Sunday, July 17, 2011
1001 Inventions and The Library of Secrets - starring Sir Ben Kingsley a...
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Muslim civilisation stretched from southern Spain as far as China. From the 7th century onwards, scholars of many faiths built on the ancient knowledge of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, making breakthroughs that paved the way for the Renaissance.
The discoveries made by men and women in Muslim civilisation have left their mark on the way we live today. 1001 Inventions uncovers a thousand years of science and technology that had a huge but hidden impact on the modern world.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
DUTIFULNESS TO PARENTS
Being kind and dutiful to parents means to obey one’s parents, show them love and respect, and help them with whatever means available such as exerting effort or spending money.
It also means talking to them in the most polite and grateful manner, listening to them when they talk, and never show dissatisfaction or resentment towards them.
Indeed Islam advocates us to be kind and dutiful to our parents and deal with them in the best manner. Allaah Says (which means): "And your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them uff (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small."[Quran 17:23-24].
Islam regards being kind and dutiful towards parents as one of the best acts of worship which a Muslim performs in order to get closer to Allaah, because parents are the direct reason for the existence and happiness of the children. On one hand, the mother spends many nights awake bringing up her children and taking care of them. She spends long nights taking care of her young child who is unable to manage any of his affairs. On the other hand, a father does his best to earn a living to support his children with food, clothing and education, and help them realize their dreams. That is why we notice that Allaah mentioned obedience to parents as being next to worshipping Him. Allaah Says (which means):
"And your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them uff (a word of disrespect), nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour."[Quran 17:23].
Allaah even commanded children to be kind and dutiful to their parents even if they are polytheists. Allaah Says (which means):
"But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not, but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do."[Quran 31:15].
Parents' Rights
If it is normal to be grateful to any person who offers you help, then parents are the worthiest of all as they deserve thankfulness and appreciation because of the help, support and love they show towards their children without even expecting any recompose in return. The happiest moments in a parents' life is when they see their children in the best possible condition and the greatest of positions.
Such great parental sacrifices must be rewarded by the children by fulfilling the rights and duties of parents. Some of these rights which are mentioned in the Quran are:
Obeying them and fulfilling their requests.
Being humble towards them and dealing with them leniently and gently.
Lowering one's voice when talking to them.
Using the best and most beautiful words when talking to them.
Being dutiful to them when they are old and never show dissatisfaction for their requests, however frequent they might be.
Invoking Allaah to bestow mercy and forgiveness on them.
The People Who Most Deserve Good Company:
The people who most deserve good company are one's parents. Through good company, one pleases his Lord and hopes for an excellent reward in the Hereafter. Good company means that one should be grateful to his parents and take care of them especially when they are old and need help.
Once, a person came to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and asked: "Who among the people is the most worthy of my good company?" He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Your mother." He again, asked: "Who comes next?" He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, answered: "Your mother." He asked once more: "Who comes next?" He (the noble Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "Your mother." He finally asked: "Who comes next?" Thereupon he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, replied: "Your father." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, also said: "Allaah enjoins you to keep good relations with your mothers (he repeated it three times). Allaah enjoins you to keep good relations with the nearest of kin then the next nearest of kin and so on." [Ibn Maajah]
Being Kind and Dutiful to Parents Precedes Jihaad
Islam urges us to take care of our parents and it considers this as being equal to Jihaad in the Cause of Allaah. No one is allowed to march for Jihaad while his parents or one of them needs his assistance.
the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and said: "I pledge allegiance for Jihaad seeking Allaah's reward." He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked: "Are either of your parents alive?" He said: "Yes, both of them." He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked: "Do you seek reward from Allaah?" He said: "Yes." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, then said: "Go back to your parents and treat them kindly." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Another narration reads: A man emigrated to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, from Yemen to take his permission to participate in Jihaad. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked (him): "Have you left any (of your relatives) in Yemen?" He replied: "My parents." He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked: "Did they permit you to participate?" He replied: "No." He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said: "Go back to them and ask for their permission. If they permit you, then fight (in the cause of Allaah), otherwise keep yourself devoted to them." [Abu Daawood]
Being Kind And Dutiful To Parents After Their Death
Being kind and dutiful to parents does not stop once one or both of them dies. This continues even after their death.
