Parents Rights in Islam

1 - The Greatest Obligatory Act  

: ) ـٍة� ( ِر�يَض� َف� ْك�َب�ِر� َأ اِل�َد�ي�ِن� اِل�َو� ِب�ِر� اَل� َق� َّن�ُه

� َأ ع ِن�يِن� ِم� ْؤ� اِل�ُم يِر� ِم�َأ� .َع�ِن�

 The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) has said: “Goodness towards (one’s) parents is the greatest obligatory act.” Mizanul Hikmah, Volume 10, Page 709  2 - The Best of Deeds  :) َف�ي ( اُد َه� اِل�ِج� َو� اِل�َد�يِن� اِل�َو� ِب�ِر� َو� ا ِت�َه� ِل�َو�َق� َال�ُة اِلَّص� َع�ُم�اَل�

اَأل� ُل َأ�َف�َض� ع اُد�ُق اِلَّص� اَل� َق�اِلٌّل/ُه� ـَب�يُل� .َس�

 Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said: “The best deeds are: Salat in its stipulated hour, goodness towards parents and Jihad in the way of Allah.” Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 85 

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 behaviour 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 fulfil 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 fulfil 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.

t 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.

Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran, “And We have enjoined on man to be good to his parents, in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and for two years was his weaning, so show gratitude to Me and to your parents and to me is your return.”(Quran, 31:14)Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Quran, “And remember when we took a covenant from the Children of Israel that you Worship none but Allah and you treat with kindness your parents.”(Quran, 2:83)

Abdullah Bin Umar Radiyallahu ‘anhu narrates that, I asked the Prophet Sallallohu alaihi wasallam, “Which deed is the dearest to Allah?” He replied, “To offer the prayers at their fixed times.” I asked, “What is next?” He replied, “To be good and dutiful to your parents.” I again asked, “What is the next?” He replied, “To strive in the path of Allah.”(Bukhari)

Rasulullah Sallallohu alaihi wasallam was asked about the major sins, Rasulullah Sallallohu alaihi wasallam said,they are:-* To join others in worship with Allah, (to commit shirk)* To be undutiful to one’s parents, (disobedience to parents)* To kill a person un justly (Muslim or Non-Muslim which Allah has forbidden to kill)* And to give a false witness.”(Bukhari)Rasulullah (pbuh) was asked as to what rights parents can demand from their children.” Rasulullah Sallallohu alaihi wasallam replied that, “They are your Paradise and your Hell.”(Tirmidhi)

Once while the Sahabah Radhiallohu ‘anhum were with the Prophet Sallallohu alaihi wasallam, a man from the Banu Salmah came to Him and said: Oh Allahs Messenger Sallallohu alaihi wasallam, is there any kindness left that I can do to my parents after their death? Rasulullah Sallallohu alaihi wasallam replied: Yes, you can invoke blessings on them, ask forgiveness for them, carry out their final instructions after their death, join ties of relationship which are dependent on them,and honour their friends.(Abu Dawood)

1- Kindness to Parents and Paradise  ) )  : ) َو� ( 2 ا ِب�اّر3 ْكِن� ص اِلٌّل/ُه� َوَل َس ّر� اَل� َق� اَل� َق� ع ِن� اِل�َح�َس� ِب�ي

� َأ َع�ِن�. اِلِن�اّر� َع�ٌّل�ى ِر� ِت�َّص� اَق� َف� َف�ّظ3ا2 ا2 َع�اَق3 ْكِن�َت� ِإ�ْن� َو� ِن�ٍة� اِل�ِج� َع�ٌّل�ى ِر� ِت�َّص� اَق� Imam ar-Ridha (peace be upon him) relates that the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) has said: “Be good and kind to your parents so that your recompense is paradise, and if you have been disowned by them, your abode shall be the fire (of Hell).” Al-Kafi, Volume 2, pg.348

2.Worship in Looking 

. :) َب�اُد�ُة= ( َع� ا ُم� ِل�َه 2 َب3ا ُح اِل�َد�ي�ُه� َو� �ِل�ى ِإ ِل�َد� اِل�َو� َّن�ّظ�ِر ص اِلٌّل/ُه� َوَل َس ّر� اَل� َق� The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has said: “The look of a child towards his parents out of love for them is an act of worship.”  Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 80 

Prophet Muhammad SAW said: 

One who pleases his parents has verily pleased Allaah, and one who has angered his parents have verily angered Allaah

Submitted by Hashmatullah Meyakhel