Allah commands us to treat our parents with honour and respect. Allah says, “And be good to your parents. If one or both of them reach old age in your life,do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but speak to them ingracious words.”“Give thanks to Me and to your parents.”“Behave with them in this world kindly.”A man once came to the Prophet () and asked his permission to take part in jihad. The Prophet () asked him, “Are your parents still alive?” The man answered, “Yes.” The Prophet () then said, “Well then, consider their service as jihad.” (Muslim)The nature of honour and respect for our parents is such that it requires many things including the following:1 . That we keep them out of harm’s way;2. That we treat them with kindness;3. That we do not get irritated with them or with their needs;4. That we regard service to them as an act of worship;5. That we pray to Allah to forgive them and have mercy on them;6. That we do not raise our voice above theirs;7. That we do not go against their wishes, as long as this does not entail any violation of Allah’s Commands;8. If our temper should even flare up in anger towards them, we must remember how they brought us up, how they spent many sleepless nights doing so, how they cared for us and wore themselves out. We must also remember the words of Allah: “Speak to them in gracious words.”They went hungry themselves to keep us satisfied. They stayed awake at night so we could enjoy our sleep.Of course, it costs to obey. But young people should not think that they are the only ones in this world who should obey! Every one of us has to obey. Working people obey their employers. Teachers obey school authorities. Soldiers obey commanding officers. Young people should above all keep clearly in mind that Allah commands them to love, respect and obey their parents.So we should love them from our hearts. We should always try hard to make them happy. We must show them our love and satisfy their needs. We should look after them if they are sick and whenever they need our help.Parents receive authority over their children from Allah, so children must obey them in all things, with the exception of a command to sin.If you told your mother you would be back home at, say, 5:00 p.m., be home on time! If you offered to clean the garden for your father, do the job and keep working until you finish it.A man once came to the Prophet () and said, “O Allah’s Messenger, Who is more entitled to my best companionship?” The Prophet () said, “Your mother.” The man then asked, “Who is next?” He answered, “Your mother.” The man further asked, “Who is next?” He answered, “Your mother.” The man then asked, “Who is next?” He answered, “Your father.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)The Prophet () said that Allah has forbidden us from disobeying our parents. He also said that disobeying parents is one of the major sins.ExercisesA. Are these statements true or false?1 . We do not have to treat our parents well.2. Disobeying parents is a major sin.3. Young people are the only ones who should obey others.B. Answer these questions.1 . What does the Qur’an command us to do regarding our parents?2. List at least four things we should do to honour our parents.3. What are some of the hardships our parents went through while bringing us up?C. Think-up1 . When should you obey your parents? Give two examples.2. Why do you think mothers deserve more love and respect than the fathers?The Qur’an is the Word of AllahThe Qur’an is the Word of Allah. It is His book. It is the Revelation (Wahy) which Angel Jibreel () brought down from Almighty Allah to His Messenger Muhammad (). The Prophet () delivered it as he received it to his community.The Qur’an is uncreated. It has not been invented, changed, fabricated or abridged. It does not contain anything that is redundant.Allah has taken it upon Himself to protect it against corruption, and no falsehood can approach it from before or behind it. Allah says, “Verily, We have sent the Reminder (i.e. the Qur’an), and We will surely protect it [against corruption].” (Surat Ai-Hijr)“Verily, it is an honourable, well-fortified book of exalted power. No falsehood can approach it from before or after it: it is sent down by the All-Wise, worthy of all praise.” (Surat Fussilat)The best amongst Muslims are those who learn it and teach it to others. Whoever recites it will be greatly rewarded for doing so. The Prophet () describes the person who has nothing of it in his heart as a ruined, deserted house.The Prophet () said, “Whoever recites a letter from the Book of Allah will receive one reward, and one reward comes with ten like it. I do not say that [the letters] Alif, Laam and Meem are one letter, but rather Alif is a letter, Laam is a letter and Meem is a letter.” (At-Tirmidhee)The Quran’s Rights upon MuslimsThe Qur’an makes five demands from every Muslim. They are as follows:1 . A Muslim is required to believe in the Qur’an.2. He is required to read it.3. He is required to understand it.4. He is required to act upon its teachings.5. He is required to convey its teachings to others.The recitation of the Qur’an nourishes the heart. Those who lived during the time of the Prophet () received their inspiration and training from the Qur’an. The Qur’an was their guide. It was their light and their leader. It was their constant companion.The Qur’an is full of wisdom. We should spend hours understanding the Qur’an. If we really want to benefit from the Qur’an, we should listen to it and study it as if it is being revealed to us today or now!After understanding what we read in the Qur’an, we should act upon its teachings.ExercisesA. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.1 . The Qur’an is the2 . of Allah brought down the Qur’an to the Prophet ().3. Allah has protected the Qur’an from4. The best among Muslims are those who learn the Qur’an and it to others.B. Answer these questions.1 . What are the rights of the Qur’an on Muslims?2. From the life of the Prophet’s companions, what should the position of the Qur’an in our lives be?C. Write a brief note on the Qur’an.
