Praise be to God, and may blessings and peace be upon our Master and Leader, the Messenger of God

and upon his family, companions, and those who follow him. And then:

Happiness and a comfortable life are among the things most desired by the human soul and sought by human nature, and around which most human desires revolve.

There is no doubt that striving for worldly happiness is a praiseworthy pursuit. Therefore, God has prescribed laws for His servants—as a favor and mercy—and detailed rulings for them, to guide them not only to this worldly happiness, but also to grant them eternal happiness—the happiness of the Hereafter.

Hence, we find that our scholars, in their definition of "religion," stated that it is: "A divine decree that guides those of sound minds, through their praiseworthy choice, to what is best for this world and the Hereafter." (See Isharat al-Maram min Ibarat al-Imam, p. 21)

Among the most important of these noble rulings and lofty divine commands brought by our true religion is honoring one's parents. God Almighty has commanded us to honor them and promised a great reward for doing so in this world and a generous reward in the Hereafter. He has made parents a gateway to Paradise and a means of happiness. So why did God establish all this reward for honoring them? What is the importance of honoring parents according to the prophetic guidance? What reward and happiness has God prepared for the righteous in this world and the next? This is what we will shed light on in these words, God willing.

The Importance of Kindness

The importance of kindness and the encouragement of it are emphasized in many places in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Among these is the Almighty’s statement:

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them but speak to them a generous word. (23) And lower to them the wing of humility out of humility. Mercy, and say, "My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small." (24) (Al-Isra' 23-24)

Imam Al-Qushayri, may God have mercy on him, said in his interpretation: "And He commanded us to be kind to our parents, to observe their rights, to heed their advice, to serve them, to adhere to what pleases them, to treat them well, and to respect their dignity. We should not show signs of laziness when they command us, and to exert our efforts in what preserves their hearts... This is during their lifetime. As for after their death, we should sincerely pray for them, give charity on their behalf, preserve their will in the manner they did, and be kind to those who were their friends and acquaintances.

(Tafsir al-Qushayri 2-344)

Then Imam al-Qushayri, may God have mercy on him, mentioned a very subtle point that reveals some of the hidden secrets behind this divine command to be dutiful to one's parents. He said, may God have mercy on him: It is said that God commanded His servants to honor the rights of their parents, even though they are of the same kind as the servant. So, if someone is unable to fulfill the rights of his own kind, how can he fulfill the rights of his Lord? (Tafsir al-Qushayri 2-344)

Among the verses that urge being dutiful to parents and treating them kindly is the Almighty’s statement:

And [mention] when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel, [saying], “Worship none but God, and to parents, do good.” (Al-Baqarah 2:83)

Imam al-Razi, may God have mercy on him, mentioned a beautiful and sublime point about the secret of the divine command to be dutiful to parents following the command to believe in monotheism. He, may God have mercy on him, said: “The worship of God was followed by being dutiful to parents for several reasons.

One of them is that God’s blessing upon the servant is greater, so it is necessary to prioritize thanking Him over thanking others. Then, after God’s blessing, the blessing of parents is the most general of blessings, because parents are the origin and reason for the child’s existence, just as they are the source and reason for the child’s existence.” They are blessed with upbringing. As for those other than parents, the blessing does not originate from them in their very existence, but only in their upbringing. It is thus established that their blessings are the greatest forms of blessings after the blessings of God Almighty. (Mafatih al-Ghayb 3-585) He then mentioned other subtleties that are too numerous to mention.

If we were to list the verses that refer to honoring one's parents, the article would be long and the discussion would be complex. However, what we have mentioned is sufficient, and God is the Guardian of all care.

As for the pure Sunnah, it is replete with honorable hadiths that encourage striving to please one's parents. Among these are:

In the two Sahihs, it is narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud (may God be pleased with him) that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

Which deed is most beloved to God Almighty? He said: "Prayer performed on time." He asked: "Then which?" He said: "Honoring one's parents." He asked: "Then which?" He said: "Jihad in the cause of God." (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Among them is what was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, who among people is most deserving of my good companionship? He said: “Your mother.” He asked: “Then who?” He said: “Your mother.” He asked: “Then who?” He said: “Your father.” (Agreed upon)

There are many hadiths on this subject, and that is only because of the importance and significance of this matter before Allah Almighty.

Benefits and Fruits of Honoring Parents in This World and the Hereafter

The impact of honoring parents is evident in a person's life immediately, not later. The doors of provision, happiness, and success are opened for the dutiful person, and he reaps some of the good he sowed in this world.

Among the most important benefits of honoring one's parents are:

Honoring one's parents is one of the greatest means of relieving distress.

In the story of the People of the Cave, narrated by Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

While three men were walking, rain caught them and they turned towards a cave in the mountain. A rock fell on the mouth of their cave, closing in on them. Some of them said to one another, "Look for the righteous deeds you have done for Allah and supplicate to Allah by them, perhaps He will relieve your distress." One of them said, "O Allah, I had two elderly parents and young children whom I used to tend to. When I came to them and milked, I started with my parents, giving them water to drink before my children. The trees were far away from me, so I did not return until evening. I found them asleep, so I milked them as I usually do. I brought the milking machine and stood by their heads, hating to wake them from their sleep and hating to start with the children first, while the children were crying at my feet. This continued my habit and theirs until dawn. If You know that I did this seeking Your pleasure, then open for us an opening from which we can see the sky." So Allah opened for them an opening from which they could see the sky. (Bukhari)

Honoring one's parents is one of the reasons for supplications to be answered.

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said:

Three supplications are undoubtedly answered:
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