Professor Sheikh Dr Yasser al-Dosari
Professor Sheikh Yasser al-Dosari
said, “O Muslims, dutifulness to parents is a divine command and a prophetic
directive and no rational Muslim is unaware of the obligation of honouring the benefactor
- and after Allah, no one has bestowed more favour on a person than his
parents. They are the most deserving of your dutifulness, loyalty, kindness and
giving. Allah the Exalted said: “And WE have enjoined upon man to his
parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to
him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning (period) is thirty months.”
[Al-Ahqaf 46:15].
Imam of Masjid al-Haram said, “Indeed,
Allah has issued the Command to show excellence to parents, and He expressed it
in general terms within the verse - so that all forms of goodness, kindness,
gratitude and appreciation are included. HE made the parents the most deserving
of noble companionship, beautiful treatment, fulfilling their rights, and
avoiding any form of harm or disrespect. And in the Qur’an the description
“noble word” is not used for addressing anyone except in HIS Saying: “And speak
to them a noble word.” [Al-Isra 17:23].
Speaking about the beauties and
completeness of Islam, Dr. Yasser Al-Dosari said, “Among the beauties and
completeness of Islam is that it commands dutifulness to parents and good
companionship with them even if they commit disbelief. Allah said: “If they
strive to make you associate with ME that of which you have no knowledge, then
do not obey them - but accompany them in the world with goodness.” [Luqman 31:15].
Speaking about the ugliest traits and
the most disgraceful actions, Imam of the Masjid al-Haram mentioned, “Lo and
behold - among the greatest forms of deprivation and among the hardest signs of
being forsaken, is that a person sits with friends and companions, entertains
them with the sweetest speech and the finest manners, yet does not behave the
same way with his parents. By Allah - this, indeed, is among the ugliest traits
and the most disgraceful of actions.”
Speaking about the most deserving of
good companionships, Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari mentioned, “Parents are the
people most deserving of good companionship. It is reported from Abu Hurayrah
(R.A.) that a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him):
“Who is the most deserving of my good companionship?” He (peace be upon him)
said: “Your mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” He (peace be upon him) said,
“Your mother.” The man asked, “then who?” He (peace be upon him) said, “Your
mother.” The man asked again, “ Then who?” He (peace be upon him) said, “Your
father.” Reported by Al-Bukhari.
Speaking about what helps to be
dutiful to parents, Imam of the Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, said, “O people, among
what helps a servant to be dutiful to his parents is to recall their beautiful
kindness, their abundant giving, their immense charity and effort, their
sincere striving, and their patient endurance in raising and caring for him and
to remember that he will stand before Allah - and he will be questioned about
this great right.”
There are many ways to be dutiful to
parents. Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari said, “That the ways of being dutiful
to parents are many and the paths of showing goodness toward them are
plentiful. Among them are: loving them, honouring them, having mercy toward
them, showing humility before them, treating them gently, seeking forgiveness
and praying for them, fulfilling their needs, spending on them, visiting them
often, bringing joy to their hearts and avoiding anything that upsets them.”
Speaking about when the parents reach
old age, Imam of the Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, said, “O believers, this great
right of parents becomes even more emphasised when they reach old age, when
their strength weakens, and their ability diminishes. At that point, the
station of goodness toward them becomes greater, and their need for dutifulness
becomes even more urgent. Allah said: “If one or both of them reach
old age with you, do not say to them even ‘uff’ and do not repel them, but
speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of
mercy, and say: “My Lord, have mercy on them as they brought me up when I was
small.” [Al-Isra 17:23].
There are many forms of disobedience
to parents. Mentioning about the different forms of disobedience to parents,
Professor Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari said, “Indeed, the forms of disobedience
are too many to count, and its types are too vast to enumerate. They include:
Raising one’s voice against them, harsh reprimanding, frowning at them,
mockery, contempt, lack of respect and reverence, speaking harshly,
disregarding their tears, hurting their ears, provoking them through sinful
acts, neglecting obligatory duties, and mocking their customs, traditions and
values - among other things, are the manifestations of ingratitude, denial,
poor manners, and ungratefulness.”
He also mentioned, “Whoever disobeys
his parents is led to loss and deprivation, and just as a person judges, so he
will be judged. And whoever treats his parents with excellence, Allah
treats him with excellence, and he attains divine pleasure. Allah, the Most
Merciful, said: “Is there any reward for good other than good?” [Ar-Rahman
55:60].
