In Islam: Elderly & our Parents
Ibn Abbas: ‘I do not know of any action better for bringing a person near to Allah than dutifulness to his mother.’
”We have instructed man to honour his parents.” (29:8)
Ibn ‘Abbas: “If any Muslim obeys Allah regarding his parents, Allah will open 2 gates of the Garden for him.”
Causing one’s parents to weep through disobedience is one of the 9 major wrong actions as explained by Ibn Umar.
Ibn Umar: By Allah, if you speak gently to your mother & feed her, you will enter the Garden as long as you avoid the major wrong actions.
”A child cannot repay his father unless he finds him as a slave and he buys him and sets him free.” – Prophet Muhammad SAW
’Abdullah ibn ‘Amr said, “A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and made a pledge to him that he would do hijra. He left his parents who were in tears. The Prophet said, ‘Go back to them and make them laugh as you made them weep.'”
Prophet SAW: “Obey your parents. If they command you to abandon your worldly possessions, then leave them for them.”
Prophet Muhammad SAW: “The one who fails his parents or one of them when they are old will enter the Fire.”
Abu Usayd said, “We were with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, when a man asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, is there any act of dutifulness which I can do for my parents after their death?’ He replied, ‘Yes. There are four things: Supplication for them, asking forgiveness for them, fulfilling their pledges, and being generous to friends of theirs. You only have ties of kinship through your parents.”
Mu’adh said, “Bliss belongs to someone who is dutiful towards his parents. Allah Almighty will prolong his life.”
“When one or both of them reach old age with you, do not say ‘Ugh!’ to them out of irritation and do not be harsh with them but speak to them with gentleness and generosity. Take them under your wing, out of mercy, with due humility and say: ‘Lord, show mercy to them as they did in looking after me when I was small.” (17:23-24)
“Reviling one’s parents is one of the great wrong actions.” – Prophet Muhammad SAW
