[0:00]And for example, you find Allah subhana Wa Ta'ala saying, Allah has ordained that you do not worship except him in Surah 17 verse 23, and that you show goodness towards your parents. You show respect towards your parents. Likewise, you find at the same time that the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam.
[0:35]When he was asked which of the sins are the great ones, he mentions very clearly when he's asked which of the sins are the great ones, he mentions the first of them is shirk. The second of them is to show no duty towards your parents. The third of them is to kill a human being unjustly. And the fourth of them is to give false witness. I'm sure when you look at them, you agree that without a doubt the greatest sin in Islam is shirk, that there's no doubt. But then after that, despair, despondency, and showing disrespect towards one's parents, no doubt. And that's why within our duas, we always in our supplications ask Allah, oh Allah, show mercy to my parents, the way they showed mercy to me when I was a child.
[1:38]Therefore you find within our supplications we pray to Allah, oh Allah, show respect to my parents, show mercy to my parents, the way they showed mercy to me when I was a child. With the good deeds, provide them with goodness, and wherever they've sinned, forgive those sins and expiate them. Sadly today in the Muslim community, you've found that many have begun to neglect their parents. You found that some show no love, no interest, no reverence towards their parents at all. In the past, that reverence towards one's parents would never be undisputed. Whereas today, you find people saying, you know what, they're too old. Throw them in an old house. Let them be taken off taken and looked after by someone in a hospice. Who cares about them anymore? I'd rather leave them in a home. We'll come and visit them once or twice a month. Would you believe now in Europe and in America, there are people who leave their parents alone, and don't even go and sit with them, talk to them. Why? Because they say these parents of us are a headache for us. Now in their old age, they're a headache. They moan and they nag. And they forget the days when they were a headache to those same parents. And it's sad. It's sad today when you hear parents who have not been treated with the respect they deserve. Young people who show rude towards them, married couples who want them out of the house as soon as possible. And that is not the religion of Islam in its teachings. The religion of Islam wanted us to understand that obedience to our parents was obedience to Allah subhana Wa Ta'ala. That Allah puts after obedience to him, obedience towards our parents. Today you ask someone, where's your mom? My mom's in another country. How long have you seen her for? Seven years. So, what do you mean seven years? Say, yeah, I'm really busy in life. I can't go to see her. Where's your dad? Oh, he's at my cousin's house. How often do you visit your dad? Once every six years, I might go, but I'm really busy at the moment. When someone says that, that person doesn't realize one thing, when that mom and dad leaves this world, you'll be yearning for the day, that you could see them again and you'll wish they could come back right now. Those who've lost their parents, if you ask them now, how much do you wish you could just see your mother one final time? That she comes back now and you can embrace her. Those who've lost their fathers, if you were to ask them, how much do you wish dad was around now? They'll tell you we wish we could sit with him and beg to serve him. Be careful, there's a day that father you take for granted is gone. There's a day that mother you're being rude to is gone. You can't bring those days back. And that's why Islam would stress, try and always maintain your obedience and your respect to your parents.
