a man's father or mother - Shu'bah (one of the namators) was not sure - ordered him to divorce his wife, and he made a vow that he would free one hundred slaves if he did that. He came to Abu Darda' while he was praying the Duha, and he was making his prayer lengthy, and he prayed between Zuhr and 'Asr. Then he asked him and Abu Darda' said: "Fulfill your vow and honor your parents." Abu Ad-Darda' said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: '(Honoring) one's father may lead one to enter through the best of the gates of Paradise; so take care of your parents, (it is so, whether you take care of them) or not. "  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَمَرَهُ أَبُوهُ أَوْ أُمُّهُ شَكَّ شُعْبَةُ أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ مِائَةَ مُحَرَّرٍ فَأَتَى أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَإِذَا هُوَ يُصَلِّي الضُّحَى وَيُطِيلُهَا وَصَلَّى مَا بَيْنَ الظُّهْرِ وَالْعَصْرِ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ أَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ وَبَرَّ وَالِدَيْكَ وَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ الْوَالِدُ أَوْسَطُ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَحَافِظْ عَلَى وَالِدَيْكَ أَوِ اتْرُكْ  

[Machine] "To divorce his wife and make one thousand freed slaves or one hundred freed slaves, and he does not have a sacrifice if he does so. Then he went to Abu Darda and mentioned that he performed the Duha prayer, then he asked him. He said, 'Fulfill your vow and be dutiful to your parents, for I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, saying, 'The parents are the middle door of Paradise, so if you wish, protect this door or leave it.'"  

أَنْ يُطَلِّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ فَجَعَلَ أَلْفَ مُحَرَّرٍ أَوْ مِائَةَ مُحَرَّرٍ وَمَا لَهُ هَدْيًا إِنْ فَعَلَ فَأَتَى أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءَ فَذَكَرَ أَنَّهُ صَلَّى الضُّحَى ثُمَّ سَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ أَوْفِ بِنَذْرِكَ وَبَرَّ وَالِدَيْكَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «الْوَالِدُ أَوْسَطُ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَحَافِظْ عَلَى الْبَابِ أَوِ اتْرُكْ»