A man came to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and asked: "O Messenger of Allaah! Is there any kindness or dutifulness that I can show to my parents after their death?" He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, replied: "Yes. To supplicate for them, seek Allaah's forgiveness for them, fulfil their will and pledges after their death, keep on good terms with those who are not connected with you but through them, and show reverence to their friends." [Ahmad]
The above narration urges a Muslim to be kind to his parents whether they are dead or alive. Such obedience occurs by invoking Allaah's forgiveness for them, fulfilling any covenants they made when they were alive, showing homage to their friends and keeping good relations with their relatives.
Being Kind And Dutiful To Parents Even If They Are Non-Muslims
No matter how different the religion of parents is from that of their children, they still love them (children) and the blood relation between them is never ignored. Muslims are commended to adhere to these Islamic instructions, and are also instructed to show gratitude to non-Muslim parents as long as they do not ask them to leave Islam or disobey Allaah, Allaah Says (which means):
"But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with Me others that of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not, but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who turns to Me in repentance and obedience. Then to Me will be your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do."[Quran 31:15].
Moreover, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, instructed his companions to be dutiful to their non-Muslim parents. Asmaa' Bint Abi Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated:
"During the period of the peace treaty between Quraysh and Allaah's Messenger, my mother came to visit me, and she was a pagan. I consulted Allaah's Messenger, "O Allaah's Messenger! My mother has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relations with her?" He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said, "Yes, keep good relations with her." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The following are some Prophetic narrations that encourage a Muslim to be dutiful to his parents and warn then against disobeying them:
Allaah's pleasure is attained by pleasing parents, and Allaah's wrath is ensued by angering parents."
2) The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, further said: "Shall I not inform you about the greatest major sin?" We (companions) replied: "Yes, O, Messenger of Allaah." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Allaah has forbidden you to be undutiful to your mothers and to bury your daughters alive." [Al-Bukhaari]
Examples of Being Dutiful to Parents:
The companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and our pious predecessors, may Allaah have mercy on them, were the best examples in being kind and dutiful to their parents. For example, Usaamah Ibn Zayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, had a piece of land cultivated with palm trees. Back then, the price of a palm tree was one thousand Deenaars (a golden currency). One day, his mother wanted to eat the core of a palm tree which is the wet part in the centre. Usaamah, may Allaah be pleased with him, cut a fruit-bearing tree to feed his mother its core. When some people asked him about what he had done, he said: "If my mother asks for anything in the whole world and I can give it to her, I will do it."
'Ali Ibn Al-Husseyn, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was very dutiful to his mother, but he would never eat from the same dish that she was eating from.
Someone asked him: "You are one of the most dutiful people to their mothers. Why don’t you eat with her from the same dish?" He said: "I am afraid that my hand might take a certain piece of food that my mother wanted to eat, and in this way I would have been undutiful to her."
It is also reported that one night, a woman asked her son to bring her a cup of water. When he went to fetch the water and came back, she had fallen asleep. He was afraid that she might get up and not find him, and at the same time, he did not like to wake her up. Thus, he stayed near her holding the water until the morning.
Our Parents: Our Masters
Our Parents: Our Masters
These are collected from as-Samarqandi’s ‘Tambih al-Ghafilin’ (p. 84-91):
From the chapter on the rights of the parents:
1 – Ibn ‘Abbas said:
“There is not a single believer who has two parents and wakes up while he is good to them except that Allah opens up for him two gates to Paradise, and if he makes one of them angry, Allah will not be Pleased with him until that parent becomes pleased with him again.” It was asked: “Even if that parent was oppressive and in the wrong?” It was replied: “Yes, even so. And he never wakes up while he is bad to them except that Allah opens up for him two gates to Hell.”
