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

A wonderful anecdote
Qurtubi relates a narration from Hadhrat Jaabir bin Abdillah 
(radhiallahu anhu) that a man came to Nabi (sallallahu alayhi 
wasallam) and claimed that his father had taken his wealth. 
Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) told him to go and fetch his 
father. In the meanwhile, Hadhrat Jibraeel (alaihis salaam) 
descended and informed Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to 
ask the father when he comes, what the words are that he keeps 
in his bosom, which his own ears have not hard. When the man 
arrived with his father, Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked 
174
the father what the problem was regarding the complaint laid 
by his son. The father told Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to 
ask his son whether he spends that wealth on anyone else 
beside himself and his sister (the complainant’s paternal aunt). 
Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) then said, 
Eeh
(implying that he now understood everything). Nabi (sallallahu 
alayhi wasallam) then asked the father, 
“Tell me what those 
words are which you keep in your heart that even your ears 
have not heard?”
The man exclaimed, 
“O Rasulullah 
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam)! In every matter, Allaah Ta`ala 
causes our Imaan and faith to increase in you.”
(Implying that 
since no one had heard these words of his, it is clearly a miracle 
of Nabi (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) that he knows thereof). 
The man then said that there were some couplets which he 
recites in his mind, that he has never uttered loudly. Nabi 
(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) asked him to recite them, and he 
began, 
I had fed you when you were young, and even saw to your well 
being when you were a youth, all your eating and drinking was 
through my earnings. 
When on any occasion you were ill, then I would remain awake 
the entire night restless, 
It was as though your illness had afflicted me and not you, 
which resulted in me crying the entire night, 
My heart feared your destruction, whereas I was aware that 
death only comes at its appointed time, neither sooner nor 
later, 
And then when you had reached the age when I began having 
hopes and aspirations (on you), 
Then you had rewarded and recompensed me with stern and 
curt speech, as though you are showering me with favours and 
bounties, 
Alas! If you cannot fulfil the rights due on me as your father, 
then the least is that you treat me as an honourable neighbour, 

---

173
abandon them, therefore Allaah Ta`ala stresses on kindness and 
aid to parents especially in old age. 
In the Aayat cited above Allaah Ta`ala clearly states that when 
the parents reach old age then they should not be spoken to 
with disrespect. In fact, they should not also be looked at with 
disdain. Naturally because now the parents are old, weak and 
infirm they cannot react to their child’s scorn, hence this is 
totally forbidden especially when they are in this age. The 
Aayat speaks about lowering the wings of mercy, which means 
that the child must approach and appear before his parents with 
humility and humbleness. They are to be shown utmost respect. 
The Qur`aan Majeed also exhorts the children to make dua for 
their parents, even after having made their lives comfortable 
and granting them their due honour.