All praise is due only to Allaah. We laud Him and beseech His

“And if you find 
any one of them (your parents) attain old age, or both of them, 
then never say to them ‘Oof’ (any word of disrespect) and do 
not rebuke (or scold) them. Speak to them in honourable tones. 
And lower unto them the wings of submission and humility 
through mercy, and say, ‘My Rabb! Bestow on them Your 
mercy as they brought me up when I was small.’”
[Surah Israa, 
Aayats 23-24] 
Hadhrat Mujaahid (rahmatullah alayh) states that if a person’s 
parents become old and infirm and he has to wash them after 
they relieve themselves, then he must never say 
Oof
(i.e. he 
should never utter any words of complaint), just as they (the 
parents) used to clean him when he was small. 
Hadhrat Ali (radhiallahu anhu) said that if there was any lower 
term for showing disrespect (than 
Oof
), Allaah Ta`ala would 
have made that Haraam. 
Someone asked Hadhrat Hasan (radhiallahu anhu) what the 
limit of disrespect (to parents) was. He replied, 
“To deprive 
them of your wealth and abandon them, and to look at them 
sternly.”
Someone asked Hadhrat Hassan (radhiallahu anhu) what was 
meant by 
آ <
“Honourable tones.”
He replied, 
“To refer 
to them as Amma, Abba (or any other respectful title), and 
never to refer to them by name.” 
170
Hadhrat Zubair bin Muhammed (rahmatullah alayh) said that 
whenever your parents call then you should immediately 
respond. 
Hadhrat Aishah (radhiallahu anha) says that a man came to 
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and an old man was 
accompanying him. Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked 
who the old man was and he replied that it was his father. Nabi 
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said to him, 
“You should not walk 
in front of him, never sit down before he sits down, never call 
him by his name and never speak badly to him.”
Hadhrat Aishah (radhiallahu anha) reports that Nabi (sallallahu 
alayhi wasallam) said that the person who looks at his parents 
with a stern look, is not regarded as being obedient. 
Hadhrat Abdullah bin Ma`ood (radhiallahu anhu) reports that 
he asked Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) what the most 
beloved deed is, in the Sight of Allaah Ta`ala. Nabi (sallallahu 
alayhi wasallam) replied, 
“Salaat performed on its time”
. He 
then asked what next. Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) replied, 
“Maintaining good relations with parents.”
Thereafter Nabi 
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) mentioned, 
“Jihaad.”
In another Hadith Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said that 
the Pleasure of Allaah Ta`ala lies in the pleasure of the father 
and the displeasure of Allaah Ta`ala lies in the displeasure of 
the father. 
Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas (radhiallahu anhu) states that there can be 
no Muslim who, if his parents are still alive, treats them 
honourably, and the doors of Jannat are not opened wide for 
him. If his parents are displeased then Allaah Ta`ala does not 
become pleased until he pleases them. Someone asked, 
“What 
if they (parents) perpetrate oppression?”
He replied, 
“Even if 
they are oppressive.”
Hadhrat Anas (radhiallahu anhu) says that a man came in the 
presence of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and said, 
“O 
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)! My heart greatly 

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169
You must also remember at this juncture that if your wife does 
not render any service to your parents, she must never coerce 
you to abandon them also. You are to serve them regardless of 
what your wife says and does. If you wife has to displease your 
parents, then it will not cause them that mush of grief as when 
you have to displease them. 
The Qur`aan Majeed and Hadith are replete with respecting and 
honouring parents. We will mention a few here for the benefit 
of the readers. 
Allaah Ta`ala states in the Qur`aan Majeed,