grave sins that a person swears at his parents.’ People asked, ‘Yā Rasūlallāĥ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Does anyone swear at his parents? He صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Yes. This happens when he swears at the father of someone else, [and] the other person swears at his father; and he swears at the mother of someone, [and] that person swears at his mother.’ (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, pp. 60, Ḥadīš 146)

Narrating this Ḥadīš, ‘Allāmaĥ Maulānā Muftī Muhammad Amjad ‘Alī A’ẓamī عَـلَيْهِ رَحْـمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ الۡـقَـوِی stated, ‘The blessed companions who had seen the era of ignorance in Arabia could not comprehend how someone could swear at his own parents (i.e. they were surprised to have heard it). The Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم explained that it meant to make someone else swear [at one’s own parents]. But these days some people themselves swear at their own parents and completely disrespect them. (Baĥār-e-Sharī’at)

Those hanging with the branches of fire

Sayyidunā Imām Aḥmad Bin Ḥajar Makkī Shāfi’ī عَـلَيْهِ رَحْـمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ الۡـقَـوِی has narrated: The Prophet of Raḥmaĥ صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘On the night of Mi’rāj (Ascension), I saw some people who were hanging on the branches of fire. So I asked, ‘O Jibrīl, who are these people?’ He replied, ‘اَلَّذِيۡنَ يَشۡتُمُوۡنَ اٰبَاءَهُمۡ وَاُمَّهَاتِهِمۡ فِي الدُّنۡيَا These are the people who used to speak ill of their fathers and mothers in the world.’ (Az-Zawājir ‘Aniqtirāf-il-Kabāir, vol. 2, pp. 139)