The Twenty-First Letter

In His Name, be He glorified!

And there is nothing but it glorifies Him with praise.(17:44)

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. * And out of kindness, lower the wing of humility, and say: “My Sustainer! Bestow on them Your mercy even as they cherished  me in childhood.”  * Your Sustainer knows best what is in your hearts: if you do deeds of righteousness, indeed he is Most Forgiving to those who turn to Him again and again [in true penitence].(17:23-5)

O  heedless  person  who  has  in  his  house  an  elderly  parent  or  an  invalid  or someone  no longer able to work from among his relations  or brothers in religion! Study the above  verses  carefully  and  see  how on five  levels  in different  ways  it summons children to be kindly towards their elderly parents. Yes, the highest truth in this world is the compassion of parents towards their children, and the most elevated rights, their rights of respect in return for their compassion. For they sacrifice their lives with the utmost pleasure, spending them for the sake of their children’s lives. In which case, every child who has not lost his humanity and become a monster honours those  respected,  loyal,  self-sacrificing  friends,  serves  them  sincerely,  and  tries  to please them and make them happy. Uncles and aunts, maternal and paternal, are like parents.[1]

So  understand  from  this  how  base  and  lacking  in  conscience  it  is  to  be contemptuous of those blessed elderly people, or to want their deaths.

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[1] Bukhari, Sulh, 6; Tirmidhi, Birr, 6; Abu Da’ud, Talaq, 35; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, ix, 269; al-Daylami, Musnad al-Firdaws, ii, 207.