Rights of parents
After tawhid, the Quran's next command. What 'ihsan to parents' looks like when they are alive, hard to please, and after they have died.
Outline
- 1
The Quran places it second to tawhid
'Worship none but Allah, and to parents do good' (Surah al-Isra 17:23). The grammatical pairing in the verse is intentional — the right of parents is mentioned immediately after the right of Allah.
- 2
Even with the difficult ones
'If one or both of them reach old age in your care, do not say to them so much as a sigh, do not scold them, and speak to them with honour' (Surah al-Isra 17:23). The verse specifically addresses the hard case — the aged, demanding parent — not the easy one.
- 3
After they die
The Prophet ﷺ taught us that du'a, sadaqah on their behalf, maintaining their friendships, and fulfilling their unfulfilled obligations are how we keep honouring them after death (Abu Dawud 5142).
Closing line
Rabbi-rhamhuma kama rabbayani sagheera — my Lord, have mercy on them as they raised me when I was small.
Aisha (RA) reported: the Prophet's ﷺ khutbahs were of moderate length and his prayers were short (Sahih Muslim 869). Aim for fifteen to twenty minutes. Two sections separated by a brief sitting is the Sunnah pattern.