tell you is usually in your best interest. You should use a blue light filter or eyeglasses with a blue light filter and use it less often to please her. Watching haram content on your phone would be a disobedience to your grandparents, your parents, your Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), and your Creator. It would require repentance, and you should make the intention to start eliminating that from your life.

Dua

I urge you to make this supplication daily, and in sha Allah, your children and grandchildren will make it for you too.

 رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًۭا

My Lord! Be merciful to them as they raised me when I was young.” [Quran, 17:24]

Please see these links as well:

• When May Parents Be Disobeyed, and How?
• To What Extent Should I Obey My Mother?
• Do I Have to Obey My Father When He Tells Me to Sleep Early?

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.