Following is the Full Khutbah of the Masjid al-Haram
Makkah by Professor Sheikh Dr. Yasser Al-Dosari
The Imam of the Masjid al-Haram, Makkah, started by saying, “All
praise is due to Allah - praise to the One of Majesty and Honour - of Bounty
and Generosity. HE has poured upon HIS servants immense blessings and great
gifts. HE commanded them to show dutifulness to parents and to maintain
ties of kinship, and HE made that a cause for the forgiveness of sins and
misdeeds.
The imam continued, I bear witness
that there is no god except Allah Alone, without partners - the Most High, the
Source of Peace and I bear witness that Muhammad is HIS servant and HIS
Messenger, sent as a Mercy for all creation. May Allah send HIS Blessings,
peace and grace upon him, his family and his companions and all who follow
them, with excellence, for as long as nights and days continue to alternate.
“As for what follows, I advise you, O
people, and myself, to have Taqwa of Allah. Whoever seeks goodness and
righteousness, aims for triumph and success, and desires true prosperity
- let him take Taqwa as his provision and let excellence be his path and
method. “ Indeed, Allah is with those who have Taqwa - those who excel in their
deeds.” [An-Nahl 16:28].
Professor Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari said, “O servants of Allah,
among the beauties of Islam, its noble virtues and the greatest deeds by which
one draws close to the Sovereign, the All-Knowing, is dutifulness to parents.
It is among the loftiest acts of worship and the most noble form of obedience.
It is from the qualities of the prophets, the traits of the chosen ones, and
the habits of the righteous. Through it, mercy and divine pleasure are
attained, and blessings and forgiveness are drawn. Allah elevated its rank,
raised its status, and honoured its position. HE paired the mention of
parents with mention of HIMSELF, and their right with the right, and gratitude
to them with gratitude to HIM - as an act of honouring them, exalting
their place, and motivating HIS servants to treat them with excellence.
He said, “Exalted is the ONE Who
speaks with perfect knowledge. “YOUR Lord has decreed that you worship none but
HIM, and to parents good.” [Al-Isra 17:23]. And HE said: “Worship Allah
and associate nothing with HIM, and show excellence to parents.” [An-Nisa
4:36].
And it is reported from Ibn Umar (R.A.),
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The Pleasure of
the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parents, and the Anger of the Lord lies in
their anger.” Reported Tabarani.
The Imam of Masjid al-Haram said, O Muslims,
dutifulness to parents is a divine command and a prophetic directive and no
rational Muslim is unaware of the obligation of honouring the benefactor - and
after Allah, no one has bestowed more favour on a person than his parents. They
are the most deserving of your dutifulness, loyalty, kindness and giving. Allah
the Exalted said: “And WE have enjoined upon man to his parents, good
treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with
hardship, and his gestation and weaning (period) is thirty months.” [Al-Ahqaf
46:15].
“Indeed, Allah has issued the Command
to show excellence to parents, and He expressed it in general terms within the
verse - so that all forms of goodness, kindness, gratitude and appreciation are
included. HE made the parents the most deserving of noble companionship,
beautiful treatment, fulfilling their rights, and avoiding any form of harm or
disrespect. And in the Qur’an the description “noble word” is not used for
addressing anyone except in HIS Saying: “And speak to them a noble word.”
[Al-Isra 17:23].
Dr. Yasser Al-Dosari said, “Among the
beauties and completeness of Islam is that it commands dutifulness to parents
and good companionship with them even if they commit disbelief. Allah said: “If
they strive to make you associate with ME that of which you have no knowledge,
then do not obey them - but accompany them in the world with goodness.” [Luqman
31:15].
He said, “Lo and behold - among the
greatest forms of deprivation and among the hardest signs of being forsaken, is
that a person sits with friends and companions, entertains them with the
sweetest speech and the finest manners, yet does not behave the same way with
his parents. By Allah - this, indeed, is among the ugliest traits and the most
disgraceful of actions.
Professor Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari continued, “O brothers and sisters in faith, dutifulness to parents is
among the most beloved acts of obedience to the Lord of all creation.
