Parents in Islam. Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) says in Hadith al-Qudsi: I swear by My Glory and power that if a (child who is) disobedient to his parents comes to me with all the good deeds of all the prophets, I will not accept them from him.

Although our existence is from Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him), it is our parents who are the means of giving us life. We are an offshoot of their existence and a fruit of the garden of their unparalleled affection, training, love and sentiments. When the forgetful human being grows up to become big and strong and comes to acquire a certain credibility (in life), he forgets the period wherein he was weak and lacking in strength. He disregards the exhaustive efforts of his parents; what ingratitude could be worse than this?

Humanity and ethics demand that we safeguard these two jewels (our mother and father) – by exhibiting goodness towards them while they are alive, and by means of charity and goodly remembrance after their death.

Our lives are an extension of our parent’s lives while our children’s lives are a continuation of ours. Our good behavior towards our parents and our exhibition of kindness towards them shall cause our children to grow up as grateful and righteous individuals. They shall behave with us just as we have behaved with our own parents.

Just as it is beyond our means to fulfill the rights of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) and to thank Him for all His bounties in their entirety, similarly we can never thank our parents sufficiently for their efforts. The only thing that we can do is to acknowledge our inability and submit ourselves, in humility and reverence, before these two angels. However, comprehension of their status in the eyes of Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) paves the way to fulfill some of their numerous rights.

Why so much emphasis on the rights of Parents? (Status of Parents in Islam, Rights of Parents)

Here is a point to ponder over: We do not find in Noble Qur’an and Hadith so much emphasis on looking after the children as is the case with the rights of the parents. Why?

The Sharia (Islamic law) has put a new challenge to those who think. Find out how logical this attitude is. The fact is that the parent’s heart is the fountain-head of the love for the child; this affection becomes the life-blood of the parents. Noble Qur’an has alluded to this instinctive parental love in several places.

On the other hand, children especially when they are no longer in need of parental care, do not feel so much love for the parents. We are not speaking about respect. Here the talk is about instinctive love; and experience is a reliable witness to confirm this observation.

It is a known fact that sign-posts are not needed on straight highways; but at a cross-road where several routes branch out, one cannot expect to get onto the right path without a guide or a sign-post.

It is for this reason that Islam does not emphasize in so many words those aspects of life which are taken care of by human nature itself. It is where the hold of natural instinct is loosened that Islam extends its helping hand and leads man on the right path by telling him what he is expected to do.

It was for this reason that Islam did not explain the rights of children so forcefully; but full emphasis was given to the rights of the parents.

When our father irritate us? (Rights of Parents in Islam, Muslim Parent Rights, Rights of Parents)

An old man was sitting in the courtyard of his house along with his son who had received a high education. Suddenly a crow perched on a wall of the house. The father asked the son: What is this? The son replied: It is a crow. After a little while the father again asked the son: What is this? The son said: It is a crow.

After a few minutes the father asked his son the third time: What is this? The son said: Father, I have just now told you that this is a crow. After a little while the old father again asked his son the fourth time: what is this? By this time some statement of irritation was felt in the son’s tone when he rebuffed his father: Father! It is a crow, a crow. A little after the father again asked his son: What is this? This time the son replied to his father with a vein of temper. Father: You are always repeating the same question; although I have told you so many times that it is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?

The father went to his room and came back with an old diary. Opening a page he asked his son to read what was written. What the son read were the following words written in the diary:

‘Today my little son was sitting with me in the courtyard, when a crow came there. My son asked me twenty-five times what it was and I told him twenty-five times that it was a crow and I did not at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for my innocent child.’

The father then explained to his son the difference between a father’s and a son’s attitude. While you were a little child you asked me this question twenty-five times and I felt no irritation in replying to the question twenty-five times and when today I asked you the same question only five times, you felt irritated, annoyed and impatient with me.

Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) mentions in Noble Qur’an:

“And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) “Ugh” nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: O my Lord! Have compassion on them, as they brought me up (when I was) little.” Noble Qur’an (17:23-24)

Imam Zainul Abideen (pbuh) says: “It is also said that once a man came to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and asked: “I feed my parents, carry them on my back and clean them, have I fulfilled my duty towards them? The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) answered: No, because, you are serving them in anticipation for their death while they served you wishing you a long life”.

