Loving and Respecting Parents in Islam: In Islam, one of the most important things that Allah tells us to do is to love and respect our parents, because our parents are the ones who take care of us when we are small and weak.
They give us food when we are hungry, and they stay awake when we are sick, and they teach us how to walk, talk, pray, and be good Muslims.
What the Quran Says
Allah says in the Quran many times that we must be kind to our parents, and that we must not say bad words to them, and we must never shout at them. We must always speak to them in a soft and gentle voice, and we must listen when they talk to us.
We must do what they say as long as it is not wrong or bad, and we must make du’a for them every day and say:
“O Allah, have mercy on my parents, just like they had mercy on me when I was small.”
Teachings of the Prophet (PBUH)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that after worshiping Allah, the best thing we can do is to be good to our parents.
He said that Paradise is under the feet of the mother, which means if we make our mother happy, then Allah will be happy, and He will give us Jannah.
The Prophet also said that the father is the door to Jannah, which means when we obey and help our father, we are going closer to Paradise.
Example of the Sahabah
All the good Muslims, the Sahabah like Hazrat Talha, Hazrat Zubair, and Hazrat Abu Bakr, they all used to be very good to their parents.
They never said “no” or shouted, and even if they were busy, they stopped and listened when their mother or father needed them.
Some of them used to carry their mother on their back when they were very old, and one boy gave his mother food with his own hands every night because he loved her so much.
Caring for Parents in Old Age
In Islam, when our parents become old, we are not allowed to leave them alone, or say, “I am too tired,” because they never said that to us when we were little babies and cried at night. Even if we are big now, and we go to school, or work, or become teachers or doctors, we must still respect our parents and say kind words like “Thank you,” “Please,” “Sorry,” and “I love you.”
If our parents tell us to do something good, like pray, read Quran, clean our room, or help someone, we must do it quickly with a smile.
Even if we feel sleepy or bored, we should try our best to make our parents happy, and Allah will reward us.
Power of a Parent’s Du’a
When we respect our parents, we also get the du’a of our mother and father, and the du’a of a parent is very strong, and it goes straight to Allah, and He listens.
When a parent says “May Allah bless you,” it becomes a real blessing in your life, and your life becomes full of light and success.
If someone hurts their parents or is rude to them, then Allah becomes unhappy, and we should never want that.
When Allah is unhappy, we feel sad inside, and we make mistakes, but when we respect our parents, Allah gives us peace in our hearts and makes our life easy.
The Famous Hadith
The Prophet (PBUH) also told us that one day a man came to him and asked, “Who deserves my good treatment the most?”
The Prophet said, “Your mother.”
Then the man asked, “Then who?”
The Prophet said again, “Your mother.”
Again the man asked, “Then who?”
The Prophet said again, “Your mother.”
And then the fourth time, the Prophet said, “Your father.”
This means that the mother has a very big place in Islam, and she must be loved and respected always.
Showing Daily Love and Care
We must never forget her care, her love, her cooking, her hugs, and her hard work, and when she is tired, we should give her rest, and say, “Don’t worry, Mama, I will help.”
When she is sad, we should hug her and say, “I love you,” and make her smile.
When our father comes home tired, we should run to him and say, “Welcome Baba!” and take his bag and give him water, and sit with him, and listen to his stories.
We must not play too much with the phone or cartoons, and even when we are playing or busy, if our parents call us, we must stop and answer quickly, and say, “Yes, Mama,” or “Yes, Baba,” and do what they say.
Kindness Brings Blessings
Allah loves children who listen to their parents.
Even when our parents are no longer with us, if they pass away, we can still respect them by praying for them, giving charity in their name, and doing good deeds so they get rewards in the hereafter.
We must never forget them, because they gave us everything.
Building a Good Home
In Islam, the reward for loving and respecting parents is very high, and every child should learn how to be kind, helpful, patient, and loving at home, not just in school.
If you see your mother cleaning, help her.
If your father is fixing something, sit with him.
When they are tired, sing a kind song or read them a short story.
Always say “JazakAllah Khair” and “BarakAllah” when they do something for you.
Never roll your eyes.
Never walk away when they are talking.
Always look at them with love, and smile at them, because the smile to your parents is a good deed.
Even when they are strict, or say something we don’t like, we must not be angry, because they love us and want what is best.
The Blessing of Being a Good Child
Allah knows their love is very pure, and He gave them a high place.
So if we make them happy, we will have a happy home, and our angels will write good deeds for us, and Allah will bless us with health, happiness, good friends, and Jannah in the end.
Remember that one day, we will also grow up and become parents.
If we were good children, then our children will also be good to us, because in Islam, what we give is what we get.
If we plant love and respect, then love and respect will grow in our life like a sweet garden, full of flowers, fruits, and light from Allah.