Khutbah at Masjid al-Haram on Dutifulness to Parents

 

Khutbah at Masjid al-Haram on

Dutifulness to Parents*

Dr Mozammel Haque

 

Imam of Masjid Al Haram Makkah Sheikh Dr. Yasser Al Dosari delivered his devotional Khutbah on Friday 14 November 2025 about the dutifulness towards parents. Sheikh Dr. Yasser al-Dosari said: The Imam 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].

 

 

Following is the English translation of the Khutbah

of Masjid al-Haram Makkah by Sheikh Dr. Yasser Al-Dosari

 The Imam 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].

The Imam 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 again 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.

 The Imam 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.

“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

The Imam 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

Coursey:

 Haramain Sharafain &

Islam Channel, U.K.