Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 70
70 His personal example in this respect is clear from an incident. He was giving away some goods when his foster mother called to see him. His own mother had died in his childhood. He at once ran to her, saying, “My Mother, my Mother!” He spread out his sheet with great affection and respectfulness, requesting her to be seated with comfort and ease. In short, Islam has laid great stress on obedience and service to parents. The Holy Quran emphatically says: “Incline thy arms with the tenderness of affection and respectfulness before your parents and pray for them to God, ‘O my Lord have compassion on my parents in their old age, as they brought me up lovingly when I was in my childhood. ’ 18 The third great sin mentioned in this Hadith is lying. The Islamic stand on this is clear from the statement in this Hadith that when the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) referred to it, he sat up in [a state of] fervour and repeated the words “and beware of lying” several times. The truth of the matter is that after Shirk [association of partners or equals to God] and disobedience to parents, lying is the next biggest sin. And if the other two are the seed out of which stems forth the tree of sin, lying is for it the irrigating water whereby this tree blossoms and grows. It is lying which promotes sinfulness and lends one the cover to continue in a vice; for lying is proffered as a screen to cover sin and vice; thus, secure behind it, it grows and spreads fast. Therefore, lying is not a sin by itself but the worst kind of support to other evils. It is therefore that the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be on him) placed it 18 The Holy Quran, Ch: 17 (Al-Isrā’), V: 25