Responsibilities
Towards One’s Parents
قَالَ الصَّادِقُ (ع): لاَ
تَمْلاَ عَيْنَيْكَ مِنَ
النَّظَرِ إِلَيْهِمَا إِلاَ
بِرَحْمَةٍ وَ رِقَّةٍ وَ لاَ
تَرْفَعْ صَوْتَكَ فَوْقَ
أَصْوَاتِهِمَا وَ لاَ يَدَيْكَ
فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمَا وَ لاَ
تَتَقَدَّمْ قُدَّامَهُمَا.
Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said (in
regards to one’s parents): “Do
not cast your gaze upon them
except with love and compassion;
do not raise your voice above
theirs; do not raise your hands
above theirs; do not walk ahead
of them.”
Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 79
On Behalf of Parents
قَالَ الصَّادِقُ (ع): مَا
يَمْنَعُ الرَّجُلَ مِنْكُمْ أَنْ
يَبَرَّ وَالِدَيْهِ حَيَّيْنِ وَ
مَيِّتَيْنِ يُصَلِّيَ عَنْهُمَا
وَ يَتَصَدَّقَ عَنْهُمَا وَ
يَحُجَّ عَنْهُمَا وَ يَصُومَ
عَنْهُمَا فَيَكُونَ الَّذِي
صَنَعَ لَهُمَا وَ لَهُ مِثْلُ
ذٌلِكَ فَيَزِيدَهُ اللٌّهُ عَزَّ
وَ جَلَّ بِبِرِّهِ وَ صِلَتِهِ
خَيْراً كَثِيراً.
Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) had said:
“What prevents a person from
doing good to his parents -
whether alive or dead - by
offering prayers, giving
charity, performing Hajj on
behalf of them, (knowing that)
the rewards of these acts are
also granted to him, in addition
to his parents? Besides, due to
his good deeds and prayers (for
them), Allah, the Mighty and the
Glorious, shall grant him
abundant good.”
Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 46
Evil Parents And Kindness
عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (ع) قَالَ:
ثَلاَثٌ لَمْ يَجْعَلِ اللٌّهُ
عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لِأَحَدٍ فِيهِنَّ
رُخْصَةً أَدَاءُ الأََمَانَةِ
إِلَى الْبَرِّ وَ الْفَاجِرِ وَ
الْوَفَاءُ بِالْعَهْدِ لِلْبَرِّ
وَ الْفَاجِرِ وَ بِرُّ
الْوَالِدَيْنِ بَرَّيْنِ كَانَا
أَوْ فَاجِرَيْنِ.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him) has
said: “There are three things
which Allah, the Mighty and the
Glorious has not permitted
anyone to forsake: returning a
trust to its owner, irrespective
of whether he is a good person
or an evil one; fulfilling one’s
promises and covenants,
irrespective of whether it has
been made to a good person or an
evil one; being good and kind
towards one’s parents,
irrespective of whether they are
good or evil.”
Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 56
Polytheist Parents
عَنِ الرِّضَا (ع) فِي كِتَابِهِ
إِلَى الْمَأْمُونِ قَالَ: وَ
بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَاجِبٌ وَ
إِنْ كَانَا مُشْرِكَيْنِ وَ لاَ
طَاعَةَ لَهُمَا فِي مَعْصِيَةِ
الْخَالِقِ.
In a letter to Ma`mun, Imam ar-Ridha (peace be
upon him) wrote: “To do good to
one’s parents is obligatory,
even if they are of the
polytheists, however, they
should not be obeyed in acts
that go against the commands of
Allah.”
Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page 72
Visiting the Graves of Parents
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهُ (ص): مَنْ
زَارَ قَبْرَ وَالِدَيهِ أَوْ
أَحَدِهِمَا فِي كُلِّ جُمْعَةٍ
مَرَّةً غَفَرَ اللٌّهُ لَهُ وَ
كَتَبَ لَهُ بَارًّا.
It has been narrated that the Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him and his
family) said: “Whoever visits
the graves of his parents or one
of them every Friday, Allah
shall forgive his sins and shall
regard him to be of those who
had been kind to his parents.”
Kanzul `Ummal, Volume 16, Page 468
Kindness to Parents and
Paradise
عَنْ أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (ع) قَالَ:
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللٌّهِ (ص) كُنْ
بَارّاً وَ اقْتَصِرْ عَلَى
الْجَنَّةِ وَ إِنْ كُنْتَ
عَاقّاً فَظّاً فَاقْتَصِرْ عَلَى
النَّارِ.
Imam ar-Ridha (peace be upon him) relates that
the Noble Prophet (peace be upon
him and his family) has said:
“Be good and kind to your
parents so that your recompense
is paradise, and if you have
been disowned by them, your
abode shall be the fire (of
Hell).”
Al-Kafi, Volume 2, page 348
A Stern Look
عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ (ع)
قَالَ: لَوْ عَلِمَ اللٌّهُ
شَيْئاً أَدْنَى مِنْ أُفٍّ
لَنَهَى عَنْهُ وَ هُوَ مِنْ
أَدْنَى الْعُقُوقِ وَ مِنَ
الْعُقُوقِ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ
الرَّجُلُ إِلَى وَالِدَيْهِ
فَيُحِدَّ النَّظَرَ إِلَيْهِمَا.
Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said:
“Had Allah known of a thing more
trivial and insignificant than
the word ‘ugh’, he would have
forbidden it (to be spoken to
the parents). Uttering ‘ugh’ (to
the parents) is the mildest form
of ill conduct towards the
parents. One of the ways in
which a person can be regarded
as being disowned by the parents
is that he casts a hard and
stern look upon them.”
Al-Kafi, Volume 4, Page 50
A Hateful Look
عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللٌّهِ (ع)
قَالَ: مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى
أَبَوَيْهِ نَظَرَ مَاقِتٍ وَ
هُمَا ظَالِمَانِ لَهُ لَمْ
يَقْبَلِ اللٌّهُ لَهُ صَلاَةً.
Imam as-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has said:
“Allah shall not accept the
prayers of a person who looks at
his parents with hatred, even if
they have been unfair to him!”
Al-Kafi, Volume 4, Page 50
Making the Parents Sad
قَالَ أَمِيـرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ
(ع): مَنْ أَحْزَنَ وَالِدَيْهِ
فَقَدْ عَقَّهُمَا.
The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon
him) has said: “One who causes
his parents to become sad has
indeed been disowned by them.”
Biharul
Anwar, Volume 74, Page 64
The Imam’s Displeasure
عن أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (ع) قَالَ:
إِنَّ أَبِي نَظَرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ
وَ مَعَهُ ابْنُهُ يَمْشِي وَ
الإِبْنُ مُتَّكِئٌ عَلَى ذِرَاعِ
الأََبِ قَالَ فَمَا كَلَّمَهُ
أَبِي (ع) مَقْتاً لَهُ حَتَّى
فَارَقَ الدُّنْيَا.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him)
relates: “Once my father saw a
person and his son walking
together. As they walked, the
son was leaning against the arm
of his father. (This act of the
son was so abhorrent and
infuriating to my father that)
he (peace be upon him) never
spoke to him throughout his
life.”
Biharul Anwar, Volume 74, Page
64
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