Doing Good to Parents A Characteristic of Divine Prophets

IQNA – There are many verses in the Holy Quran in which the importance of being kind to parents has been emphasized.

God, in four verses, tells us to do good to our parents as a divine instruction. They include Verse 8 of Surah Al-Ankabut: “We have charged the human to be kind to his parents.”

There are also Verses 12 and 32 of Surah Maryam: “(Yahya was) kind to his parents, not arrogant or a rebellious person,” and “(He has made me) kind to my mother,” which is about Jesus (AS).

In some other verses, God refers to divine prophets’ honoring of parents. For example, in Verse 41 of Surah Ibrahim, we read how Abraham (AS) prays for his parents:

“Lord, on the Day of Judgment, forgive me and my parents and all the believers.”

In four verses of the Holy Book, ordering people to be kind to parents comes immediately after ordering them to worship God:

“(Remember) when We made a covenant with the Children of Israel, you shall worship none except Allah. Show kindness to your parents, to kinsmen, to the orphans, and to the needy, and speak of goodness to people.” (Verse 83 of Surah Al-Baqarah)

It means that if you want to worship God and get closer to Him, the first thing to do is to be kind to your parents.

Imam Ali (AS) said the greatest and most important obligation of mankind ordered by God is doing good to parents.

The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said whoever pleases his parents, has pleased God and whoever angers his parents has angered God.

That is, God’s pleasure is in pleasing one’s parents.