what is the philosophy behind the importance of “Respecting Parents” in Islam?
Respecting parents is so much recommended in Islam and we are ordered to have very good treatment with them even though they are not Muslims and even though they have done so much cruelty to us, so let’s see what the reason of this rule is.
In the Quran in verses 23 -24 in chapter Isra Allah said:
وَقَضَى رَبُّكَ أَلاَّ تَعْبُدُواْ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا
وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
“Your lord has ordered you to worship none except Him, and to be good to your parents. If either or both of them attain old age with you, do not say: “fie on you”, nor rebuke them, but speak to them with words of respect.
And lower to them the wing of humbleness out of mercy and say: ‘my lord, be merciful to them, as they raised me since I was little.”
It is interesting that in the first verse, besides ordering to worshiping only Allah, Allah said immediately: and be good to your parents.
The duties that are mentioned in the Quran about treating the parents are different, and we mention some of them:
1) Talking to them in good manners and by good words.
2) Humility before them.
3) Obeying them (except in the cases in which the orders of Allah will be disobeyed if we obey the parents).
4) Performing Doa and asking Allah for them.
Imam Kazem peace be upon him has narrated that the holy Prophet was asked about the right of father upon the child and he replied:
The child must not call the parents by their names and must not walk and sit before them and ahead them and must not cause them to be insulted.
In a Narration from Imam Sajjad peace be upon him, he said about the right of mother:
The right of mother upon you is that you know that she carried you in a place in which no one carries other, and gave you from the fruit of her heart; the thing that no one gives it to other, and she protected you by all her lambs and she did not give importance to herself of being hungry while you are full, and did not give importance to herself of being thirsty while she makes you drink(milk or water) And to be without covering while you are covered and did not take care about herself to be under sunshine, while you are in shadow, and to remain awake and protect you from heat and coldness in order to have you and not miss you, so you cannot thank her except by the help and chance of Allah.”
The reasons that we are ordered to be kind to them can be as followings:
Firstly, this rule in because of so much attempts that they did for us.
Secondly, it is for their position as the teacher and educator for us.
So now is the time to look at some of the benefits and consequences of respecting parents and being good to them which are derived from Narrations:
1) The benefits which appear in this world like:
-It causes the death to be easy.
-It prolongs the lifetime.
-The person who respects them, he/she does not get stuck in poverty.
-if we respect them as it is mentioned in Narrations, our children will learn it from us and will treat us well.
2) The benefits which appear after death and in the hereafter, like:
-Achieving to the satisfaction and pleasance of Allah.
-Preventing from entering the fire of Hell.
-Being among the inhabitants of paradise beside the prophets.
-Being under the shadow of the throne of Allah which can be meant: being included in the mercy of Allah.
Now let me mention some of the harms of disrespecting the parents, according to the Narrations, like:
-Not being included in the forgiveness of Allah.
-Preventing from entering the paradise and even feeling the smell of it.
-Preventing the prayers from being accepted.
And as the last point, there is a Narration from the Prophet of Islam in which he said:
There are three groups that their punishment happens soon and is not delayed to the hereafter… one of them is the punishment of disrespecting the parents and being disowned by them.
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Sources:
Mr532011mr.persianblog.ir
Askdin.com
Islamquest.net
Sibtayn.com