2 – as-Samarqandi said:
“If Allah – the Exalted – had not mentioned the position and sacredness of the parents in His Book, and did not admonish regarding it, then it would have been realized by simple logic. So, it is obligatory upon the one with logic and intelligence to realize their sacredness and to fulfill their rights. How is it, then, when Allah – the Exalted – has mentioned this in all of His Books: the Torah, the Gospels, the Psalms and the Qur’an, has commanded this in all of His Books, and revealed this to all of His Prophets and advised them regarding the honorable position of the parents and their rights, and has made His Pleasure dependent on their pleasure, and His Anger dependent on their anger?”
3 – Farqad as-Sabakhi said:
“I have read in many books that it is not for the son (or daughter) to speak in the presence of the parents except with their permission, or to walk in front of them, or to their right or left, unless they call him to walk next to them. Rather, he should walk behind them as a slave walks behind his master.”
4 – It was said by a group of the Tabi’in:
“Whoever supplicates for his parents five times in a day has fulfilled their rights, since Allah has Said: {“…to thank Me and your parents. To Me is the final return.”} [Luqman; 14], and you thank Allah – the Exalted – by praying five times in a day. Likewise, you would thank your parents by praying for them five times in a day.”
5 – It was said by a group of the Companions:
“To leave off praying for one’s parents results in a tight and constricted life for the son.”
And let’s not forget about the rights upon the parents:
6 – as-Samarqandi related that Abu Hafs al-Iskandrani – one of the scholars of Uzbekistan – said that a man came to him and said:
“My son hit me and hurt me!” The scholar said: “Glory be to Allah! A son hitting his father? Have you taught him manners and knowledge?” The man said: “No.” “Have you taught him the Qur’an?” The man replied: “No.” “So, what does he know how to do?” The man replied: “Farming.” “Do you know why he hit you?” The man replied: “No.” The scholar then said: “It might have been that when he woke up in the morning, he went to the fields, was riding on a donkey, had a stick between his hands, had a dog behind him, and did not have any knowledge of the Qur’an (because you failed to teach him any of it). So, he started singing, you came out to him at that moment, he thought you were a cow, and hit you with the stick. So, thank Allah that your skull was not fractured.”
7 – It was narrated by one of the early righteous people:
…that he would not order his son with something, and if he needed something, he would ask someone else for it. When he was asked about this, he said: “I fear that if I were to command my son with something that he wouldn’t be able to bear, he would not carry it out and would therefore be disobedient to me and would deserve Hell as a result, and I do not want to be the cause of my son burning in Hell.”
How Children can Honour their Parents
Question: What forms of ibadah can a child do for his/her parents while they are living and when they have died? Please give examples from the quran، sunnah، and pratice of the righteous Salaf?
Answer: The rights of parents over their children may be summed up as treating them well in all matters, and behaving with them kindly as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents” [al-Ahqaaf 46:15]
“And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:8]
“but behave with them in the world kindly” [Luqmaan 31:15]
Shaykh al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “be dutiful and kind to parents” means: treat them kindly in all ways, in word and in deed.
Tafseer al-Sa’di, p. 524.
One of the most important acts of worship that the child is asked to do with regard to his parents is to obey them, to do as they ask and to refrain from what they tell him not to do. So if his father tells him to do something, he hastens to do what he is told, and if he tells him not to do something, he hastens to give it up, so long as that does not involve any disobedience towards Allaah and his Messenger, because there is no obedience to any created being if itinvolves disobedience towards the Creator.
Then he can make du’aa’ for them and pray for forgiveness for them, especially when they grow old and weak and are in need of someone to treat them kindly and take care of their needs. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.
24. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young’” [al-Isra’ 17:23-24]
Allaah has given examples in His Book of kind treatment of parents. Allaah says of His slave Yahya ibn Zakariyya:
“(It was said to his son): ‘O Yahya (John)! Hold fast the Scripture [the Tawraat (Torah)].’ And We gave him wisdom while yet a child.
13. And (made him) sympathetic to men as a mercy (or a grant) from Us, and pure from sins [i.e. Yahya (John)] and he was righteous,
14. And dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither arrogant nor disobedient (to Allaah or to his parents).
