I have a question regarding the limits of obedience to parents. my friend’s father has been emotionally torturing her and physically and emotionally torturing her mother for XX years and i have been witness to the emotional trauma their whole family went through due to the father. now she has had enough and she stood upto her father. her father has stopped talking to her for the mere reason that she wanted to study further and this time she has made little efforts to apologize. someone told her that all her prayers will not be accepted by Allah SWT as her father is angry with her. she is otherwise a good and religious person but since she heard that her prayers are not being accepted, she does not pray that much as she believes her prayers won’t be accepted. but after a lifetime of mental torture she is not ready to speak to her father again. my question is what are the limits to fathers’ obedience? we must never be rude to them but they have a right to ruin their children’s lives? is it true that even if a father who is unjust and forcing children to do his bidding just out of spite, if he is angry the prayers of children are not accepted?

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She must be obedient to her parents as long as they are not asking her to disobey Allah.

Prayer is accepted in the meaning that qadha is not liable, but what is indicated is that one does not receive the spiritual rewards for the prayers during this time period.

In this case of him being abusive, I suggest she request from her marja what the limits she must observe in his regard.