Being Good to your Parents

In today’s rapid-paced life, we often tend to get so busy that we forget our parents’ rights.& Family values have significantly dropped in our lives, and our friends often become more important to us than our own relatives.

What better can emphasize the good treatment of our parents than the following verse from the Quran (interpretation of the meaning) {And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "Ugh" nor rebuke them, and speak to them in honorable terms} [Quran Al-Israa 17:23]. There are two noteworthy conclusions that may be noticed from this verse.& First, Allah the Exalted has called for good treatment of parents immediately after ordering us to worship Him.& This proves the importance of being kind to our parents and the elevated status in which Allah (SWT) has placed parents in our lives.& Second, He has ordered us not to utter even the least of inappropriate comments to them; thus it is very surprising that some people yell at their parents or even tell them to shut up.

Furthermore, when Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) was asked which deed was the best, he replied: “The prayer at its appointed hour”. He was asked: “Then what?”, to which he replied: “Kindness to the parents”. Again he was asked: “Then what?”.& He replied: “Earnest struggle (Jihad) in the cause of Allah [Muslim].”

Whether or not you live with your parents, or if both of them are still alive, here are some tips to a good relationship with them: If you live with your parents bring something home every now and then.& For example, buy them a gift or a cake whenever you receive your paycheck.

Make sure to spend time with them every day, whether it be for reciting Qur’an or reading hadiths together, conducting household chores, or just plain friendly talk. Take them out.& My mother is extremely happy when I go out for a walk with her. Obeying whatever they ask you to do, as long as it complies with Islam.

If you don’t live with your parents Visit them regularly -- say once a week or every two weeks.

If you are unable to visit them often because you live far away for example, then do the next best thing and call them frequently.& Also, you may send them letters, and don’t forget greeting cards on Islamic occasions (Ramadan, Eid, etc.) If one or both of your parents have passed away

In the authentic Hadith, a man came to the Prophet (may peace be upon him) and asked him whether he can do any good for his parents after they passed away.& The Prophet (may peace be upon him) told him to do the following:

        -  Supplication and istighfar for them,

        -  Executing their will,

        -  Connecting with relatives that are likely to be cut with the parents’ death, and

        -  Honoring their friends

In another Hadith, the Prophet (may peace be upon him) also taught us that among the good deeds that benefit one who has passed away is a ‘righteous son that supplicates for him/her.’

Difficulties with parents

Reverts to Islam often tend to face difficulties with their non-Muslim parents.& Likewise, Muslims who take up new acts of worship (such as growing a beard or wearing niqab) might get into unpleasant situations with them.& Although one should not abandon such acts of worship in order to obey one’s parents, one should still retain a good relationship with both parents and treat them kindly.& Allah the Exalted has ordered us to obey our parents even if they are non-Muslims – but, once again, as long as what they ask complies with Islam.& Conditions such as this require a good deal of patience and can be considered opportunities to show your parents that your newly-found beliefs have actually made you better and closer to them.

Finally, I would like to close with the supplication of prophet Ibrahim (may peace be upon him) as in the Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning) {My Lord! Make me keep up prayer and from my offspring (too), O our Lord, and accept my prayer: O our Lord! grant me protection and my parents and the believers on the day when the reckoning shall come to pass} [Ibrahim 14:40-41]

Ruling on the Azaan! Praise be to Allah.

Firstly:

Azaan in Arabic means proclaiming or announcing. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And proclaim [adhdhin] to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage)” [al-Hajj 22:27]. & Transliteration: Wa `Adhdhin Fi An-Nasi Bil-Hajji

In sharee’ah terminology it means: worshipping Allah by announcing the time of the obligatory prayer, using phrases that have been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), in a specific manner.

Secondly:

The fuqaha’ are agreed that the azaan is one of the unique features and manifest symbols of Islam, but they differ as to the rulings on it. Some say that it is fard kifaayah (a communal obligation); this is the view of Imam Ahmad and was the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah; among contemporary scholars it is the view of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him). And some said that it is Sunnah mu’akkadah. The correct view is that it is fard kifaayah; if someone who is competent does it, the rest are absolved of sin. The evidence for that comes from the Sunnah.

It was narrated that Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith said: we came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when we were young men close in age, and we stayed with him for twenty days. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was merciful and kind; he thought that we were missing our families so he asked us about our families whom we had left behind, then he said, «Go back to your families, and stay with them; teach them and instruct them. When the time for prayer comes, let one of you give the call to prayer and let the oldest of you lead you in prayer» [Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 602; Muslim, 674].

According to a report narrated by al-Bukhaari, 604: «When you both go out, give the call to prayer (azaan), then the call immediately before the prayer (iqaamah), then let the older of you lead you in prayer».

According to a report narrated by al-Tirmidhi (205) and al-Nasaa’i (634): It was narrated that Maalik ibn al-Huwayrith said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) with a cousin of mine, and he said, «When you travel, give the call to prayer (azaan), then the call immediately before the prayer (iqaamah), then let the older of you lead you in prayer» [Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 1/230].

This hadeeth indicates that the azaan is a communal obligation, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) enjoined that only one person should give the call to prayer for a group; he did not tell the whole group to give the call to prayer (See Tawdeeh al-Ahkaam, 1/424).

Al-Nawawi said:

"This indicates that giving the call to prayer and praying in congregation are prescribed for travelers. It also shows that it is encouraged always to give the call to prayer, whether one is travelling or not" (Sharh Muslim, 5/175).

The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

"The azaan is fard kifaayah (a communal obligation) in a town, and the same applies to the iqaamah. If a person starts to pray without the azaan or iqaamah, whether out of forgetfulness or ignorance, or for some other reason, the prayer is still valid" (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 6/54).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:

"The evidence for them – i.e., the azaan and iqaamah – being obligatory is the command of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in a number of ahadith, and the fact that he always did that whether he was travelling or not, and because the time of prayer cannot usually be known without it, and because it serves a purpose and because it is one of the manifest symbols of Islam" (Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 2/38).

Based on the fact that the azaan is fard kifaayah, if the azaan is given in a town and the people can hear it, then the communal obligation has been discharged and there is no need to give the azaan for every congregation. But it is better and preferable to give the adhaan even if a person is praying alone.

The Standing Committee was asked:

Is it obligatory to give the adhaan over loudspeakers in every mosque in every neighbourhood, knowing that the adhaan from one mosque can be heard by all the Muslims? Or is the adhaan from one mosque sufficient for all the mosques of the neighbourhood?

The answer was: "The adhaan is fard kifaayah, so if a muezzin gives the adhaan in one neighbourhood and all the residents can hear it, that is sufficient. But it is prescribed for the people of each mosque to give the adhaan because of the general meaning of the evidence".

Based on this, it is preferable for you to give the adhaan, although that is not obligatory for you.