Question:
Is the hadith stating that our parents are the middle door to paradise sahih?
Answer:
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
We found the hadith stated in the above question narrated in several hadith books. Some of them are:
- From Abu Darda’ RA, he heard the Prophet PBUH said:
الوَالِدُ أَوْسَطُ أَبْوَابِ الجَنَّةِ، فَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَأَضِعْ ذَلِكَ البَابَ أَوْ احْفَظْهُ
“The father is the middle gate to Paradise. So, if you wish, then neglect that door, or protect it.”
Sunan al-Tirmizi (1900)
الْوَالِدُ أَوْسَطُ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ، فَحَافِظْ عَلَى وَالِدَيْكَ أَوِ اتْرُكْ
“The father is the middle door of Paradise (i.e. the best way to Paradise), so it is up to you whether you take advantage of it or not.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (2089)
الْوَالِدُ أَوْسَطُ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ، فَأَضِعْ ذَلِكَ الْبَابَ أَوِ احْفَظْهُ
“The father is the middle gate to Paradise. So, if you wish, then neglect that door, or protect it.”
Sunan Ibn Majah (3663)
The Status of the Hadith
According to the scholars, this hadith is sahih. Among the scholars who ruled it sahih are:
- Imam al-Tirmizi ruled this hadith sahih in al-Jami’nya.
- Imam Ibn Hibban narrated the hadith in his book Sahih Ibn Hibban. (Sahih Ibn Hibban, 167/2)
- Imam al-Hakim stated that the sanad of the hadith is sahih, however, it is not narrated by Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim. (See al-Mustadrak, 215/2)
The Meaning of the Hadith
Syeikh al-Mubarakfuri commented on the hadith saying that the Allah’s wrath depends on the anger of the parents. The reason is, Allah SWT commanded us to obey our parents and honour those who does so. Whoever obeys his parents, then he is obeying Allah. And whoever angered them has also angered Allah SWT. (See Tuhfah al-Ahwazi, 21,23/6)
This hadith also explains our obligation in doing good to our parents and obeying them (in matters that does not contradict Islam). At the same time, this hadith explains that parents are one of the ways for a person to gain entrance to paradise.
Closing
As a conclusion, doing good and obeying parents is a commandment for every individual. Among the evidences for the obligation of doing good towards parents is a statement of Allah SWT:
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.”
Surah al-Isra’ (23)
Lastly, may Allah SWT make us among His slaves who are consistent in obeying and doing good to our parents and placed us among the people of paradise in the eternal hereafter. Amin.
Wallahua’lam.