Peace of God and His mercy to you.
Today's Friday Prayer's sermon was about the responsibility and relationship of the sons and daughters towards and between their parents. In a previous blog entry, I talked about the importance of parents in the Muslim community and their role in raising their children in the correct way.
Respecting The Parents
The parents are the important part of every family. They are the leaders and teachers. They are responsible to raise their children in the correct way. The mother conceived the children and she endured all the pain. The father works hard to ensure a good living for his family. The sons and daughters have to be grateful for them, they have not seen their mother enduring all the pain of pregnancy for 9 months and the father helping her in doing chores. They must be rewarded for their patience and for all the time they spent raising their children and helping them live life in the right course. God the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
And He also says:
The sons and daughters are requested to respect their parents, before and after their death, by praying to God to forgive them and to pray for any thing good for them all. The sons and daughters must not say bad words to their parents, even the shortest word of uneasiness and disapproval: fie. And they also must not raise hands in the face of their parents when angry trying to hit them, even if it is meant as a threat. And do not hate them. Does anyone of us want to make our parents feel sad or ashamed because of us?!
The mother's role in raising her children is the greatest. Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
It is forbidden in Islam to claim that you are not related to your father when you know he is really your father. Do not let your anger bring calamity upon you! Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
And do not badmouth other's parents! You are badmouthing your own parents! 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As, may Allah be pleased with them, reported:
We have to treat our parents well, even if they are not Muslims. Asma', may Allah be pleased with her, reported:
Kindness to parents is one of the best deeds. It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who observed:
And it is a sin to disobey the parents, excluding the things they ask their sons and daughters to do which make the God angry at the people, such as drinking alcohol, gambling, or talking bad about others. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:
If one of our parents died, we can give charity on behalf of him/her. 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, narrated:
And if one of them died and did not fast some days of Ramadan, we can fast on behalf of them. Allah is fair! Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, reported:
And if they died or they were too old to perform the pilgrimage, we can perform it on behalf of them. Allah is merciful! Al-Fadl, may Allah be pleased with him, reported:
God ordered us to be good companions to our parents. He the Greatest says:
Would not you treat your parents well when God asked you to do so?!
In the end...
Be good friends to your parents. Make them happy and proud of you before and after their death :)
Today's Friday Prayer's sermon was about the responsibility and relationship of the sons and daughters towards and between their parents. In a previous blog entry, I talked about the importance of parents in the Muslim community and their role in raising their children in the correct way.
Respecting The Parents
The parents are the important part of every family. They are the leaders and teachers. They are responsible to raise their children in the correct way. The mother conceived the children and she endured all the pain. The father works hard to ensure a good living for his family. The sons and daughters have to be grateful for them, they have not seen their mother enduring all the pain of pregnancy for 9 months and the father helping her in doing chores. They must be rewarded for their patience and for all the time they spent raising their children and helping them live life in the right course. God the Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him, and (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, say not "Fie" unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word. (23) And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little. (24) Al Israa 17:23-24
And He also says:
And We have commended unto man kindness toward parents. His mother beareth him with reluctance, and bringeth him forth with reluctance, and the bearing of him and the weaning of him is thirty months, till, when he attaineth full strength and reacheth forty years, he saith: My Lord! Arouse me that I may give thanks for the favour wherewith Thou hast favoured me and my parents, and that I may do right acceptable unto Thee. And be gracious unto me in the matter of my seed. Lo! I have turned unto Thee repentant, and lo! I am of those who surrender (unto Thee). (15) Those are they from whom We accept the best of what they do, and overlook their evil deeds. (They are) among the owners of the Garden. This is the true promise which they were promised (in the world). (16) Al Ahqaf 46:15-16
The sons and daughters are requested to respect their parents, before and after their death, by praying to God to forgive them and to pray for any thing good for them all. The sons and daughters must not say bad words to their parents, even the shortest word of uneasiness and disapproval: fie. And they also must not raise hands in the face of their parents when angry trying to hit them, even if it is meant as a threat. And do not hate them. Does anyone of us want to make our parents feel sad or ashamed because of us?!
A person came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: Who among the people is most deserving my companionship (of a kind treatment from me?) He said: Your mother. He, again, said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: It is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: It is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he (The Prophet (peace be upon him)) said: It is your father. Source: al-islam
It is forbidden in Islam to claim that you are not related to your father when you know he is really your father. Do not let your anger bring calamity upon you!
Allah's Messenger (may peace and blessings be upon him) observed: Do not detest your fathers; he who detests his father commits infidelity. Source: al-islam
And do not badmouth other's parents! You are badmouthing your own parents!
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) observed: Abusing one's parents is one of the major sins. They (the hearers) asked: Messenger of Allah, does a man abuse his parents? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Yes, one abuses the father of another man, who in turn abuses his father. One abuses his mother and he in turn abuses his (the former's) mother. Source: al-islam
We have to treat our parents well, even if they are not Muslims.
I asked: Messenger of Allah, my mother, who wants my company or who hates Islam, has come to me, should I (even in her position of being opposed to Islam) treat her well? He said: Yes. Source: al-islam
Kindness to parents is one of the best deeds. It is narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who observed:
I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) which deed was the best. He (the Holy Prophet) replied: The Prayer at its appointed hour. I (again) asked: Then what? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Kindness to the parents. I (again) asked: Then what? He replied: Earnest struggle (Jihad) in the cause of Allah. I refrained from asking any more questions for fear of annoying him. Source: al-islam
And it is a sin to disobey the parents, excluding the things they ask their sons and daughters to do which make the God angry at the people, such as drinking alcohol, gambling, or talking bad about others.
Regarding the major sins, the Holy Prophet (may peace be upon him) observed: Associating anything with Allah, disobedience to parents, killing a person and false utterance. Source: al-islam
If one of our parents died, we can give charity on behalf of him/her.
A person came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: My mother died suddenly without having made any will. I think she would have definitely given Charity if she had been able to speak. Would she have a reward if I gave Charity on her behalf? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Yes. Source: al-islam
And if one of them died and did not fast some days of Ramadan, we can fast on behalf of them. Allah is fair! Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with both of them, reported:
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) and said: My mother has died, and she had not observed one month fast. Thereupon he asked: Do you not see that if debt was due from her, would you not pay it off? She said: Yes (I would pay it off on her behalf). Thereupon he said: The debt of Allah should be repaid (before that of anyone else). Source: al-islam
And if they died or they were too old to perform the pilgrimage, we can perform it on behalf of them. Allah is merciful!
A woman of the Banu Khath'am said: Messenger of Allah, my father is very old. There is an obligation of Hajj upon him from Allah, but he is not capable of sitting on the back of the camel. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Perform Hajj on his behalf. Source: al-islam
God ordered us to be good companions to our parents. He the Greatest says:
Say: Come, I will recite unto you that which your Lord hath forbidden to you: that ye ascribe no thing as partner unto Him and that ye do good to parents, and that ye slay not your children because of penury - We provide for you and for them - and that ye draw not nigh to lewd things whether open or concealed. And that ye slay not the life which Allah hath made sacred, save in the course of justice. This He hath command you, in order that ye may discern. (151) Al Anaam 6:151
Would not you treat your parents well when God asked you to do so?!
In the end...
Be good friends to your parents. Make them happy and proud of you before and after their death :)
