By Shaikh Ahmed Kutty

Friday, May 08, 2026

Among the greatest crises of our age are not merely economic hardship, political conflict, or social instability, but the quiet collapse of mercy within the home.

The relationship between parents and children—one of the holiest trusts given to humanity—is slowly weakening in many hearts.

Yet, this relationship in Islam is of utmost importance; it is directly tied to our relationship with Allah.

That is why the Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes kindness to parents immediately after worshiping Allah Himself.

Allah says: “Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and show excellence toward your parents.”

He also says: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you show kindness to your parents.”

Notice the significance of this command.

The right of parents is mentioned immediately after tawḥīd.

Why?

Because after Allah, no one has sacrificed more for you than they have.

The Love We Forget Too Easily

Reflect for a moment, my dear brothers and sisters.

Who carried you before you could walk?

Who fed you before feeding themselves?

Who stayed awake through nights of fever, fear, and tears while you slept peacefully?

Your mother carried you in weakness upon weakness.

She endured pain so you could live.

She sacrificed sleep so you could rest.

She carried worry in her heart while showing love on her face.

And your father—

How many burdens did he carry silently?

How many worries did he hide behind a calm expression so that you could feel secure?

How many dreams did he postpone so your future could be brighter?

Parents spend their youth exhausting themselves for their children, only to grow old, hoping for a little tenderness in return.

And despite all this, parents rejoice when their children surpass them.

What love in this world resembles that love?

When Strength Turns Into Weakness

My dear brothers and sisters,

The Qur’an speaks with extraordinary tenderness about one stage of life in particular: old age.

The time when strength fades, when memory weakens, when the hands that once carried others begin to tremble, and when parents slowly become dependent on the very child who once relied entirely on them.

Allah says: “If one or both of them reach old age in your care, do not even say to them ‘uff.'”

Not even a sigh.

Not even a word of irritation.

Not even the smallest expression of annoyance.

Because Allah knows that aging changes people.

They may repeat stories.

They may become emotionally sensitive.

They may ask for help repeatedly.

They may become slow and fragile.

And Allah is teaching us: Do not deal with them according to convenience; deal with them according to mercy.

Remember your own helplessness.

There was a time when, had your parents neglected you for even a short while, you could not have survived.

Now Allah is testing your gratitude through them.

One of the Greatest Sins

My dear brothers and sisters, listen carefully to the warning of the Prophet ﷺ.

One day, he asked the Companions: “Shall I not inform you of the gravest of the major sins?”

They replied: “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.”

He said: “Associating partners with Allah…”

and then immediately after that: “Being undutiful to one’s parents.”

In another narration, he repeated it again and again until the Companions wished he would stop due to the intensity of his concern.

Think about this carefully.

The Prophet ﷺ placed dishonoring parents alongside shirk among the gravest sins.

Why?

Because a hard heart toward parents is a sign of a heart losing its connection to mercy itself.

A person who cannot show mercy to those who sacrificed everything for him—

What mercy remains in that heart?

The Prophet ﷺ also said:

“The pleasure of Allah lies in the pleasure of the parents, and the anger of Allah lies in their anger.”

He warned: “May he be humiliated… the one who finds his parents in old age and does not enter Paradise through them.”

Imagine that, my dear brothers and sisters.

Your aging parents are not merely a responsibility; they are a door to Jannah.

Some people walk past that door every single day without realizing it.

What Do We Owe Our Parents After Their Death?

My dear brothers and sisters, many people think that dutifulness to parents ends when they are buried.

But Islam teaches us that true loyalty continues even after death.

A man once asked the Prophet ﷺ:

“O Messenger of Allah, is there any kindness left for me to show to my parents after their death?”

The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Yes. To pray for them, seek forgiveness for them, fulfill their promises, maintain the ties they used to maintain, and honor their friends after them.”

Look at the beauty of this religion.

Even after parents leave this world, the door of righteousness toward them remains open.

You honor them by making du’ā’ for them in the depths of the night.

You honor them by giving charity on their behalf.

You honor them by continuing the good works they loved.

You honor them by keeping family ties alive.

You honor them by speaking well of them.

You honor them by never forgetting them.

Perhaps one of the most painful realities is this: Some parents die while their children rarely remember them in du’ā’.

Days pass.

Months pass.

Years pass.

But a righteous child never allows the memory of their parents to fade.

The Prophet ﷺ taught us that when a human being dies, all deeds come to an end except three: Ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them.

My dear brothers and sisters—

Perhaps your parents are waiting today for a single sincere du’ā’ from you.

Perhaps a mother in her grave is waiting for her son to remember her after Fajr.

Perhaps a father is waiting for his daughter to ask Allah to forgive him.

Do not deprive them, and do not deprive yourself of this immense reward.

The Hidden Forms of Disrespect

Many people imagine disrespect means shouting or abuse.

But the Qur’an teaches us something much deeper.

Disrespect can appear in very subtle forms: a harsh tone, a cold reply, ignoring their calls, making them feel unwanted, speaking impatiently, rolling one’s eyes, or looking at them harshly.

The righteous scholars even said: A sharp gaze toward one’s parents contradicts true excellence toward them.

One of the early scholars said: “The first sign of anger is the harshness of the gaze.”

How many parents today are wounded not by blows but by emotional coldness?

A mother waits near the phone, hoping her child will call.

A father pretends not to be hurt when his children are too busy to visit.

Some parents sit silently in homes and care facilities, longing only to hear a loving voice.

This loneliness is becoming one of the great hidden tragedies of our age.

Before Regret Comes

My dear brothers and sisters, one of the most painful realities in life is regret after death.

Standing beside a grave, whispering:

“I should have visited more.”

“I should have called more.”

“I should have spoken more gently.”

“I should have apologized.”

But by then, the opportunity has passed.

The door has closed.

No tears can bring back a single moment.

That is why the righteous treasured every opportunity to serve their parents while they were alive.

Because they understood: One day, you will desperately wish for one more conversation.

And if your parents have already passed away—

Then let your loyalty continue beyond the grave.

Visit their graves.

Pray for them.

Give charity on their behalf.

Recite the Qur’an and ask Allah to grant them its reward.

Honor the people they loved.

Keep alive the goodness they planted in your life.

For love in Islam does not end with death.

Final Reflection

My dear brothers and sisters,

Road to Jannah is not always found in extraordinary deeds.

Sometimes it is hidden in simple acts:

bringing water to your mother,

speaking gently to your father,

sitting patiently beside aging parents,

and making du’ā’ for them in the quiet of the night.

Never underestimate these moments.

For perhaps the deed that saves a person on the Day of Judgment

will be a moment of mercy shown to a parent — living or deceased.

Closing Du’ā’

O Allah, forgive our parents and have mercy upon them as they raised us when we were small.

O Allah, those of our parents who are alive, grant them health, peace, and barakah.

And those who have returned to You, fill their graves with light, mercy, and tranquility.

O Allah, make us among the righteous children who continue to benefit their parents after death.

O Allah, forgive us for every moment of impatience, neglect, or harshness.

O Allah, place mercy, sakīnah, and love in our homes.

O Allah, do not let us reach the graves of our parents carrying the burden of regret.

O Allah, gather us with our parents, our children, and our loved ones in the highest levels of Jannah.

Āmīn.

My dear brothers and sisters,

Before you leave today, ask yourself:

If this were your last opportunity to speak to your parents, — What would you say?

And if they have already returned to Allah — When was the last time you sincerely prayed for them?