Islamic Teachings on Ideal Family Life — Page 41
~ 41 ~ All ā h, The Wise Says: 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 to them any word expressive of disgust nor reproach them, but address them with kindly 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 in my childhood. ’ ” (The Holy Qur’ ā n, 17:24-25) The most important precept laid down in the above verse of the Holy Qur’ ā n is the moral conduct and obligations of children towards their parents. It is our parents who are the first ones to direct our attention to God. It is in the parental mirror that the divine attributes of Mercy, Compassion, Love and Providence are reflected and on a micro human scale are given practical expression. They point to the Being from whom all things take their origin. The long chain of man’s parentage shows that his existence is not the result of mere accident or chance. It turns our thoughts to the Great Originator and Creator. It also shows that a great and noble purpose underlies the creation of man. Man is told in the case of parents that he is in a position to return their love and kindness so he is commanded to be generous to them. When the parents of a person are dependent on him and live with him, he is enjoined by the Holy Qur’ ā n to refrain from using any harsh words towards them. The words have been added because when a man’s parents are living with