Father is a small word. A magical face. An imaginary frame with thousands of memories attached to it. One of the most beautiful things in this beautiful world is the loving face of a father. As a guardian, a thunderous voice, a frightening look, however the heart for a child is as tender as a flower. Father is a gift from Allah. Some get a father and some lose a father before seeing the light of universe. The story of human suffering is the same. Maybe that’s why the world is so diverse. The best resource for every human child is parents. Only those who do not have a father understand the pain of losing a father. Is the father an ordinary person? No. The banyan tree is on the head of the child whose name is father. Anyone can have an umbrella over their head, can give shade to protect from the sun and rain but no one can give cool shade like a banyan tree like a father. When the shadow of the banyan tree is removed, its meaning can be understood! Life is not easy without parents. Tough. Very difficult.
Father is the name of the cool shade. What he does not do for the child. The love of the child towards the father is immense. No scientific parameters for measuring this love have been discovered yet. Never. I always want to have devotion and respect not only for my father but also for my parents. I want to be polite to them. Islam has given the most emphasis on taking care of them. In many verses of the Qur’an, Allah Ta’ala Himself has instructed us to be kind to our parents. In verses 23 and 24 of Surah Bani Isra’il, Allah says, Your Lord has decreed that you shall not worship anyone except Him, and [He has enjoined] kindness to parents. Should any of them or both reach old age at your side, do not say to them, ‘Fie!’ And do not chide them, but speak to them noble words. Lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy, and say: “My Lord, have mercy on them even as they cared for me in childhood.”
Of all human rights, parental rights are paramount. So when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about the rights of parents, he said, ‘They are your Paradise or Hell.’ (Ibn Majah: 362) And if any affliction befalls them, Hell is inevitable. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Allah is pleased with the satisfaction of the father and Allah is displeased with the displeasure of the father.’ (Tirmidhi: 1982). In another narration, it is said that ‘Father is the middle door of Paradise. Now it is up to you to protect it or destroy it. ‘(Musnad Ahmad: 2175)
Parents cannot be mistreated even if they oppress their children. A hadith has been narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) in this regard. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, Obedience to one will open a door to paradise. And for those who disobey them, the two gates of Hell are open. If one disobeys, one door of hell will be open. It clearly shows how high the respect and dignity of parents is!
Parents are a great blessing for their children. The children enjoy the benefits of the service and care of their parents in the world. In this context, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever desires a long life and increase in sustenance, let him be kind to his parents and maintain a bond of kinship.’ (Shuabul Iman Lil Bayhaqi: 655). Acceptance of Hajj is equivalent to accepting the good looks of parents towards their children. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘When the loyal children of the parents look at them with compassion, Allah writes down the virtues of the accepted Hajj one by one in return for each glance. The Companions prayed, O Messenger of Allah! If you look a hundred times every day? He said, yes, still. Allah is more generous and better than him. ‘(Kanzul Ummal: 45535)
The rewards of serving parents and treating them well are endless. Again, disobeying them and hurting them is a grave sin. In a hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, I will tell you about the most serious sin? The Companions said, Yes, tell us. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: That is to associate partners with Allah, to disobey one’s parents and to bear false witness or to tell lies. ‘(Muslim: 269). In another hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed for the disobedient child of his parents. He said, ‘Let his nose turn gray. He said the word three times. Asked, O Messenger of Allah! Who are you talking about? He said that the person who found one or both of his parents in old age but could not enter Paradise. That is, he was not able to get the fitness of Paradise by serving them. ‘(Muslim: 2551)
Writer: Md. Mekail Ahmed
Researcher and article writer
Student, ICMAB, Dhaka, Bangladesh
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