Abu Abdur Rahman Salmi narrates that a man was ordered by his mother, or his father, or both, to divorce his wife, but he vowed to free one hundred slaves if he divorced her. Then he came to Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was performing the Duha prayer at length. He also prayed between Zuhr and Asr. That man asked him a question. Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) replied: Fulfill your vow and be good to your parents, because I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: The father is the middle gate of Paradise; now it is up to you whether you protect that gate or waste it.

(Second chain) Abu Abdur Rahman Salmi says: A man came to Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: My wife is my paternal cousin and I also love her, but my mother orders me to divorce her. He (Abu Darda’) said: I neither order you to divorce her nor do I say that you should disobey your parents. However, I will narrate to you the hadith which I myself heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, the mother is the middle gate of the gates of Paradise, so you may either guard this gate or leave it if you wish.

(Third chain of narration) He says: There was a man among us whose mother kept insisting that he get married. Eventually, he got married. Then the same mother began to order him to divorce her. That man went to Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) in Syria and said: First my mother insisted that I get married until I did so, but now she orders me to divorce her. He said: I will neither order you to divorce her nor to keep her. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: The father is the middle gate of Paradise, so either neglect that gate or protect it. Hearing this hadith, he returned and divorced his wife.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), he says: I had a wife whom I liked, but my father, Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), disliked her, so he ordered me to divorce her. However, I did not accept his word. Then he went to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! My son Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) has a wife whom I dislike, so I ordered him to divorce her, but he refused to do so. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Abdullah! Divorce your wife. So he divorced her. In another narration, it is mentioned: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Obey your father.

Sayyiduna Iyad bin Murthad or Murthad bin Iyad (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from a servant of his family that he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! Tell me about an action that will admit me into Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Are either of your parents alive? He said: No. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then give water (to people). He said: How should I give water? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When people are present, suffice them regarding the means of water, and if they are absent, then pick it up and take it to them.

It is narrated from Sayyida Asma bint Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both, she says: My mother came to me while she was a polytheist. This was at the time when the Quraysh had a treaty with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him: My mother has come to me and she desires some help from me; should I maintain ties of kinship with her? He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Yes, maintain ties of kinship with your mother.

(Second chain) Sayyida Asma (may Allah be pleased with her) said: My mother came to me; this was during the period when there was a treaty between the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Quraysh. My mother was a polytheist and in need. I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! My mother has come to me, she is a polytheist and desires help, should I maintain ties of kinship with her? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Maintain ties of kinship with your mother.

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Dinar that a Bedouin passed by Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) while we were on the way to Hajj. He said to the Bedouin: "Are you so-and-so, son of so-and-so?" He replied: "Yes." Then Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the donkey on which he used to travel for some comfort after getting tired from riding the camel, and he took the turban with which he used to tie his head, then he gave both these things to the Bedouin. When that man left, some of us said to Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him): "You used to rest on your donkey and tie your head with the turban, but now you have given both these things to this Bedouin. He would have been satisfied with just a dirham." He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'Indeed, the greatest act of goodness is to maintain ties with the loved ones of one's father after his death.'"

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a Bedouin came to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: My father wants to ruin my wealth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You and your wealth belong to your parents. The purest thing you eat is that which you earn yourself, and your children’s wealth is also from what you have earned, so consume it in a pleasant manner.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Indeed, your children are from your purest earnings, so eat from the earnings of your children.