O man! If a semi-wild animal is a means of plenty when it comes as a guest to the house of a human being, you can compare for yourself what plenty and mercy man will bring as the noblest of creatures; and the believers, the most perfect of  men;  and  the  powerless  and  ailing  elderly,  the  most  worthy  of  respect  and compassion among the believers; and relatives, the most worthy and deserving of kindness, love, and to be served among the ailing elderly; and parents, who are the truest and most loyal friends among relatives, if they are present in a house in their old age. According to the meaning of, “If it were not for the elderly, bent double with age, calamities would be visited on you in floods,”[2] you can see the significant role they play in disasters being averted.

O man, come to your senses! You too will grow old if you do not die young. If you do not honour your parents, as stated by, “the punishment is similar to the act that required it,”[3] your children will not be dutiful towards you. If you want to secure your life in the hereafter, here is a rich treasury for you: be dutiful towards your parents and win their pleasure! While if it is this world that you want, still try to please them, for thanks to them your life will be easy and your sustenance plentiful. But if you are contemptuous of them, wish for their deaths, and wound their sensitive and vulnerable hearts, you will manifest the meaning of the verse,

They lose both this world and the hereafter.(22:11)

If you want the mercy of the Most Merciful One, be merciful towards those in your house whom He has entrusted to you.

There was someone called Mustafa Çavuş, one of my brothers of the hereafter. I used to observe that he was very successful both in his religious life and his worldly life. I did not know the reason for this. Then later I understood that the reason for his achievement was that he had understood the rights of his elderly parents and observed them to  the letter; thanks to  them he had  found ease and mercy.  God  willing,  he repaired his life in the hereafter as well. Anyone who wants good fortune should try to resemble him.

O God, grant blessings and peace to the one who said: “Paradise is beneath the feet of mothers,”[4] and to all his Family and Companions.

Glory be unto You! We have no knowledge save that which You have taught us; indeed You are All-Knowing, All-Wise.(2:32)

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[2] al-‘Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, ii, 163; Suyuti, Kanz al-‘Ummal, ix, 167; Ghazali, Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din, 341; al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, x, 227; Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, 345.

[3] “All acts are requited with something similar to them.” al-‘Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, i, 332; ‘Ali al- Qari, al-Asrar al-Marfu’a, 103.

[4] Suyuti, al-Jami’ al-Saghir, 3642; al-‘Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’, i, 335; al-Albani, Sahih al-Jami’ al- Saghir wa ziyadatuhu, 1259, 1260.