THE DUTIFULNESS WE OWE OUR PARENTS

 FAJR REMINDER: THE DUTIFULNESS WE OWE OUR PARENTS

By: Umm Affān

Ṣafar 26, 1448 (10-August-2026)

One of the greatest responsibilities of a Muslim in this Dunyā is showing goodness, kindness, and dutifulness to one's parents. This is not merely a noble act of character; it is an act of worship that Allāh and His Messenger have given great importance to. To help us understand the seriousness of this responsibility, Allāh has mentioned being dutiful to parents alongside the command to worship Him alone without associating any partners with Him.

Allāh (ﷻ) says: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.’” [Sūrah Al-Isrā' (17): 23-24]

Allāh (ﷻ) also says: “And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years. Give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination.” [Sūrah Luqmān (31): 14]

We can never thank Allāh enough for His countless Blessings upon us. Likewise, no matter how much we do for our parents, we can never truly repay them for everything they have done for us. Yet, being good and dutiful to them is ultimately for our own benefit, because it is an act through which we seek the Pleasure of Allāh. Abū Burdah reported: Ibn ‘Umar (Raḍiyallāhu ‘Anhuma) watched a Yemeni man circling the House while carrying his mother on his back, saying, “I am her humble camel. If her mount is scared, I am not scared.” Then he said, “O Ibn ‘Umar, do you think I have repaid her?” Ibn ‘Umar said, “No, not even for a single pang of pregnancy.” [al-Adab al-Mufrad 10]

Consider what a mother goes through from the moment she becomes pregnant. Pregnancy comes with hardship, weakness, discomfort, and countless sacrifices until she finally gives birth, if Allāh wills. Imagine carrying another human being within your womb for nine months. Allāh (ﷻ) says: “...His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship...” [Sūrah Luqmān (31): 14]

During pregnancy, some women lose their appetite and may even struggle to eat meals they themselves prepared. Their bodies change, their strength may decrease, and they endure discomfort that can be difficult for anyone who has never experienced pregnancy to fully appreciate. Then comes the day of delivery. Whether the mother will survive the process is known only to Allāh. 

She goes through pain, fear, exhaustion, and vulnerability, yet by the Permission of Allāh, she brings a new life into this world. And after delivery, the real work begins—nurturing the child. For the first few months, many mothers barely sleep as they constantly attend to their babies. They wake up to feed them, clean them, comfort them, and make sure they are safe. When the child falls sick, the mother's heart is rarely at peace. She becomes anxious, searching for every possible way to see her child recover and return to good health.

This sacrifice continues for years. Parents nurture, feed, clothe, educate, protect, discipline, advise, and support their children. They sacrifice their comfort so that their children can have a better life. They celebrate their children's achievements and worry over their difficulties. They give without keeping a record of what they have spent or expecting their children to repay every sacrifice.

Sadly, some children who take care of their aged parents nowadays do so with a countdown mindset, thinking about how much longer their parents have to live and viewing the time, money, and effort spent on them as a burden. But when those same parents were raising them, there was never such a countdown. They did not nurture their children while calculating when the investment would be returned. They raised them because they loved them, because they were their responsibility, and because they wanted them to survive, grow, and become successful.

So, tell me: what good can we possibly do that would truly repay our parents? The answer is that we cannot fully repay them. But we can honour them. We can serve them. We can speak to them gently. We can be patient with their weaknesses as they grow older. We can make Du‘ā’ for them, care for them, and treat them with the kindness and mercy they showed us when we were helpless.

Let us therefore never see dutifulness to our parents as a burden. Let us see it as an opportunity—a precious opportunity to worship Allāh, earn His Pleasure, and show gratitude to those through whom He blessed us with care, love, and upbringing.

I beseech Allāh (ﷻ) to make us righteous children for our parents. Aameen.