Importance of parents extract from Maulana Sadiq Hassan’s speech (Disobedience to parents)

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It was a time when the outskirt of Makkah was not safe, full of robbers and thieves. An Indian prince, who carried his life savings (precious gem stones) in a pouch, had to leave Makkah. He had to leave his savings with someone otherwise he would be looted. Indian prince was told about an Iranian sheikh named Abdul Tahir Khorasani, who lived in Makkah, a very trustworthy and pious Momin (Believer in the Divine Laws). The Indian prince left his Amanat (safe custody) with the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani. When the Indian prince returned he found out that the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani had passed away. The Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani’s family members brought out a box and asked him if his Amanat was in it, however the Indian prince could not see his pouch. The Amanat was so valuable that the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani did not even trust his own family members with it and he kept its location secret. The Indian prince was upset, because the Amanat was his life savings.

The Indian prince then thought maybe it would be worth going to Wadi-e-Salaam in Najaf, Iraq, where the pious souls are sent to, he may see the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani and ask him about his Amanat. The Indian prince went to Najaf, Iraq, he would spend most of the day at Wadi-e-Salaam for three weeks but he did not meet the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani. One day a man from Najaf, Iraq chatted to him and suggested that maybe he should try Wadi-e-Barhoot in Yemen where souls are sent for punishment. The Indian prince reached Wadi-e-Barhoot, and called out for the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani. He saw a person coming towards him who was burned from head to toe. The Indian prince got scared and called for the Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani again, the burnt person said I am Abdul Tahir Khorasani. The Indian prince was shocked and said you, such a pious Momin, why are you getting this harsh punishment?

The Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani replied, after my death I got a message from Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) that the reward for all my good deeds is that on the day of judgement I would be raised with the prophets and my face would shine like the moon. However I have three sins which Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will not forgive and that is why I am being punished. I was told that you loved the Holy Kaaba and doing worship (al-Ibada) so much that you migrated to Makkah, and you forgot your old parents who needed you? I replied that I used to send money every month for maintenance. But parents are those who want their children not their children’s money.

The Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani continued. Once in a gathering I insulted an Aalim. And once I gave Khums to a person who did not deserve it. These three sins Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will not tolerate and will not forgive. The Iranian sheikh, Abdul Tahir Khorasani then told the Indian prince where his Amanat was hidden.

Moral: Today we live in a ‘global village’, where it takes seconds for news to reach from one end of the world to the other end. Yet how sad that people doesn’t care and don’t ask about their parents or relatives. So close yet so far. What is then the point of this ‘global village’? This is a sin (Gunaah) that Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will not forgive. So teach your children this message, not just through words but through your own actions. Teach them the value of parents through your actions.

Ahadith regarding Aaq-e-Waledain (Disobedience to parents) (Importance of parents)

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The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says: “Beware! Abstain from angering the parents. The fragrance of Paradise is perceived even at a distance of a thousand years, but those who are disobedient to parents and those who cut off ties with relatives will not be able to smell it.”

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says: “One who displeases the parents, (it is as if) he has displeased Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him). One who angers both (mother and father) his parents (it is as if) he has angered Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).”

Elsewhere, it is mentioned, “One who hurts his parents, hurts me and one who hurts me has hurt Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him). And the one who hurts Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) is accursed.”

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has also stated: “Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will not speak to three kinds of people on the day of judgement. Neither will He have mercy upon them, nor will He purify their sins. There is for them a horrible chastisement. The three types of people are the believers in destiny, the drunkards and those who disobeyed their parents.”

The wretchedness of the Aaq-e-Waledain is sufficiently evident from the fact that the trustworthy Jibreel (pbuh) has cursed him and said, “One who is blessed with parents but does not fulfill their (his parent’s) rights will not be forgiven (his sins) by Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him).”

When Jibreel (pbuh) said this, The Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) uttered, ‘Amen’!

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Imam Jafar Sadiq (pbuh) said, “Accursed, Accursed is the one who beats his parents. Accursed is the one who distresses his parents.”

Imam Jafar Sadiq (pbuh) said, “Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) will not accept the Namaz of the person who stares angrily at his parents. Even though they (parents) may be unjust.”

About parents in Islam. May Allah (Glory and Greatness be to Him) grant us the Divine success that we may come be regarded amongst those who have been good towards their parents. “O’ Allah! Make us such that we may be grateful for the efforts of our parents.” “O’ Allah! Make us successful in bringing forth a generation of pure-hearted, believing, grateful and righteous individuals.”

“al-islam.org/FortyParents/” (Forty Ahadith on Parents)

Source: 4shared.com/postDownload/xwKO6f2z/Rights_of_Parents_in_Islam.html