Tuesday, January 13, 2015

'Treat Your Parents Well'

The Khalifatullah (atba) is back home from London

Before getting to the heart of the subject of today’s Friday Sermon, Alhamdulillah, I thank Allah for the immense favour He pours down upon me and our Jamaat, which is making great progress day by day. Recently, like I informed you, I had to go to London, in the United Kingdom and Alhamdulillah, Allah has manifested many signs and has opened the door of Dawa all the more, so that people in general, and the Ahmadis in particular receive the message of peace which comes from Allah and His Khalifatullah of this era. 

The Dawa was great whereby many people – Christians, Hindus and Muslims (Afghans and Arabs etc.) received the message of the unity of Allah and of the advent of a Muhyi-ud-Din (Reviver of Faith) and Khalifatullah (Caliph of Allah) who has come to unite them together under the banner of “Laa-Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasullullah (There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). Alhamdulillah, Summa Alhamdulillah, as I was journeying to London, I made it a duty to try to contact the Khalifatul-Massih V, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad. Even before my departure, I sent his officers an email to inform him about my visit to London, and in London itself, I sent him a letter, a Message of Peace, which Insha-Allah, shall be official (along with the other materials) on the website very soon.

What is pleasantly astonishing is that the Ahmadis in London has not put any boycott on me. On the contrary, they received me with lots of love and teary eyes, in the mosque itself. And there was some talks and explanations on the divine manifestation which were very cordial and they even offered me a place to stay (with all provisions) but by the grace of Allah, Allah already made my provision in this regard, and I must appreciate this also. All in all, they are completely different from the Ahmadis in Mauritius with their boycott policy!

OBEISSANCE TO PARENTS

“And your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship (any) but Him, and good treatment to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them (so much as) “Ugh” nor chide them, but address them in terms of honour.” (17: 24).

These days, pupils are preparing themselves to take the way back to school. Children also have duties/homework which are not only academic in nature; indeed they also have to accomplish duties with due respect to Allah and His Messenger Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh). I have to tell you all children to keep in mind this motto: Water your mind with academic knowledge/education and water your soul with spiritual knowledge/education which is verily essential in the life of a believer, be him a small child or an adult. And this applies also for all children, even the adults who still are children of their old parents and who have the duty to take care of them.


Verily, after respect and obedience which we need to have for Allah and His Rasul (pbuh), the most important obligation is to serve and obey the parents and treat them well. The One who created everything (i.e. Allah) says in the Surah Bani Israel (like I read at the beginning of my sermon):

“And your Lord has commanded that you shall not worship (any) but Him, and good treatment to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them (so much as) “Ugh” nor chide them, but address them in terms of honour.” (17: 24).

You must help your parents with affection for them, even if they are in any kind of condition or age, and accomplish their wishes in a convenient way. I put before you some sayings of Nabi Kareem (pbuh) on the subject of respect and duty towards parents.

1. Once a person has asked Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) which is the best work to do for the pleasure of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) replied: “Pray (Salat) in the appointed time.” And afterwards he asked Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), besides Salat, which is the best work which pleases Allah most. Rasul-e-Kareem replied: “Treat your parents well”. (Bukhari).

2. Hazrat Umama (ra) narrated that a person came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and asked him what is the duty of a child towards his parents? The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said: “Parents are either paradise (Jannah) or hell (Dozakh).” That is, if you act righteously towards them, you shall be sent to Paradise, and if you displease them or make them angry, you will be consigned to Hell.” (Tirmidhi).

3. Hazrat Ibn Abbas (ra) narrated that Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said: “One who obeys his parents (as a sign of obedience to Allah), as a reward, two doors of paradise who remain open for him; on the other hand, the one who disobeys his parents, in reward, two doors of hell shall remain open for him. If he has only a parent, then only a door of either paradise or hell shall be respectively opened for him.” On hearing this, a companion asked: “Oh Messenger of Allah (pbuh), shall the punishment of hell be applied on that child even if his parents used to wrong him (treat him bad)? Nabi Kareem (pbuh) replied: “Even if they treat him bad” (3 times).

Therefore, children do not have the right to have rancour or neglect their parents, even if the latter treat them bad. According to Bukhari, Hazrat Asma bint Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra) was a polytheist. She therefore asked Nabi Kareem (pbuh): “My mother has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relations with her? The Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Yes, keep good relation with her.”

