Filial Piety: A Divine Command

Zumratal mukminin rahimakumullah,

Let us increase our taqwa towards Allah s.w.t. by fulfilling all His commands and avoiding all His prohibitions. Let us become the children who are a source of rewards for our parents, and let us nurture children who will become sources of reward for us. May Allah gather all whom we love and cherish in His Paradise. Amin, ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.

Dear blessed congregation,

Among the greatest commands that Allah s.w.t. has given us after commanding us to worship Him alone, is the command to honour and do good to our parents. Allah s.w.t. says in Surah al-Isra’, verse 23:

Which means: “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you honour your parents.”

Subhanallah, the fact that Allah mentions filial piety — birrulwalidayn immediately after commanding us to worship Him alone shows the immense weight and importance of filial piety in Islam.

My beloved brothers,

While we may understand how important filial piety is, the question remains — how do we actually practise it in our busy, fast-paced lives today, especially when we're facing unprecedented challenges, such as economic pressures and social changes which previous generations may never have had to navigate?

Allah s.w.t. guides us in Surah al-Isra’, verse 24:

Which means: “And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, ‘My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up (when I was) small.”

This single verse serves as a cross-generational guide to navigating filial piety. Allah, the Most Merciful, shows us the way to be soleh or righteous offspring who are dutiful to our parents.

Please heed the following three takeaways from the verse:

Firstly: Treating our parents with humility

We must remember that our parents grew up in a different time with different experiences. This can create gaps in knowledge, especially with technology and modern systems.

Concepts that are familiar to us, such as booking appointments through apps or identifying scam messages and calls, may be new or confusing to many, including our parents. Humility, then, becomes an essential act of love: we guide them patiently, and assist them with kindness, without showing any frustration or belittling their understanding.

Secondly: Looking at our parents with compassion and mercy

Allah s.w.t. commands us to lower the wing of humility out of mercy. Hence, mercy is fundamental in our act of humility toward our parents.

Brothers, Singapore is one of the countries with the fastest ageing population, and our parents are part of this reality. As they age, many face health challenges, while others experience loneliness as their children become busy with careers and families of their own. Here, mercy calls us to be present — to accompany them to medical appointments, and to give them our time, attention, and warmth.

Should disagreements arise, mercy guides our tone and reminds us that respect must never be lost. Remember, their love and sacrifices deserve to be met with compassion, and they deserve to be seen with mercy.

Thirdly: Offering supplications for our parents

Allah Himself teaches us the beautiful supplication or du‘a that we may offer for our parents:

Which means: “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up when I was small.”

My dear brothers,

Inherent in this supplication is the phrase “as they brought me up when I was small,” which reminds us of all the care, sacrifices, compassion, mercy, love, kindness, and patience our parents showed us during our childhood.

They stayed awake through sleepless nights, tended to our every need, and often put aside their own comfort for our sake. They celebrated our joys, and were deeply affected by our sadnesses. They bore our mistakes with utmost patience, and prayed silently for our success and wellbeing.

Truly, the very least we can do is to turn to Allah s.w.t. and make supplication for them.

Blessed congregation,

We may have had disagreements with our parents or caused them hurt, whether knowingly or unknowingly.

As such, we must always remember that no matter what happens between us and our parents, at the end of the day, they are the ones whose hearts overflowed with joy at our birth, whose smiles brightened our earliest memories, and whose love and sacrifices shaped the people we have become. So let us strive to honour them and become devoted children by practising true filial pietyin our words, actions, and prayers.

May Allah s.w.t. bless our parents with mercy, forgiveness, and endless reward for all that they have done for us. May He grant them good health, long life, and happiness, and may He make us among the children who honour, respect, and care for them sincerely. Amin, ya Rabbal ‘Alamin.