DUTY TO PARENTS

Moral Obligation

AT SEVERAL places the Quran exhorts us to be on our best behaviour with parents. Even when scolded by them, we are commanded to refrain from angry retorts; we should never be found lacking in loving them or in serving them. We should at all times conduct ourselves with the utmost propriety, regardless of how our parents treat us.

According to a Hadith, a man approached the Prophet and asked, “O Prophet, who is more deserving of my good behaviour?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” The man then asked, “Who after that?” The Prophet again said, “Your mother”. The man repeated the question and the Prophet again said “Your mother”. When the man asked the Prophet the fourth time, then he said “Your father”. (Sahih Muslim)

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Serving parents enables one to look at all human beings with love, it will inculcate the attitude of honouring them thus making one to serve humanity at large.

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There are many teachings which inform us that after God it is to parents that one has obligations more than to anyone else. One reason is that individuals receive the maximum benefits from parents. As such, it is incumbent upon a person when he grows up to serve his parents to the best of his ability. He should come to their assistance in their old age as they came to his assistance in his childhood.

Another reason is that serving parents enables one to look at all human beings with love, it will inculcate the attitude of honouring them thus making one to serve humanity at large.

The Quran in chapter 17 verse 23 and 24 enjoins us thus: "Your Lord has commanded that you should worship none but Him and show kindness to your parents. If either or both of them attain old age with you, say no word of contempt to them and do not rebuke them, but always speak gently to them and treat them with humility and tenderness and say, " Lord, be merciful to them both, as they raised me up when I was little."