This is the reply of that perfect role model prophet. He did not say boycott her, do not see her, do not greet her Salam when that mother was a idolatress. Instead Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) instructed to treat her well, keeping good relation with her.

Social Boycott in the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya

Nowadays, the Ahmadis must ponder over this Hadith. With all the boycott laws that the Ahmadiyya Association has applied here and there, therefore this Hadith is a lesson which they need to draw. Like Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) has said, the one who disobeys his parent, consequently as a reward the door shall remain open for him. Thus, if you proclaim to be a Muslim, and that you believe in Allah and in His Messenger (pbuh), you need to reflect upon the words of Nabi Kareem (pbuh) before your so-called Amir or so-called Mullahs drive you away from your parents; especially those parents who have accepted the divine signs and manifestations; those parents who have sacrificed nights and days to raise you and give you education as well as all your needs and who have married you off also.

Nowadays, when one’s child is getting married, one does not have the right to invite his or her own blood relations, even the parents! Boycott becomes a must. On the other hand, other people, such as idolaters, and people who ill-talk Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) and Hazrat Massih Ma’ud (as) can be invited. There is no repercussion for them! As for the one who believes in the Divine Manifestation, he must be boycotted, and if an invitation is given to such people (of the Divine Manifestation), even if they be one’s own parents, then there is the necessity to take back the invitation card (wedding invitation card), for if not the Nikah won’t be pronounced!! Do you consider all this as Islamic teachings? On top of that, the instructions to boycott are obeyed to the letter, following them blindly. And you, in your blindness accept to hurt the feelings of your parents. But finally as reward the door of hell shall remain open for you (this kind of person who listens to others to boycott his/her parents). Doesn’t reflect upon the fact that what his position shall be tomorrow if his own child gives him the same treatment? This is the question I ask.

Beware! Do not listen to those imbeciles; never hurt your parents with hurtful words or by any offending means except through the exceptional conditions as mentioned by Allah in the Holy Quran, whereby there are certain conditions whereby the parents are not to be obeyed and not to observe a too friendly/close relation with them. In normal times, even if the parents wrong you or treat you bad, but you, you have the duty to treat them well. And you should not hurt their feelings. You must always preserve their honour and respect through your words, acts and thus maintain their status and honour high.

There are children who give a bad image to their parents, sullying their honour and greatness. There are parents who are respectable people of society, but while they are honourable people, their children on the other hand are good for nothing and bring shame to their parents in society. On the contrary, a child must always take the consent of his/her parents before doing all the good works that he/she does. If your parents are in a difficulty and he/she/they take something belonging to you, then beware not to think bad on them, and never show your disapproval/anger.

On the contrary, you should have good thoughts, whereby all that you are and have today is because of the sacrifices of your parents. (Upon their death) they leave all that they possess for you as inheritance. There are children who do not know the value of the inheritance of their parents, who strove hard and made great sacrifices to buy all kind of things to bequeath all to their children. It is unfortunate that there are some kinds of heirs who in their imbecility do not know the value of the heritage of their parents (a memento of their parents) which they do not hesitate to sell at minimum price because they forgot how their parents have sacrificed to have it. They listen to what others have to say and lose that heritage/inheritance. These kinds of heirs are always among those who hurt their parents while they are alive, making them cry. They are those who look down upon their parents, mistreating them. They do not bid them Salam or talk to them. They shall at the end of the day bear the consequences of their acts with their own children. When their children shall give them the same treatment, how shall they feel?

A child must bear this in mind. It is not only the material aspects of things or inheritance which you should like to have (when one’s parents die). You must bear this in mind that even when dead your parents have rights on you. The question is what kind of rights they have on you once they are dead? If your parents have died and they have left debts, it is your duty to pay back those debts, and if your parents have confided you something to do before his/her/their death, then it is your duty to accomplish them. Moreover, you should go regularly on their tombs to clean the place and pray for them (Dua-e-Maghfirat). Through these actions, the soul of your parents shall be pleased. The angels shall convey the blessings of these duas which you did and present them to your parents and they shall be really pleased and in their turn, they pray for those children who pray for them.

I pray, may Allah (swt) give each of you the Tawfiq to take good care of your parents, and if you don’t have parents who are well and living, then may you pray for them, whereby these prayers shall be of benefit for them in the hereafter. Insha-Allah, Ameen.

-Friday Sermon of January 09, 2015 delivered by the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius