Surah Isra (23-25)
– Akmal Falahi (Ph.D. Arabic, AMU)
۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًۭا كَرِيمًۭا ٢٣وَٱخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِى صَغِيرًۭا ٢٤رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا فِى نُفُوسِكُمْ ۚ إِن تَكُونُوا۟ صَـٰلِحِينَ فَإِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لِلْأَوَّٰبِينَ غَفُورًۭا ٢٥
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,”1 and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small. “Your Lord is most knowing of what is within yourselves. If you should be righteous [in intention] – then indeed He is ever, to the often returning [to Him], Forgiving.” (17:23-25)
In these verses, Allah Almighty has stated the rights of parents and has commanded children to serve, obey, love, and respect their parents, and most importantly, it is not just moral education but Allah’s command. Yes, so it is haraam to disobey parents and treat them badly.
Explanation: The first commandment in the first verse is that no one should be worshiped except Allah. The concept of worship includes both worship and obedience, so one should worship Allah and obey Allah in all matters of the world. Worship and obedience to anyone other than Allah is shirk. In the same way, associating someone else in the worship and obedience of Allah is shirk.
The second commandment is to treat your parents kindly, and not just to treat them kindly, but if they are old, you should not even say “fie” or chide them, but speak to them softly with the utmost respect.
In the second verse, it is commanded not only to treat them kindly but also to open the arms of love and compassion and kindness to the parents, just as the parents showed their love and compassion and kindness in your childhood and took care of you in their arms of compassion, and at the same time always pray for mercy for your parents.
In the third verse, Allah Almighty states that serving the elderly parents and loving them is to be done as it is commanded in the Qur’an. It is not an easy task, so there are some possibilities of some lack of obedience and love for the parents. Therefore, one should always ask forgiveness from Allah Almighty, because Allah Almighty is always aware of the state condition of hearts and we should try our best to be completely obedient to our parents and have a heartfelt love for them, and play the role of good and virtuous children.
This status of parents is also mentioned in many ahadith.
According to a hadith, Hazrat Abdullah bin Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) which deed is more beloved to Allah? The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Offering Salah on time.’ I said, ‘then which one?’ Prophet (ﷺ) said, Treating parents kindly, I said, then which one? He said, Jihad in the way of Allah.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
And among the parents, the position and status of the mother are greater than the father. It is narrated in a hadith that Hazrat Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man came to the Messenger of Allah and said: O Messenger of Allah, Who deserves my kindness the most? The Prophet ﷺ said, your mother, he asked, then who? The Prophet ﷺ said, your mother, again he asked, then who? The Prophet ﷺ said, your mother, then he asked, then who? He said, “Your father.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
May Allah Almighty help all people to treat their parents kindly, Ameen.
