سُوْرَةُ الإِسۡرَاءِ
Surah Al-Israa (17) — Ayah 23
۞ وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿23﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
۞ وَقَضَىٰ
waqaḍā
And has decreed
رَبُّكَ
rabbuka
your Lord
أَلَّا
allā
that (do) not
تَعْبُدُوٓا۟
taʿbudū
worship
إِلَّآ
illā
except
إِيَّاهُ
iyyāhu
Him Alone
وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ
wabil-wālidayni
and to the parents
إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ
iḥ'sānan
(be) good
إِمَّا
immā
Whether
يَبْلُغَنَّ
yablughanna
reach
عِندَكَ
ʿindaka
with you
ٱلْكِبَرَ
l-kibara
the old age
أَحَدُهُمَآ
aḥaduhumā
one of them
أَوْ
aw
or
كِلَاهُمَا
kilāhumā
both of them
فَلَا
falā
then (do) not
تَقُل
taqul
say
لَّهُمَآ
lahumā
to both of them
أُفٍّۢ
uffin
a word of disrespect
وَلَا
walā
and (do) not
تَنْهَرْهُمَا
tanharhumā
repel them
وَقُل
waqul
but speak
لَّهُمَا
lahumā
to them
قَوْلًۭا
qawlan
a word
كَرِيمًۭا
karīman
noble
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani
Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
23. Your [23] Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him [24], and show kindness to parents [25]. If one or both of them reach old age with you [26], do not even say "uff" to them, nor scold them, but speak to them with respect.
[23]
Fourteen Fundamental Commands for an Islamic Society: The Summary of the Teachings of the Torah
From this verse onwards, in the next fifteen or sixteen verses, such fundamental principles and commands are being stated which serve as the foundation for the construction of an Islamic society. And upon which, in the near future, the foundation of an Islamic state was to be laid. In other words, this was the basic constitution of the Islamic state, the announcement of which was made in the last period of life in Makkah, stating upon which ideological, moral, social, economic, and legal principles the foundation of this new state would be laid. And Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that Allah Almighty has summarized the entire teaching of the Torah in these verses.
[24]
When Did Allah Decide the Matter of Tawheed?
When did Allah Almighty make this decision? The answer to this question is that Allah Almighty made this decision at the very time when, after creating Sayyiduna Adam ؑ, He brought forth all the souls to be born from his loins and presented them before Himself and asked, "Am I not your Lord?" So all replied, "Why not, we acknowledge this." Then Allah Almighty said, "I am taking this acknowledgment from you lest on the Day of Resurrection you say that it was our forefathers who committed shirk and we were unaware of it." [7: 172، 173]
The summary of that covenant is contained in this sentence, that the acknowledgment was, firstly, of the existence of Allah Almighty, and secondly, that no one else would be associated with Him.
Monotheistic Religions Have Always Existed in the World, Even If Few in Number
From a doctrinal perspective, mankind is divided into two groups: one group is those who do not believe in the existence of Allah at all, such as atheists and naturalists, etc. The second group is those who are followers of some religion and believe in the existence of Allah. In this respect, the first group is small, and the majority has always been those who believe in the existence of Allah. Then this second group, i.e., those who believe in the existence of Allah, is further divided into two: one, those who believe in Allah but also associate partners with Him; and the other, those who remain steadfast upon monotheism. Among them, the majority are of the first type, and those who are monotheists have always been few. And Allah's decision was that man should believe in His existence and not associate anyone with Him. Now, those who denied the existence of Allah also violated the covenant made with Allah, and those who committed shirk also violated it. Only a few remain who fulfilled the covenant made with Allah and lived according to Allah's decision, and that small group of monotheists has always existed in the world and will remain until the Day of Judgment, so that the proof is always established against the people. Thus, in this verse of Surah Yusuf: ﴿وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ باللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُوْنَ﴾, this very reality has been stated.
[25]
Good Treatment of Parents and Fulfillment of Their Rights
Allah Almighty, in several places in the Noble Quran, has mentioned parents immediately after mentioning Himself. Then He did not say to fulfill the rights of parents, but rather said to treat them well, and it is clear that good treatment includes much more than just fulfilling rights. Similarly, in authentic ahadith, after shirk, the second greatest sin is considered to be disobedience to parents, and the meaning of 'uqooq' (disobedience) is generally taken as disobedience, whereas 'uqooq' means every act that causes mental or spiritual harm to the parents. For example, neglecting parents, especially when they are old and in need of attention. This does not fall under disobedience, but it certainly falls under the meaning of 'uqooq'. That is why the Quran, at every place, has mentioned kindness or good treatment towards parents.