15. And Salaam (peace) be on him the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life (again)!” [Maryam 19:12-15]
Ibn Jareer al-Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Here Allaah says: “And dutiful towards his parents” meaning that he was quick to obey them, loving towards them, and not disobedient.
“and he was neither arrogant nor disobedient” – here Allaah tells us that he was not too proud to obey Allaah or his parents, rather he was humble and submissive towards Allaah and his parents, doing what he was commanded to and avoiding what was forbidden to him; he neither disobeyed his Lord nor his parents.
Tafseer al-Tabari, 16/58
And Allaah said of His slave ‘Eesa ibn Maryam (interpretation of the meaning):
“He [‘Eesa (Jesus)] said: ‘Verily, I am a slave of Allaah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet;
31. And He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Salaah (prayer), and Zakaah, as long as I live.”
32. And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest’”
[Maryam 19:30-32]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The words “And dutiful to my mother” mean: and He has commanded me to be dutiful to my mother. This is mentioned after obedience to his Lord, because Allaah often mentions the command to worship him and to be dutiful to one’s parents together, as in the verses where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents”
[al-Isra’ 17:23]
“give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination”
[Luqmaan 31:14]
And the words “and made me not arrogant, unblest’” mean, He has not made me arrogant and too proud to worship and obey Him and to honour my mother, and thus be doomed as a result of that.
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/121
As for after the parents have died, the child can do many things, such as the following:
1 – If he has wealth, and his parents were in debt, he can discharge their duty by paying off the debt for them.
2 – If he has wealth and his parents had not performed Hajj, he may perform Hajj on their behalf, or pay for someone else to perform Hajj on their behalf.
3 – He may pray for forgiveness for them and pray for mercy for them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young’”
[al-Isra’ 17:24]
Shaykh Ibn Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: this means, pray for mercy for them, when they are alive and after they die.
Tafseer al-Sa’di, p. 524
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “A man may be raised in status in Paradise and will say, Where did this come from? And it will be said: From your son’s praying for forgiveness for you.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 3660; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, no. 1617. This applies if the child has reached the age of discernment and is able to earn money. But if the child is young and does not yet understand things, then these words do not apply in his case.
An example of how the righteous salaf honoured their parents is that of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him):
It was narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Dinaar from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar that a man from among the Bedouins met him on the road to Makkah. ‘Abd-Allaah greeted him with salaam, seated him on the donkey that he was riding and gave him a turban that he had been wearing on his head. Ibn Dinar said: We said to him: May Allaah guide you, they are just Bedouins and they would be content with little. ‘Abd-Allaah said: The father of this man was a friend of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab and I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The best act of kindness is for the son to uphold ties (of friendship) with those who were his father’s friends.” Narrated by Muslim, 2552.
According to another report narrated by Ibn ‘Umar: when he went out to Makkah, he had a donkey which he would ride when he got tired of riding his camel, and a turban which he tied around his head. One day whilst he was riding that donkey, a Bedouin passed by him. He said: Are you not So and so, the son of So and so? He said: Yes. He gave him the donkey that he was riding and said: Ride it. And he gave him the turban that he had been wearing on his head, and he said: Tie it around your head. Some of his companions said: May Allaah forgive you, you have given this Bedouin a donkey that you used to ride when you got tired of riding your camel and a turban that you used to wear on your head. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The best act of kind of kindness is for a man to honour his father’s friend after he has died,” and (this man’s) father was a friend of ‘Umar.
Abu Hurayrah was appointed in charge of Madeenah by Marwaan. He lived in Dhu’l-Hulayfah (approximately ten kilometers from Madeenah) and his mother lived in one house and he lived in another. When he wanted to go out he would stand at her door, and say: Peace be upon you, O my mother, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. And she would say: And upon you, O my son, and the mercy of Allaah and His blessings. And he would say: May Allaah have mercy on you, as you brought me up when I was young. And she would say: May Allaah have mercy on you as you took care of me when I grew old. Then when he wanted to come in, he would do likewise.
And Allaah knows best.
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