Moral Responsibility
toward Parents

A believer should be grateful to God, acknowledge and submit to Him. He should treat his parents honourably, speak gently to them and fulfil their needs.

Chapter 31 of the Quran states: “We have enjoined man to show kindness to his parents—for his mother bears him, in hardship upon hardship, and his weaning takes two years. [We said] Give thanks to Me and to your parents; all will return to Me. But if they press you to associate something with Me about which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. Yet be kind to them in this world and follow the path of those who turn to Me. You will all return to Me in the end, and I will tell you everything that you have done.” (31:14-15)

After God, a person’s parents have the first claim upon his loyalty. But, if the parents’ desire clashes with God’s will, then preference has to be given to God’s will and the parents’ wishes have to be accorded the second place. However, it is necessary even then to continue to serve the parents as before.

As regards God, a person’s responsibility is to be grateful to Him, acknowledging His godhead from the deepest recesses of his heart. He should be filled with feelings of acknowledgement of the blessings of God. All his existence should become a remembrance of God Almighty.

A person’s responsibility with regard to parents is that he should give them their rights. He should treat them honourably. He should speak to them with gentleness. He should fulfil their needs. He should support them in the full sense.

If there is a clash between the commands of the parents and the commands of God, it is incumbent upon a person to fulfil the commands of God. At such times a person’s obedience to the command of parents is not necessary, but even at that time he must treat them gently. He will be duty-bound to do so. One is never exempted from moral responsibility.