dutiesofchildren

Father and mother are two precious beings. Everyone knows their value and looks upon them with respect. Islam, too, has stimulated this internal instinct of man which emanates from a sentimental and rational source and has indicated their value in a becoming manner through detailed and repeated statements and has ordered the children that they should not neglect respect for their parents even for one moment.

In the holy Qur'an obedience to parents has been mentioned at many places along with obedience to Allah and in some cases it has been mentioned as the first recommendation to the children of Adam (as).

At one place the holy Book says:
"Your Lord has ordered that you should not worship anyone but Him and to do good to your father and mother. If one or both of them grow old in your presence do not tell them that you have got wearied and do not speak harshly with them and speak mildly with them. Be kind and observe humility before them and say: 'O Lord! Bless them in the same manner in which they nourished me during my childhood."

And on another occasion it says:
"We enjoined man to show kindness to his parents, for with much pain his mother bears him and he is not weaned before he is two years of age. We said: Give thanks to Me and to your parents. To Me shall all things return."

The holy Prophet says:
"Goodness and benevolence towards father and mother is superior to prayers, fasting, Hajj, and Umra and Jihad and carries a greater recompense."

"Two doors of Paradise are opened for a person whose day commences when his parents are pleased with him."

The following hadith quoted from Imam al Sadiq (as) cofirms that the recompense for doing good to parents excels that for Jihad:

" A man came in the presence of the Holy Prophet (saw) and said: I like to perform Jihad in the cause of Allah, but my mother is not at all inclined towards my doing so. The holy Prophet replied: "Go back and remain with your mother. I swear by the Lord who has sent me on a true mission that to remain with one's mother for one night (and serving her and doing good to her) is better than performing Jihad in the cause of Allah for a year."

In another place he said : "Return and remain with your mother, because the Paradise is controlled by mothers."

Islam considers kindness to parents to be the criterion of excellence and virtue.

Imam al Sadiq (as) narrated as under:
"One day the holy Prophet (saw) was sitting in the company of some persons, when his foster-sister came. The holy Prophet accorded her due respect. He was very much pleased to see her. He spread a piece of cloth for her to sit and then began conversing with her. The girl departed and some time later her brother (who was the foster-brother of the holy Prophet) came. The holy Prophet did not, however, accord similar respect to him. One of those present asked: "O Prophet of Allah! What was the reason for this dissimilar treatment when this person happens to be a man? The holy Prophet replied: "The reason is this that the girl is more respectful to her parents."

Islam considers the right of parents to be the greatest of rights and prefers it to everything else. Once a man came to Imam al Sadiq (as) and said:
"My parents are Sunnis." The holy Imam (as) replied: "Do good to them in the same manner in which you are under obligation to do good to those who believe in our wilayatship."

And one who neglects to perform this duty or becomes the object of the wrath of his parents is really unfortunate.

The holy Prophet has said:
"Two doors of Hell are opened towards a person who is the object of the wrath of his parents."

"Be afraid of being disobedient to your parents or becoming object of their wrath, because the fragrance of Paradise covers five hundred years' distance and reaches the nostrils of man, but it does not reach those with who their parents are angry."

And as we learn from the verse of the holy Qur'an (mentioned earlier) the lowest degress of such disobedience is that one should display weariness before them.

Imam al Sadiq (as) says:
"If the Lord had considered anything to be lower that 'uff' (word of disgust) he would have prohibited it. One of the stages of disobedience is that one should cast a fierce eye on his parents."

This fact should also be kept in view that the Prophet says: "The right of an elder brother over his younger brother is similar to the right of a father over his child."

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