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Fatwa CenterParent not entitled to force child to eat certain foods
Question
Assalaamu alaykum. My issue is that I am fasting and my dad wants me to eat burgers and chips every day for Iftaar (breaking the fast) (which would have a drastic toll on my health), I refuse to do this, even though he might curse Allaah, The Exalted. Will I be sinful for refusing his request to eat junk food? Would I become a Kaafir (disbeliever) because if he curses Allaah, The Exalted, and I knew that he would do that but I still refused his request to eat junk food (for my own health); would I become a Kaafir then? Do my parents have the right to decide what I break my fast with during Iftaar? May Allaah reward you.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The father has no right to force his child to eat certain foods, especially if the child believes that such foods are harmful to his health. Disobeying the father in this regard is not considered undutifulness towards the parents, and you bear no sin for disobeying him, and you do not become Kaafir if he cursed Allaah Almighty. For more benefit, please refer to fatwa 131695.
However, we advise you to try to please him with whatever you can and to eat even a few bites of such food so as to prevent him from cursing Allaah, The Exalted. Preventing the greater of two evils is given precedence over preventing the lesser of them. You should also advise him gently and clarify to him that cursing Allaah is an act of Kufr (disbelief) that takes the doer out of the fold of Islam and that he must repent to Allaah from that grave sin.
For more benefit, please refer to fataawa 1327 and 9880.
Allaah knows best.
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