The Holy Quran tackles how children should treat their parents. This is a fundamental relation in a person's life. Some people open up to Allah. They base their relations with their parents on righteousness. They maintain this path throughout their lives. Others distance themselves from Allah. They deafen their ears to Allah’s call to be kind to them.
Allah says: "We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). This means to treat them kindly. It means to regard their sacrifices and efforts in bringing him up. No one else could have ever done what they did. This requires profound appreciation, openness, and humanity. This is especially true for the mother. She bears great physical strain in carrying him, giving birth to him, and breastfeeding him. For Allah says: "His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). The mother faces much distress and suffering when carrying her child. This is due to the difficult health condition she experiences. Her mood fluctuates and all her body systems are perturbed. She also goes through a strenuous and painful delivery. It can be a life-threatening process. Despite the natural feeling of hatred towards these distresses, she accepts it all with content and affection. She embraces her child with pure warmth and kindliness. These emotions blossom throughout the process of carrying and breastfeeding him.
The process of taking care of the child lasts for a long time. For "the carrying of him to his weaning is thirty months." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). This means until he acquires full strength and capability. So that "when he reaches his maturity and reaches forty years," Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15) which is the phase where his body stiffens and his mind fully matures. His lusts calm down and his impulsive reactions settle. He starts to notice the graces Allah bestowed upon him in every detail. "He says, 'My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents.'" Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). It is as if he is invoking Allah to make him spiritually aware of these graces. This awareness demands him to express gratitude to Allah in his sayings and actions. He does this by taking paths that lead to Allah’s satisfaction. He turns these graces into a vital element that brings him closer to Allah. He becomes worthy of His love and honesty. "And to work righteousness such as You may approve of." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). Believing in Allah and recognizing His graces imposes a duty on man. He must devote his life to righteous deeds. He must bring up his offspring on the virtues of faith and righteous work. He must instill the spirituality that plants righteousness deep within their souls. He must establish it as a course of action and a code of conduct. It becomes a methodology in thought and relations. They then become active members in a righteous society. They become rebellious in corrupted societies.
This is the true faith that a believer experiences in how he views his progeny. His children are an extension of his existence in the future. It is not a mere personal need to boast about. It constitutes a sense of responsibility. It is based on bequeathing the line of righteousness he adopted to his children. Thus, man’s instinctive love for his children stands out as a personal need. It combines with a missionary view towards the role they are meant to assume in life after him.
The Holy Quran tackles how children should treat their parents. This is a fundamental relation in a person's life. Some people open up to Allah. They base their relations with their parents on righteousness. They maintain this path throughout their lives. Others distance themselves from Allah. They deafen their ears to Allah’s call to be kind to them.
Allah says: "We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). This means to treat them kindly. It means to regard their sacrifices and efforts in bringing him up. No one else could have ever done what they did. This requires profound appreciation, openness, and humanity. This is especially true for the mother. She bears great physical strain in carrying him, giving birth to him, and breastfeeding him. For Allah says: "His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). The mother faces much distress and suffering when carrying her child. This is due to the difficult health condition she experiences. Her mood fluctuates and all her body systems are perturbed. She also goes through a strenuous and painful delivery. It can be a life-threatening process. Despite the natural feeling of hatred towards these distresses, she accepts it all with content and affection. She embraces her child with pure warmth and kindliness. These emotions blossom throughout the process of carrying and breastfeeding him.
The process of taking care of the child lasts for a long time. For "the carrying of him to his weaning is thirty months." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). This means until he acquires full strength and capability. So that "when he reaches his maturity and reaches forty years," Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15) which is the phase where his body stiffens and his mind fully matures. His lusts calm down and his impulsive reactions settle. He starts to notice the graces Allah bestowed upon him in every detail. "He says, 'My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents.'" Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). It is as if he is invoking Allah to make him spiritually aware of these graces. This awareness demands him to express gratitude to Allah in his sayings and actions. He does this by taking paths that lead to Allah’s satisfaction. He turns these graces into a vital element that brings him closer to Allah. He becomes worthy of His love and honesty. "And to work righteousness such as You may approve of." Surah Al-Ahqaf (46:15). Believing in Allah and recognizing His graces imposes a duty on man. He must devote his life to righteous deeds. He must bring up his offspring on the virtues of faith and righteous work. He must instill the spirituality that plants righteousness deep within their souls. He must establish it as a course of action and a code of conduct. It becomes a methodology in thought and relations. They then become active members in a righteous society. They become rebellious in corrupted societies.
This is the true faith that a believer experiences in how he views his progeny. His children are an extension of his existence in the future. It is not a mere personal need to boast about. It constitutes a sense of responsibility. It is based on bequeathing the line of righteousness he adopted to his children. Thus, man’s instinctive love for his children stands out as a personal need. It combines with a missionary view towards the role they are meant to assume in life after him.