It is reported from Abdullah ibn
Mas’ud (R.A.) who said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him): “which deed is most beloved to Allah, the Exalted?” He (peace
be upon him) replied: “Prayer at its proper time.” I said: “then what?” He
(peace be upon him) said: “Dutifulness to parents.” This Hadith has been agreed
upon. ( by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
“And parents are the people most
deserving of good companionship. It is reported from Abu Hurayrah (R.A.) that a
man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Who is the
most deserving of my good companionship?” He (peace be upon him) said: “Your
mother.” The man asked, “Then who?” He (peace be upon him) said, “Your mother.”
The man asked, “then who?” He (peace be upon him) said, “Your mother.” The man
asked again, “ Then who?” He (peace be upon him) said, “Your father.”
Reported by Al-Bukhari.
The Imam said, “Dutifulness to
parents is also a cause of longer life, extended lifespans, and blessings in
provision and wealth. It is reported from Anas ibn Malik (R.A.): The Messenger
of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever loves that
his life be extended and his provision increased, let him be dutiful to his
parents and maintain family ties.” Reported Ahmad.
“And dutifulness to parents is among
the causes of the acceptance of Repentance and forgiveness of sins. It is
reported from ibn Umar (R.A.) that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allah, I have
committed a major sin - is there any Repentance (Taubah)?” The Messenger of
Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Do you have parents?” He said; “No.” the Messenger
of Allah said: “Do you have an aunt (mother’s sister)?” He said: “Yes.” The
Messenger of Allah said: “Then show them dutifulness to her.” Reported by Ahmad
and At-Tirmidhi.
Professor Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari said, “Dutifulness to parents is also among
the causes for acceptance of supplication. It is reported from Umar ibn
Al-Khattab (R.A.) who said; I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) say: “There will come to you a man named Uways ibn Amir,
he will come with the reinforcements from Yemen, from the tribe of Murad, then
from the Qaran. He used to have a leprosy, and Allah cured him of it, leaving
only an area the size of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is exceptionally
dutiful. If he were to swear an oath by Allah, Allah would fulfil it. So if you
are able to ask him to seek forgiveness for you, then do so.” So Umar said to
him, ‘Seek forgiveness for me.’ And he did.” Reported by Muslim.
The Imam continued, “O people, among
what helps a servant to be dutiful to his parents is to recall their beautiful
kindness, their abundant giving, their immense charity and effort, their
sincere striving, and their patient endurance in raising and caring for him and
to remember that he will stand before Allah - and he will be questioned about
this great right.
“Allah has combined these two
reminders ( the reminder of parental sacrifice and the reminder of
accountability before HIM) in HIS Saying: “WE have enjoined upon the man (care)
for his parents. His mother carried him (increasing her) in weakness upon
weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to ME and to your
parents: to ME is the final destination.” [Luqman 31:14].
The Imam said, “And know - May Allah
have mercy on you - that the ways of being dutiful to parents are many and the
paths of showing goodness toward them are plentiful. Among them are: loving
them, honouring them, having mercy toward them, showing humility before them,
treating them gently, seeking forgiveness and praying for them, fulfilling
their needs, spending on them, visiting them often, bringing joy to their hearts
and avoiding anything that upsets them.
Sheikh Dr Yasser Al-Dosari continued,
“O believers, this great right of parents becomes even more emphasised when
they reach old age, when their strength weakens, and their ability diminishes.
At that point, the station of goodness toward them becomes greater, and their
need for dutifulness becomes even more urgent. Allah said: “If one
or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them even ‘uff’ and
do not repel them, but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing
of humility out of mercy, and say: “My Lord, have mercy on them as they brought
me up when I was small.” [Al-Isra 17:23]. And it is reported from Abu Hurayrah
(R.A.); the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “May he be
humiliated! May he be humiliated! May he be humiliated!” It was asked: “Who, O
Messenger of Allah?” He (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever lives to see one or
both of his parents in old age, and yet does not enter Paradise.” Reported by
Muslim.
The Imam said, “And know - May Allah
have mercy on you - that dutifulness to parents does not end with their death,
nor with the death of one of them. Rather, the door of dutifulness remains
open, and the opportunities for doing good to them remain vast. This is
done through: abundant supplication and seeking forgiveness for them, giving
charity on their behalf, fulfilling their wills, paying off their debts, maintaining
ties with their relatives, and honouring their friends. It is reported
from Abu Hurayrah (R.A.); the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said: “When a person dies, his deeds are cut off except for three:
a continuous charity, knowledge from which others benefit, or a righteous child
who prays for him.” Reported by Muslim.