[26]
Reasons for Good Treatment of Parents
When parents are old and can no longer earn, and their children are young and earning, then in many respects, parents are in need of better treatment from their children. Firstly, that the children should support them financially and provide for their sustenance. Secondly, the love of parents for their children remains constant, but the love of children shifts towards their own offspring, so the children remain attentive to their own children and their attention is diverted from their parents. Whereas, at this age, parents need special attention, love, and affection from their children more than ever. Thirdly, due to old age, the temperament of parents naturally becomes irritable, and since the children are now independent of them, instead of tolerating their parents' words, they start saying inappropriate things to them. For these reasons, children have been instructed to speak to them with respect and keeping in mind the demands of love and affection, so that they do not suffer any kind of mental or spiritual harm.
[23]
Fourteen Fundamental Commands for an Islamic Society: The Summary of the Teachings of the Torah
From this verse onwards, in the next fifteen or sixteen verses, such fundamental principles and commands are being stated which serve as the foundation for the construction of an Islamic society. And upon which, in the near future, the foundation of an Islamic state was to be laid. In other words, this was the basic constitution of the Islamic state, the announcement of which was made in the last period of life in Makkah, stating upon which ideological, moral, social, economic, and legal principles the foundation of this new state would be laid. And Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that Allah Almighty has summarized the entire teaching of the Torah in these verses.
[24]
When Did Allah Decide the Matter of Tawheed?
When did Allah Almighty make this decision? The answer to this question is that Allah Almighty made this decision at the very time when, after creating Sayyiduna Adam ؑ, He brought forth all the souls to be born from his loins and presented them before Himself and asked, "Am I not your Lord?" So all replied, "Why not, we acknowledge this." Then Allah Almighty said, "I am taking this acknowledgment from you lest on the Day of Resurrection you say that it was our forefathers who committed shirk and we were unaware of it." [7: 172، 173]
The summary of that covenant is contained in this sentence, that the acknowledgment was, firstly, of the existence of Allah Almighty, and secondly, that no one else would be associated with Him.
Monotheistic Religions Have Always Existed in the World, Even If Few in Number
From a doctrinal perspective, mankind is divided into two groups: one group is those who do not believe in the existence of Allah at all, such as atheists and naturalists, etc. The second group is those who are followers of some religion and believe in the existence of Allah. In this respect, the first group is small, and the majority has always been those who believe in the existence of Allah. Then this second group, i.e., those who believe in the existence of Allah, is further divided into two: one, those who believe in Allah but also associate partners with Him; and the other, those who remain steadfast upon monotheism. Among them, the majority are of the first type, and those who are monotheists have always been few. And Allah's decision was that man should believe in His existence and not associate anyone with Him. Now, those who denied the existence of Allah also violated the covenant made with Allah, and those who committed shirk also violated it. Only a few remain who fulfilled the covenant made with Allah and lived according to Allah's decision, and that small group of monotheists has always existed in the world and will remain until the Day of Judgment, so that the proof is always established against the people. Thus, in this verse of Surah Yusuf: ﴿وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ اَكْثَرُهُمْ باللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَهُمْ مُّشْرِكُوْنَ﴾, this very reality has been stated.
[25]
Good Treatment of Parents and Fulfillment of Their Rights
Allah Almighty, in several places in the Noble Quran, has mentioned parents immediately after mentioning Himself. Then He did not say to fulfill the rights of parents, but rather said to treat them well, and it is clear that good treatment includes much more than just fulfilling rights. Similarly, in authentic ahadith, after shirk, the second greatest sin is considered to be disobedience to parents, and the meaning of 'uqooq' (disobedience) is generally taken as disobedience, whereas 'uqooq' means every act that causes mental or spiritual harm to the parents. For example, neglecting parents, especially when they are old and in need of attention. This does not fall under disobedience, but it certainly falls under the meaning of 'uqooq'. That is why the Quran, at every place, has mentioned kindness or good treatment towards parents.
[26]
Reasons for Good Treatment of Parents
When parents are old and can no longer earn, and their children are young and earning, then in many respects, parents are in need of better treatment from their children. Firstly, that the children should support them financially and provide for their sustenance. Secondly, the love of parents for their children remains constant, but the love of children shifts towards their own offspring, so the children remain attentive to their own children and their attention is diverted from their parents. Whereas, at this age, parents need special attention, love, and affection from their children more than ever. Thirdly, due to old age, the temperament of parents naturally becomes irritable, and since the children are now independent of them, instead of tolerating their parents' words, they start saying inappropriate things to them. For these reasons, children have been instructed to speak to them with respect and keeping in mind the demands of love and affection, so that they do not suffer any kind of mental or spiritual harm.
