The Quran

يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا إِنَّ مِن أَزواجِكُم وَأَولادِكُم عَدُوًّا لَكُم فَاحذَروهُم ۚ وَإِن تَعفوا وَتَصفَحوا وَتَغفِروا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

Ali Unal

O you who believe! Among your spouses and children there may be enemies for you, so beware of them. Yet, if you pardon, forbear, and forgive (their faults towards you and in worldly matters), then (know that) God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate.¹

Spouses are dutiful toward each other, and parents have intrinsic love for and duties toward their children. However, the love of spouses for each other and the love of parents for their children should be regulated according to the commandments of the Religion. Love of family may sometimes bar a man or woman from his or her religious duties, or cause him or her to indulge the family excessively, or to work for the children and their future without considering the children’s duties towards God and their afterlife, whereas true love necessitates that parents should first consider the afterlife and the religious duties of their children. They should consider their worldly welfare within the framework of the Religion. Unfortunately, many spouses and parents neglect this cardinal principle and they misuse their love and compassion for each other and for their children. In addition to this, some spouses and children may put pressure upon each other and their parents to act without considering the religious commandments and cause each other or themselves to lose in the Hereafter. This is, in fact, enmity. So the Qur’ān draws the attention of spouses to this fact and warns them. However, despite such enmity, parents should be careful, patient, and tolerant in their mutual relations and in their approach to the conduct of their children. They can be forbearing and pardon their mutual faults toward each other and the faults of their children toward themselves. (This is what is expected from parents, but children must be extremely careful about observing the rights of their parents.) They should also overlook any faults concerning worldly matters and be able to act as educators concerning religious matters. They should always give precedence to religious matters over worldly ones.
The next verse concisely expresses this truth.