Status of Parents in Islam
Nobody in the World loves the person as his parents do. Parents love their children regardless of their behaviors or any sort of interest. The love of parents towards their children is the sincerest and purest love they must have. Due to this sincerity of parents and due to all the hardships and sufferings parents face in bringing up the child, Allah has given the highest status to parents in religion Islam.
Though, almost all the religions and societies across the globe has given the most respectable status to parents, but religion Islam has said that even looking at your parents with smile is a kind of worship. Just looking at your parents with mercy and smile is considered as the worship in religion Islam; hence a lot of respect has been paid to parents in Islam. As Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H) said,
“Every righteous child who casts a look of mercy and affection upon his parents shall be granted, for every look of his, rewards equivalent to that of an accepted Hajj.” [Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 73]
Parents are the reason to bring the child into this World, and to nourish the child with the good food leaving their stomach empty most of the time. Parents sleep hungry but feed their children, they wear old clothes but try to dress up their kids as good as they can do, parents struggle day and night just to bring up their children well trained and educated so they can become good human beings. Because of all the struggles which parents do to give a good and healthy life to their children, Allah has sent so many powerful verses of Quran in the honor of parents.
Allah says in Quran in Surah Al-Isra, verse 23:
“And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word”. [17:23]
Many Children who reach the heights of success in their lives, they do not pay attention to their parents, they do not give them time, and they get bothered by their parents. For all such children who get successful by their parents’ hard work but they do not thank them rather they get annoyed by them, they ignore them, and they leave their parents in isolation and pain, Allah has decided indeed a severe punishment. To those children who are grown up and who have left their parents when their parents reach to their weak ages they will have the Hell as their final destination.
It is narrated that on one occasion the Prophet (P.B.U.H) said 'Ameen' thrice. Since this was not usual that is why the companions asked what made the Messenger of Allah say Ameen thrice. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) replied,
"Verily, Jibreel came to me and he said: Whoever sees his parents in their old age, one or both of them, and he does not honor them and he dies, then he will enter Hellfire and Allah will cast him far away, so say ameen." To that I said 'Ameen'. [Tirmidhi, 3545]
So, parents have been given the highest status in Islam and people are strictly asked to not hurt their parents and to make them happy as much as possible. The kind of respect and honor Allah has given to parents are actually deserved and justified. Therefore, each and every person should thank parents and be grateful for everything they do for their children. And to thank Allah for all the blessings He has blessed their servants with. Allah says in Surah Luqman, verse 14:
“And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination”. [31:14]