Sheikh Dr Yasser Al-Dosari continued,
“O servant of Allah, may Allah bless me and you in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and
benefit us with what is in them of verses and wisdom. I say what you hear and I
seek Allah’s forgiveness for me and you - so seek HIS forgiveness: Indeed,
HE is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
Second Part
Professor Sheikh Dr Yasser Ad-Dosari again started, “All praise
is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, our
Prophet Muhammad, his family, companions, and those who follow them. As for
them, it is reported from Abu Bakr (R.A.) that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) has said: “Shall I inform you of the greatest of sin?”
They said: “ Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He (peace be upon him) said:
“Associating partners with Allah and disobedience to parents.” Agreed
upon.
The Imam said, “Indeed, the forms of
disobedience are too many to count, and its types are too vast to enumerate.
They include: Raising one’s voice against them, harsh reprimanding, frowning at
them, mockery, contempt, lack of respect and reverence, speaking harshly,
disregarding their tears, hurting their ears, provoking them through sinful
acts, neglecting obligatory duties, and mocking their customs, traditions and
values - among other things, are the manifestations of ingratitude, denial,
poor manners, and ungratefulness.
“Whoever disobeys his parents is led
to loss and deprivation, and just as a person judges, so he will be judged. And
whoever treats his parents with excellence, Allah treats him with
excellence, and he attains divine pleasure. Allah, the Most Merciful, said: “Is
there any reward for good other than good?” [Ar-Rahman 55:60].
Dua and Supplication
The Imam continued, “O servants of
Allah, that, and send blessings and peace upon the best of creation, the master
of all prophets and messengers and Allah has said: “Indeed, Allah confers
blessings upon the Prophet, and HIS angels [ask HIM to do so.].
“O you who have believed ask [Allah
to confer] blessings upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.” [Al-Ahzab
33-56].
“O Allah, send Your blessings, peace
and grace upon Your trustworthy Messenger, upon his pure and righteous family,
upon his wives, the Mothers of the Believers and grant Your pleasure upon the
four rightly guided Caliphs, upon all the companions, and upon those who follow
them with excellence until the Day of Judgement. And include us with them by
Your pardon, generosity, and benevolence. O Most Generous of the generous.
“O Allah, honour them and the
Muslims, protect the foundations of the religion, make this country safe,
secure and prosperous, and bless all lands of the Muslims. O Lord of the
Universe.
“O Allah, grant success to our
leader, our ruler, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and to his crown
Prince, in all that You love and are pleased with. Guide them, with aides, and
those who assist them to all that benefits the country and the people, and
strengthens and empowers Islam and the Muslims.
“O Allah, grant success to the rulers
of the Muslims in all that You love and are pleased with.
“O Allah, protect and grant victory
to our security men and soldiers defending our frontiers, and be for them a
helper, supporter, and aid.
“O Allah, relieve the distress of
those who are burdened, ease the grief of the distressed, settle the debts of
those in debt, heal our sick and the sick among the Muslims, and have mercy
upon our deceased and the deceased among the Muslims - especially our fathers
and mothers - and have mercy on them as they raised us when we are small.
“O Allah, be for our brothers in
Palestine, grant them safety, security, peace, and reassurance.
“O Allah, protect Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa,
and make it elevated and honoured, until the Day of Judgement by Your Mercy, O
Most Merciful of the merciful.
“O Allah, You are Allah: There is no
god but YOU. YOU are Rich, and we are poor. Send down upon us rain, and do not
let us be among the despairing.
“O Allah, grant us rain - a pleasant,
wholesome rain; abundant, plentiful, widespread, beneficial and not harmful:
immediate and not delayed - by which You revive the land, grant relief to the
servants, and make it sufficient for the near and far.
“O Allah, grant us a merciful
downpour - and a rain of torment nor affliction, not a rain that causes
destruction or flooding.
“O Allah, we seek Your forgiveness:
Indeed, You are Ever-Forgiving, so send down upon us rain in abundance.
“Our Lord, grant us goodness in this
world and the hereafter, and protect us from the punishment of the
Hellfire.
“Glory be to Your Lord, the Lord of
Honour, from what they describe. Peace be upon the messengers, and all praise
is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
*Acknowledgement
*Courtsey:
Haramain Sharafain &
Islam Channel, U.K.
