Your Lord Has Decreed You Worship None but Him and Show Kindness to Parents — The Two Great Duties
tadabbur
Level: basic
social
td-237
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنًا
— الإسراء 23
Verse: "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and show kindness to parents." (17:23) — "Decreed" (qada) = a firm irrevocable judgment. Then two greatest duties side by side: Allah's right (monotheism) and parents' right (kindness). "Don't even say uff to them" — the minimum expression of irritation is forbidden. He didn't say "don't beat" or "don't insult" because those are obvious. He said "uff" to teach us the standard is the minimum form of harm. Lesson: measure your relationship with your parents against "uff" — if you've far exceeded it, seek forgiveness and start fresh.
Source: Ibn Kathir (5/60); Al-Sadi
Question: Why did the Quran suffice with forbidding "uff" without mentioning beating and insulting?
Answer: Because "uff" is the minimum form of harm — if the minimum is forbidden, greater harm is even more forbidden by obvious implication.