Islam's Response to Contemporary Issues — Page 105
Social Peace 105 comfortable main bedroom to smaller and less convenient accommodation until it was finally decided to remove the grandfather to the servant’s quarters. During an exceptionally severe winter, the grandfather complained of his room being too chilly and his quilt being too thin to make him feel warm and comfortable. The father started looking for an extra blanket from a stock of old, useless rags. Observing this, the child turned to his father and requested: ‘Please do not give all the rags to grandpa. Keep some for me so that I may be able to give them to you when you grow old. ’ In this innocent expression of a child’s displeasure is concentrated all the agony of the older generation in modern times. In Muslim societies, it is as rare to find such exceptions, as it is rare and becoming more rare to find exceptions in modern societies amongst relatives in their treatment of the old. Muslims are taught: Thy Lord has commanded, ‘Worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, never say unto them any word expressive of disgust nor reproach them, but always address them with excellent speech. And lower to them the wing of humility out of tenderness. ’ And say, ‘My Lord, have mercy on them even as they nourished me when I was a little child. ’ 29 These verses are the most significant on this subject. After the Unity of God, human beings should, through their attitude of love, affection