Surah Al-Ankaboot (29) — Ayah 8

(Ayah 8) ➊ { وَ وَصَّيْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا :} After urging faith in Allah and righteous deeds and mentioning their virtue, the command to show kindness to parents is given, because it is from them that a person comes into existence; the father spends and nurtures, while the mother breastfeeds and raises. In the Noble Qur’an, generally after the right of Allah, the right of parents is mentioned, as He said: «{ وَ قَضٰى رَبُّكَ اَلَّا تَعْبُدُوْۤا اِلَّاۤ اِيَّاهُ وَ بِالْوَالِدَيْنِ۠ اِحْسَانًا اِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ اَحَدُهُمَاۤ اَوْ كِلٰهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَّهُمَاۤ اُفٍّ وَّ لَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَ قُلْ لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيْمًا }» [ بني إسرائیل : ۲۳ ] “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents. If one or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them ‘uff’ (a word of disrespect), nor scold them, and speak to them with gracious words.”

➋ Al-Biqa‘i has drawn this connection with the previous verses that one form of trial is that a person’s parents compel him towards disbelief and polytheism, so in such a situation, he should remain steadfast and not commit disbelief or polytheism.

➌ { وَ اِنْ جَاهَدٰكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِيْ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا:} That is, if your parents insist that you associate with Me that for which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them, meaning that for which you have no evidence of being a partner, because knowledge is that for which there is evidence. The point is, can there be any evidence for polytheism? It only arises from superstition and blind imitation. From this, it is understood that associating partners with Allah at the command of parents is never permissible; not only polytheism, but any disobedience to Allah and His Messenger is not permissible at the command of parents or any creature. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ لاَ طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوْقٍ فِيْ مَعْصِيَةِ اللّٰهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ] [ مسند أحمد : 131/1، ح : ۱۰۹۹، صحیح علٰی شرط مسلم ] “There is no obedience to any creature in disobedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.” And it is narrated from Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ اَلسَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ عَلَی الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ فِيْمَا أَحَبَّ وَكَرِهَ مَا لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ ، فَإِنْ أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَلاَ سَمْعَ عَلَيْهِ وَ لاَ طَاعَةَ ] [ ترمذي، الجہاد، باب ما جاء لا طاعۃ لمخلوق في معصیۃ الخالق : ۱۷۰۷، و صححہ الترمذي و الألباني ] “Listening and obeying is obligatory upon a Muslim man in what he likes or dislikes, as long as he is not commanded to disobey (Allah); but if he is commanded to disobey (Allah), then neither listening nor obeying is permissible.”

➍ It is narrated from Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that several verses of the Qur’an were revealed about him, (among them is this) that Sa‘d’s mother swore (when he became Muslim) that she would never speak to him until he left his religion and would neither eat nor drink. She said, “You say that Allah has enjoined you regarding your parents, and I am your mother and I command you.” Sa‘d said, she remained like this for three days, until she fainted from hunger, so one of her sons, whose name was ‘Ammarah, got up and gave her (water, etc.), so when she regained consciousness, she began to curse Sa‘d, upon which Allah the Exalted revealed in the Qur’an this verse: «{ وَ وَصَّيْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حُسْنًا }» [ العنکبوت : ۸ ] and this verse: «{ وَ اِنْ جَاهَدٰكَ عَلٰۤى اَنْ تُشْرِكَ بِيْ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا وَ صَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوْفًا }» [ لقمان : ۱۵ ] [ مسلم، فضائل الصحابۃ، باب في فضل سعد بن أبي وقاص رضی اللہ عنہ : ۱۷۴۸، بعد الحدیث : ۲۴۱۲ ]

➎ { اِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ …:} That is, these worldly relationships and the rights of parents are limited to this world; in the end, parents and children all have to return to the presence of Allah the Exalted, then if parents forced their children into misguidance or committed injustice without right, they will be held accountable, and if children fell short in fulfilling the rightful rights of parents, they will be questioned about it.