Respect Your Parents.

 

"In Kuwait, a senior citizen entered the court to present his complaint before the judge. The judge asked, 'Against whom is your case?' He replied, 'Against my son.' The judge, surprised, inquired, 'What is the complaint?' The old man said, 'I am asking for monthly expenses from my son as per his capability.' The judge said, 'You have no right to demand that from your son, regardless of your wealth.' The old man said, 'Your Honor! Even though I am wealthy and don't need the money, I want to receive monthly expenses from my son.' The judge, astonished, obtained the son's name and address and summoned him to court.

When the son appeared in court, the judge asked, 'Are these your parents?' The son replied, 'Yes, they are my parents.' The judge asked, 'Have they filed a case against you, asking for monthly expenses, even though they don't need it?' The son, surprised, said, 'Why are they asking me for expenses when they are wealthy themselves and don't require my help?' The judge said, 'This is your parents' request, and they have every right to ask. They are free to demand in their capacity.' The old man said, 'Judge Sahib! If you order just one dinar monthly, I will be content, provided that he gives me this dinar directly, without intermediaries.' The judge agreed.

Then the judge issued the order: 'So-and-so, son of so-and-so, will pay his father one dinar monthly directly.'

Before leaving the courtroom, the judge asked the old father if he would mind explaining why he filed the case. Tearfully, the old man said, 'Respected Judge! I am afraid to see my son. His work has kept him so occupied that I haven't seen his face for a long time. I filed this case to have a chance, even if it's once a month, to see him.' Hearing this, the judge broke down and said, 'By God, if you had informed me earlier about this truth, I would have sent him to jail and made him regret.' The old man, smiling, said, 'Sir Judge! Your order troubles my heart. I wish my son knew how much love his parents have for him. Before it's too late, instill in your children the principle of respecting parents! Teach your children to fulfill the rights owed to Allah. Surely, Allah will guide them to fulfill the rights owed to parents.'

In this world, there are two kinds of people: those under the shade of their parents and those deprived of such paradise. My readers, the people I address, are those whose parents are alive but face disobedience. Where God commanded to avoid saying 'uff' to parents, today's society has lagged far behind in disobedience to this word. Holding the finger of their innocent child, parents never realize that this same child, when on the journey of life, will forget the sacrifices made for them. Critically observing your surroundings, you will find numerous individuals who don't care about disobeying their parents. Isn't it ironic that despite spending their lives nurturing us, parents are considered a burden? How can this relationship become a burden when it has shouldered our burdens from childhood to youth? And gradually, under the weight of our character, this relationship becomes burdensome.

Throughout their lives, parents conceal tears in their eyes, fearing that their children might learn of their pain. Is this the respect for parents, to shake the foundations of this one strong relationship for the sake of new relationships? Every relationship deserves respect, but when the threads of relationships become entangled, it tests our upbringing. Clearly, what upbringing we have received will surface then, and when the world takes a critical look, boldly it will proclaim that our parents raised us this way. Even though we become the reason for our parents' humiliation, remember, if you want to embellish your life in this world and the hereafter, respect your parents. May Allah guide us all to obey our parents' commands."