Parents’ Rights in Islām (My Lord have Mercy upon Them)
Allāh the Exalted said: (Worship Allāh and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, Allāh does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful) (The Noble Quran 3: 36)
Allāh, the Exalted, said: (And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents exert treat them good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.(23) And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say,"My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small.) (The Noble Quran 17: 23-24)
Who deserves my fine treatment most?
Abu Hurairah (RAA) reported:
A person came to Messenger of Allāh (PBUH) and asked: “Who among people is most deserving of my fine treatment?” He (PBUH) said: Your mother. He again asked: who next? Your mother, the Prophet (PBUH) replied again. He asked: who next? He (the Prophet (PBUH)) said again: Your mother. He again asked, Then who? There upon he (PBUH) said: Then your father.” (Al-Bukhāri and Muslim)
A short path to Paradise
Abu Hurairah (RAA) reported:
The Prophet (PBUH) said: “May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced! May he be disgraced, whose parents, one or both, attain old age during his life time, and he does not enter Jannah (i.e. by not being dutiful to them).” (Muslim)
Do you want to prolong your life and expand your provision?
Anas (RAA) reported:
The Messenger of Allāh (PBUH) said: “He who desires ample provisions and his life be prolonged, should maintain good ties with his blood relations.” (Al-Bukhāri and Muslim)
Do you want your sins forgiven?
From Ibn Umar (RAA):
A man came to the Prophet (PBUH) and said: “O Messenger of Allāh! I have been afflicted by a tremendous sin. Is there any repentance for me?” He said: “Do you have your mother?” The man said: “No.” He said: "” you have any maternal aunts?” The man said: “Yes.” He said: “Then be dutiful to them.” (At-Tirmidhi – declared sound by Al-Albani)
Be dutiful to the parents even if they are polytheists
Asma' bint Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (RAA) said:
My mother came to me while she was still a polytheist, so I asked Messenger of Allāh (PBUH): “My mother, who is ill-disposed to Islām, has come to visit me. Shall I maintain relations with her?” He (PBUH) replied: “Yes, maintain relations with your mother.” (Al- Bukhari and Muslim)
Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that:
Allāh's Messenger (PBUH) said: “A man will be raised in status in Paradise and will say: 'Where did this come from?' And it will be said: 'From your son's praying for forgiveness for you.'” (Ibn Majah – declared sound by Al-Albani)
Our righteous predecessors and their dutifulness to their parents
Muhammad ibn Almunkader said: I spent the night massaging my mother’s leg, and my brother Omar spent the night praying, and it wouldn’t make me happier that my night is his night. (i.e. what I am doing is more loved to me than spending the night in prayer)
One of the righteous predecessors was said to him we do not see you eat with your mother in the same plate! He said I’m afraid that my hand would be faster in reaching what her eyes fall up on and I would be undutiful.
Hiyawah ibn Shuraih may Allāh have mercy on him, one of the followers of the companions, used to teach in the masjid and his mother would come to him and say: “go feed the chicken”; and he would stop the lesson and obey her without any hesitance. Despite being a prominent scholar and his students sitting before him, he didn’t shy out to obey his mother.
Is there a religion on earth which gives parents great care such as Islām?!
