Pearls of Wisdom No: 28 -Respecting Elders

Pearls of Wisdom: No.28

"Food for the Soul"

 

Subject:  Respecting Elder's

Allah, The Most Exalted, says:

"Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to your parents. If one or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, or scold them, but say a generous word to them. And act humbly to them in mercy, and say, 'My Lord, have mercy on them, since they cared for me when I was small." (Qur'aan-17: 23-24)

The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

"He is not of us who does not have mercy on young children, nor honour the elderly"
(Hadith-Al-Tirmidhi)

Note:  The duty of caring for one's parents and elderly in our society in this most difficult time of their lives is considered an honour and a blessing and an opportunity for great spiritual growth. In Islam, it is not enough that we only pray for our elders especially our parents, but we should act with limitless compassion, remembering that when we were helpless children, they preferred us to themselves. When peoples reach old age, they are treated mercifully, with kindness and selflessness. In Islam, serving elderly, in particular one's parents is a duty second to prayer, and it is their right to expect it. It is considered despicable to express any irritation when, through no fault of their own, the old become weak and vulnerable.

For an inspirational story on RESPECT FOR ELDERS please visit:

http://eislaminfo.blogspot.com/2013/04/respect-for-aged.html

Respect for Aged

What goes around…comes around!

Respect for our elders-The Story of the Wooden Bowl

 

 

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year - old grandson.

The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.

When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.

'We must do something about father,' said the son. 'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone.

Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor.

He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded,

'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. ' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

Remember what goes around comes around! How you treat your elders so will you be treated.

Allah, The Most Wise, says: "And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents" [Al-Qur'an 29: 8]

"And your Lord has decreed (commanded) that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents..." [Al-Qur'an 17: 23]

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad(peace be upon him) is reported to have said:

 "A parent is the best of the gates of Paradise; so if you wish, keep to the gate, or lose it."[Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4928 :Narrated byAbu Darda ]

These are few, there are lot more that describe the importance and value of parents. So you see, This is like a chain. Today you give respect, love and honour to your parents and tomorrow you will get it all from your children InshaAllah! Let us all be wise builders and role models for our children.

So now Choose Yourself what do you want to take with you in your old time, A WOODEN BOWL or A FRUITFUL TREE.