Obedience to Parents
Importance
After obedience to Allah (s) and His Messenger, it is most important to be obedient to one's parents. Being polite and helpful to one's parents is the duty of every Muslim.
Children sometimes do not realize how much their parents have done for them. Every mother bears the pains of pregnancy and childbirth. She often spends many sleepless nights patiently caring for her baby's needs. If the baby is sick, parents nurse him to health. They gladly spend their money and time to buy clothes, food and medicine for the baby and toys to make him happy.
As their child grows, they try to provide him a good education and a loving home. They are there for all important events in their child's life, from his first words to his college graduation, professional career and marriage, giving him all their love and support. Even if he makes a mistake, they never stop loving him. Most of all, they pray that their child will grow up to be successful and happy in this life and in the Hereafter.
Returning the Love and Kindness of Parents
Parents feel very happy if their son or daughter is kind, polite, helpful and obedient. If their child is rude, disobedient or lazy, they feel disappointed and even embarrassed. After all, the way a child behaves reflects on his parents.
When they become old and too week physically to care for themselves, parents need loving care, just as they gave their children when they were young. We should never forget that if our parents had not taken care of us when we were young and helpless, we probably would not have survived. We truly owe our lives to our parents, so taking care of them in their old age should be our pleasure.
The Qur'an commands us to show kindness to parents in the following words:
Your Lord has decreed that you worship nothing but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word for contempt, nor repel them but...