Respect and obedience of parents - In light of the Holy Quran and Hadith

To please one’s parents is to please Almighty Allah

 

Almighty Allah has made it so that His pleasure and approval depend on the pleasure and approval of parents, and the displeasure of the parents leads to His displeasure.  As mentioned in this Hadith of Kanz Ul ‘Ummal:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  The pleasure and approval of Allah lies in the pleasure of parents and the displeasure of Allah lies in the displeasure of parents.  (Kanz Ul ‘Ummal, Hadith No. 45552)

For children, the status of parents is so high that if they are pleased with them, then it is as if Almighty Allah is pleased with them.  If parents are pleased with a child, then it is sign of divine pleasure.

 

Parents are a great bounty of Almighty Allah.  Valuing them, obeying, and serving them is highly necessary.  We should be extremely cautious not to hurt them in any way because the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has said that the supplication of a father for his children is never rejected:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  There are 3 supplications about which there is no doubt of their acceptance, the supplication of an oppressed person, the supplication of a traveler and the supplication of a father for his children.  (Jame’ Tirmidhi. Hadith No. 1828)

 

The children should respect their father and refrain from hurting him in any manner.  If children trouble their father and the father supplicates against them, then this supplication will surely be accepted.

 

Even if the parents commit excesses against the children, it is the responsibility of the children to still obey and serve them and to respect them.

 

There is a Hadith in Imam Baihaqui’s Shua’bul Iman and in Zujajatul Masabeeh:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them), he says that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  The person who starts his (or her) morning in the obedience of Allah, the doors of paradise are opened for him and if only one parent (either father or mother)is present, then one door is opened.  For the person who ends his (or her) day in disobedience of parents, the doors of hell are opened for him.  If only one parent (either father or mother) is present, only one door is opened.  A Companion asked:  Even if parents commit excesses against him (or her)?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Even if they commit excesses against him, even if they commit excesses against him, even if they commit excesses against him  (Shua’bul Iman, Hadith No. 7679; Zujajatul Masabeeh, Vol. 4, Pg. No. 88)