The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (AS) said “Goodness
towards parents is the greatest obligatory acts”
Imam Jafer al-Sadiq (AS) said “The best deeds are: Salat in
its stipulated hour, goodness towards your parents and Jihad in the way of
Allah”
A person approached the Holy Prophet (S) and said that his
parents were old and much attached to him and did not approve of him going for
Jihad, the Prophet (S) replied “Stay with your parents, for their attachment of
one day and one night is better than one year of Jihad”
The Holy Prophet (S) 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”
Imam Ali al-Riza (AS) said, “Allah has commanded three
things with which He had associated three other things. He associated payment
of zakaat along with prayers such that one who offers prayers but desists from
offering zakaat, his prayers is rejected. He associated gratitude to Him with
gratitude towards parents such that one, who is grateful to Allah, but
ungrateful to his parents, will be deemed as ungrateful to Allah. He associated
righteousness with bonds of kinship such that one who is righteous, but has
severed relations with kin, will be deemed as not being righteous”
Imam Jafer al-Sadiq (AS) said “Goodness towards parents is
an indication of a person’s excellent cognizance of Allah. This is because
there is no worship that can take a person towards happiness of Allah faster
than exhibiting respect towards his Muslim parents.”
The Holy Prophet (S) said “One, who follows the orders of
Allah with regards to obeying parents, shall have two doors of Paradise
opened up for him. And if there has to be only one parent, one door of Paradise
will be opened for him.”
He(S) further said “One who is obedient towards his parents
and the Lord, shall be accommodated in the most exalted of place on the Day of
Judgment”
He(S) also said “One who performs Hajj on behalf of his
parents and repays their debts shall be raised by Allah on the Day of Judgment
amongst the righteous ones”
He (S) said “One who pleases his parents has verily pleased
Allah and one who has angered his parents has verily angered Allah”
He (S) added “One who desires a long life and increase in
sustenance should exhibit goodness towards his parents and establish bonds of
kinship”
Once a man approached the Holy Prophet (S) and asked
“Towards whom should I exhibit goodness and kindness?” The Holy Prophet (S)
replied “Towards your mother”
The man asked “And after that towards whom?” He (S) replied
“Towards your mother”
He asked once again “And then?” He (S) replied “Your mother”
For the fourth time he enquired the Holy Prophet (S) replied “Your father”
The Noble Prophet (S) said “Be good towards your parents and
your children will be good towards you. And look up on the women of other folks
with purity (in conduct and intention) and your women folks will be looked upon
with purity”
Imam Ali al-Riza (AS) relates that a man enquired about
rights of father upon his son,
the Holy Prophet replied “ He should not call his father by
name, he should not walk ahead of him, he should not sit until his father has
seated himself and he should not do such acts as a result of which people
abuses his father”
The Noble Prophet (S) said “The look of a child towards his
parents out of love for them is an act of worship”
Once a man enquired about the phrase “be good to parents” as
appeared in the Holy Qur’an, Imam Jafer al-Sadiq (AS) replied “Being good to
them means to accompany them in a good manner and never to wait for them to ask
you for what they need”
He (AS) further said “Do not
cast your gaze upon them except with love and compassion; do not raise your
voice above them; do not raise your hands above them; do not walk ahead of
them”
He (AS) added “Allah shall not
accept the prayers of a person who looks at his parents with hatred, even if
they have been unfair to him”
The Holy Prophet (S) said “Who
ever visits the graves of his parents every Friday, Allah shall forgive his
sins and shall regard him as one of those who had been kind to his parents”
The Commander of the Faithful
(AS) said “One who causes his parents to become sad has indeed been disowned by
them”
The Noble Prophet (S) said
“There are three sins, the punishments of which are hastened and not deferred
for the hereafter: disownments by one’s parents; committing oppression upon the
people and ingratitude with respect to kindness”
Imam Jafer al-Sadiq (AS) said
“Becoming disowned by one’s parents is one of the Great Sins. This is because
Allah the Glorious has termed such a person as disobedient and wretched”
Imam Jafer al-Sadiq(AS) relates
“ Once the Messenger of Allah approached a youth who was at the verge of dying
and said to him “ Say there is no God but Allah” but the youth’s tongue
appeared to be tied and could not speak. When this happened many times, the
Prophet(S) enquired a lady standing near the youth “Does this youth have a
mother?” The lady replied “Yes, I am his mother”. The Prophet (S) asked “Are
you angry with him?” She replied “Yes, I have not spoken to him for the last 6
years”. Hearing this he(S) said “Be pleased with him”. She agreed and said”O
Prophet of Allah, for the sake of your pleasure may Allah be pleased with him”.
Then turning to the youth, he(S) said”Say, there is no God except Allah” This
time the youth was able to recite the words, and shortly afterwards his soul
departed his body.
Imam Ali Zain-ul-Abedin (AS)
relates “Once a person approached the Messenger of Allah and said” O Prophet of
Allah! I have committed every known evil act. Is there a chance that I may be
forgiven?” The Messenger enquired “Are any of your parents alive?” The man
replied “My father”. He (S) said “Go and be good and kind to him” When he left,
the Messenger muttered “If only his mother had been alive”
Following books have been consulted:
Mizanul Hikmah, Biharul Anwar, Kanzul Ummal, and Al-Kafi