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Fatwa CenterWants to learn Islam but her parents want her to study medicine
Question
First of all may Allaah have mercy upon anyone who helps another Muslim in anyway, Aameen that being said, for about a year I had a strong urge to start studying the Quran and the Hadeeth, basically everything that has to do with Islam, there's only one problem and that is that my parents want for me to graduate from college, a degree in medicine, and I am about to start in couple of months. I know that I have to obey my parents and try to please them in every lawful way, but I also know that we only have little time in this earth, and that we should make the most of our time. And even if I take this road, the religious one, I love to study overseas, may be Cairo or Nairobi, or even Syria. so my question is even though that my parents want to be successful in my life, especially in medicine field, how do I tell them that their dreams are necessarily mine dreams, and that I really want to become a scholar of the Quran and Hadeeth? Basically I want to make worth-full of my youth since I have time.
I would describe myself as average person, but being just a average is not best since this world is like a drop of water and Aakhira is the sea.
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 is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.
Children are not permitted to obey their parents in abandoning seeking knowledge that is obligatory on every individual even by travelling abroad, if there are people who would carry out these obligations, and there is a Mahram (non-marriageable relative) who would accompany the girl in her travel. However, obeying the parents comes in priority over seeking the knowledge that is an obligation on the community (i.e. if any member attained it then it suffices the entire community).
Indeed we thank you for your interest and zeal in studying the Quran and the Prophetic narrations, and we advise you to be frank with your parents and speak to them in a wise and good manner explaining to them that you wish to study the Islamic legislation and that you are reluctant to study medicine. However, if they insist on you to study medicine then you should put in priority their wish over yours, and you can, along with studying medicine, study the Quran and the Prophetic narrations by reading books, listening to tapes and asking scholars about any matter that you do not understand. By doing so, you would have indeed achieved both goals: pleasing [and being dutiful to] your parents and learning religious knowledge according to the extent that Allaah makes it easy for you.
Allaah Knows best.
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