29. Surah Al-'Ankabut

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا...

29:8. We have enjoined on man kindness to parents:

...وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا...

but if they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me (in worship) anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not.

C3430. That is, no certainty in virtue of the spiritual light. In matters of faith and worship, even parents have no right to force their children. They cannot and must not hold up before them any worship but that of the One True God.

...إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ ﴿٨﴾

Ye have (all) to return to Me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did.

C3431. Children and parents must all remember that they have all to go before Allah's tribunal, and answer, each for his own deeds.

In cases where one set of people have lawful authority over another set of people (as in the case of parents and children), and the two differ in important matters like that of Faith, the latter are justified in rejecting authority: the apparent conflict will be solved when the whole truth is revealed to all eyes in the final Judgment.

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُدْخِلَنَّهُمْ فِي الصَّالِحِينَ ﴿٩﴾

29: 9. And those who believe and work righteous deeds, them shall We admit to the company of the Righteous.

C3432. The picking up again of the words which began verse 7 above shows that the same subject is now pursued from another aspect.

The striving in righteous deeds will restore fallen man to the society of the Righteous - the ideal Fellowship described in 4:69 and n. 586.

Asad’s Version:

29:8 Now [among the best of righteous deeds which] We have enjoined upon man [is] goodness towards his parents; 3 yet [even so,] should they endeavour to make thee ascribe divinity, side by side with Me, to something which thy mind cannot accept [as divine], 4 obey them not: [for] it is unto Me that you all must return, whereupon I shall make you [truly] understand [the right and wrong of] all that you were doing [in life].

29:9

But as for those who have attained to faith and have done righteous deeds, We shall most certainly cause them to join the righteous [in the hereafter as well].