:Question<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are the recommendations of the\nHoly Quran with respect to parents?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
:Answer<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Respecting parents and showing the\nproper behavior towards them are issues that are considered very important to\nAllah (SWT). As a result, a considerable\nnumber of verses in the Holy Quran and narrations from Prophet Muhammad\n(PBUH&HP) and his progeny are dedicated about parents. In browsing these\nverses and narrations, one may find that many of the explanations and\nexpressions about respect to parents are very astonishing, and are not said\nabout other topics.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As stated, the treatment shown towards\none’s parents has different perspectives. Our juristic-economic encounter,\npublic behavior, obedience, and etc. are all parts of these different\nperspectives. Islam has not only defined the appropriate way of treating our\nparents in our youth, middle ages, and elderly ages, but has also given us\ninstructions of how to conduct after they pass away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An economic advice<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to financial support,\nthe Holy Quran gives an exclusive position to parents. Besides paying attention\nto the obligatory rights that parents hold, Allah (SWT) notes us to give the\nhighest priority to our parents when intending to accomplish good deeds. For\nexample, when the topic of charity is discussed in the Holy Quran, Allah (SWT)\nprecedes parents before any other group of people, to enforce the idea that\nparents hold the highest priority in receiving charity (2:215). (1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treating our parents with kindness, a\nkind of worship for Allah (SWT)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Financial support, although is very\nimportant and significant according to the Holy Quran, is just second to\nshowing kindness to our parents in every single aspect.(2) Doing good to our parents plays a major role\nin our destiny, and Allah (SWT) emphasizes the importance of appropriate\nbehavior with parents in three verses. (3) Interestingly enough, in three other\nverses Allah (SWT) emphatically orders us to show kindness to our parents,\nimmediately after commanding mankind to worship Him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The invitation of the prophets, and\ntheir word on parents<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Treating parents with kindness held a\nmuch esteemed status during Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH&HP) invitation to\nIslam. According to the Holy Quran, when Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was\ninforming people of the unlawful acts, the first thing he commanded after\nprohibiting the people from ascribing partners with Allah (SWT) was to do good\nto parents. (4) From this we can conclude that after the greatest sin, which is\npolytheism, displeasing our parents is one of the greatest sins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moreover, showing proper behavior\ntowards our parents is not only advised in Islam; rather it is a common\ninstruction that all of the holy prophets were assigned to convey to their\ncommunities. For example, the Holy Quran\nrecalls the covenant the Sons of Israel held with Allah (SWT): “And (remember) when We took a covenant\nfrom the Children of Israel, (saying): Worship none but Allah and be good to\nparents\u2026”(2:83). (5) As presented in the above verse, this message was not\nonly revealed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), rather it was identically\nrevealed to all prophets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obedience to parents, how far?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Islam teaches us that we should avoid\nportraying an attitude that will hurt our parents. Therefore, it is not allowed\nto disobey them when they – out of good will and love – order us to do an act.\nThus we must try to keep them satisfied. It is only under one condition that we\nare exempted from obeying them, and that is if their order contradicts the\norders of Allah (SWT). In other words, it is only if they ask us to commit a\nsin or do unlawful acts that we must refrain from obeying them. Even under\nthese circumstances, the Holy Quran reminds us to act with kindness and respect\ntowards our parents in this transient world. (6)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mother, the symbol of unlimited pain\nand infinite love<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAllah (SWT) reminds us in the Holy Quran about some\nof the difficulties that mothers go through. Quran reminds us about the time\nthat she kept us in her womb with great pain. We are reminded about the first\ntwo years after birth when she breastfed us compassionately. All these add to\nthirty months of pain that she handled patiently.(7) To think of all the love\nand caring a mother had for us throughout these years, especially after reading\nthe teachings of Holy Quran, it is not surprising to see tears rolling down our\ncheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Not even the smallest offense!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to the fact that Allah\n(SWT) reminds us to be thankful to Him for all the things He has given us, He\nalso teaches us to be thankful of our parents as well. (8) In fact this verse\nof the Quran (31:14) clarifies that since being thankful to parents is an order\nfrom Allah (SWT), it is a way of being thankful to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the parents reach their elderly\nages, they usually become more sensitive and less patient. They may be wrong at\ntimes and judge unfairly about their children. However, amazingly enough Allah\n(SWT) has asked us to be patient and kind with them especially when they get\nolder since they need more help. Even if we are hurt by them, we must not say\neven the smallest word “fie”, lest it might hurt them. (9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Fie”\nis the smallest means of disapproval and disagreement, which could be uttered\nby one who has become upset. However, Allah (SWT) has disallowed us from saying\neven the smallest thing that might upset our parents. Imam Sadiq (PBUH)\ninterprets this verse (17:23) and says: “If there was any word tinier than\n‘Fie’ to upset one’s parents, Allah would have banned people from using\nthat.” (10)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How should we act?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how should we treat our parents?\nThe Holy Quran answers this question beautifully. Imagine a powerful bird that\ndoes not want to fight back. It stretches its wings and puts them on earth to\nshow that it has surrendered. Allah (SWT) teaches us to be humble in front of\nour parents just like a bird that opens it’s wings on the ground.(11) Hence, we\nshould try our best to be humble and kind to our parents; furthermore, we\nshould try our best to protect them in anyway possible, and continuously\nexpress our love for them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remembering parents in the best\nmoments<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition to all of the teachings\nand orders of the Holy Quran, we can see that this Holy Book invites us to\nremember our parents in the unique moments of talking and praying to our Lord.\nThe Holy Quran teaches us to pray for them: “O my Lord! Bless them, as\nthey brought me up when I was little.” (12)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An appropriate behavior to parents is\nsomething that almost everyone will have to deal with in his\/her life. Let’s\nhope to truly understand what our Lord expects from us and make our best in\nthis way; indeed He is the best supporter and the finest beloved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
:Question What are the recommendations of the Holy Quran with respect to parents? :Answer Respecting parents and showing the proper behavior towards them are issues that are considered very important to Allah (SWT). As a result, a considerable number of verses in the Holy Quran and narrations from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and his progeny are […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28250],"tags":[17778,18187,18176,18185,17978,18186,18184,18041,18183],"class_list":["post-3893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-questions","tag-allah","tag-best-moments","tag-ethics","tag-kindness","tag-lord","tag-mother","tag-parents","tag-questions","tag-the-holy-quran-and-the-parents"],"yoast_head":"\n