134.

١٣٤. عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِىِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:

«رَغِمَ اَنْفُ ثُمَّ رَغِمَ اَنْفُ ثُمَّ رَغِمَ اَنْفُ» قِيلَ:

«مَنْ يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ؟» قَالَ:

«مَنْ اَدْرَكَ اَبَوَيْهِ عِنْدَ الْكِبَرِ اَحَدَهُمَا اَوْ كِلَيْهِمَا فَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الْجَنَّةَ».

134. Abu Huraira (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“Let him be humbled (on his nose), let him be humbled (on his nose)!”  It was asked:

“O the Messenger of Allah! Who is he?”

The Prophet (pbuh) answered:

“He who finds his parents in old age, either one or both of them, and does not enter Paradise.” (Muslim, Birr, 9, 10)

 

Explanations:

In fact, one must stay away all kinds of shameful deeds that Allah has forbidden, no matter how great or little they are. That is because why and for whom the act has been done is more important than the act itself. Therefore, even the smallest mistake done to Allah without an excuse is a shame for a believer. However, considering mistakes that can easily be fallen into due to human nature can be divided into two sub-categories as the minor ones and the major ones according to their consequences.

The major sins are the ones cursed and severely threatened mistakes in the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet. They are also the ones whose performers are called sinners and deserve to be punished. Such sins necessitate torments in the tombs and in the hereafter. Also, it is clear that the deeds cursed by Allah, referred to as away from His mercy, and end with misery are the ones that are considered the forbidden (haram) deeds or one of the major sins.

Major sins contain very serious dangers for humans. As a matter of fact, the pervasiveness of insurgency and major sins and inability to prevent them may cause total destruction of humanity.

Those who do not avoid major sins provoke Allah’s anger and receive punishment even for their minor sins and would not benefit from their good deeds a lot. As a matter of fact, in previous subjects, we have seen that some of the good deeds and acts of worship can be expiation for our minor sins. However this is conditioned on “avoiding major sins.”^[1]

In other words, only if the servant avoids major sins then their good deeds can be expiation for the minor sins. Allah says:

 “If you (but) eschew the most heinous of the things which you are forbidden to do, We shall expel out of you all the evil in you, and admit you to a gate of great honor.” (Al-Nisa; 4:31. Also see Al-Najm; 53:32)

In our first hadith, due to the importance of the subject, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used an attention grabbing style by first asking “Shall I inform you of the biggest of the great sins?” before he talked about them. Then he listed ascribing partners to Allah, disobeying the parents, and lying.

The biggest of the major sins is not to acknowledge the existence of Allah and to ascribe partners to Him in His being, attributes, and deeds. This is called “akbar al-kabair.”  Allah the Almighty explained ascribing partners to Him as “the highest wrong-doing”^[2] and “devise a sin most heinous indeed.”^[3] That is because ascribing partners to Allah is the most wrongful approach in the face of the truth. Those who ascribe partners to Allah would be doing wrong to themselves and do injustice by not giving Allah His due. The result of this is to be strayed far, far away (from the true path).^[4]

Ascribing partners to Allah who created man and the whole universe is a very disrespectful and misbehaved way of acting. As a matter of fact, when Abdullah b. Mas’ud asked the following question to the Prophet (pbuh):

“Which offense is the most grievous in the eye of Allah?” the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“That you associate a partner with Allah (despite the fact) that He created you.” (Muslim, Iman, 141)

If attention is paid, it can be seen that the same thing applies to when one disobeys to his parents. As a matter of fact, Allah appointed them as a means for a person to come to this world and gain existence. Parents gladly do all kinds of sacrifices to raise their children until they grow up and take care of themselves. Therefore, we must give the right due to Allah and to our parents to whom we owe our existence.

Ascribing partners to Allah does not harm Allah in any way. All harm of ascribing partners to Allah is for people. Since Almighty Allah has a sense of jealousy towards His servants from sins and mistakes, He strictly prohibits ascribing partners to Him.

Almighty Allah explained how bad ascribing partners to Allah is and how harmful it is to humans as:

“Being true in faith to Allah, and never assigning partners to Him: if anyone assigns partners to Allah, is as if he had fallen from heaven and been snatched up by birds, or the wind had swooped (like a bird on its prey) and thrown him into a far- distant place.” (Al-Hajj; 22:31)

While believing Allah elevates people and makes them spread their wings to everlasting spirituality, ascribing partners to Him causes them to fall from heavens and get shattered. Ascribing partners to Allah is such a destructive sin and it breaks one’s heart into pieces and throws it down from cliffs and drags it to places where all sorts of danger are present. As a matter of fact, when one is trapped into the sin of ascribing partners to Allah, each one of the fanciful desires of the carnal soul drags him to different ways and Satan, who is the wind of destruction, throws him to the furthest corners of the valleys of Hell. This destruction of the heart is much worse than the destruction of the body. For this reason, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“Even if you are cut into pieces or burned in fire, never ascribe partners to Allah!..” (Ibn Majah, Fiten, 23)

There is no stability and peace in the hearts of those who ascribe partners to Allah. They never know whom or what they want to please. How nicely their confused situation is expressed in the following Qur’anic verse:

“Allah puts forth a Parable a man belonging to many partners at variance with each other, and a man belonging entirely to one master: are those two equal in comparison? Praise be to Allah, but most of them have no knowledge.” (Al-Zumar; 39:29)

Think about a servant and some partners who disagree with each other. Each partner wants the servant to obey only his commands and gets angry when the servant obeys other partners. Anyone in this situation would not know what to do and angers one partner while trying to please the other one since while the servant thinks about performing the command of one, other partners give different commands. As a result, this servant would be worthless in the eyes of each of the partner and his life would be wasted with never-ending troubles and exhaustion.

On the other hand, think about a servant who is devoted only to one master and who is in peace. He would please his master each time and earns rewards. In turn, his master helps him with his works and needs and grants his wishes. Could the situation of these two servants be the same?

As the state of those who ascribe partners to Allah is dishonorable and miserable in this world, it is also very frightening in the Hereafter. Allah the Almighty does not forgive those who ascribe partners to Him while He forgives anything else if He pleases. (Al-Nisa; 4:48, 116)

Those are the ones who waste the eternal life. It is said in a noble verse of the Qur’an:

“Those who reject (Truth), among the people of the Book and among the Polytheists, will be in Hell-Fire, to dwell therein. They are the worst of creatures.” (Al-Bayyinah; 98:6)

Each prophet surely explained the truth about ascribing partners to Allah. They have warned their followers to acknowledge Allah, the Cause of all causations, without getting fooled by the perceptible causes. We can list the acts that the Prophets explained as acts of ascribing partners to Allah:

• Prostrating to something or someone other than Allah,^[5]

• Presenting the needs to someone other than Allah and expecting the results (which should be expected only from Allah) from other powers and persons,

• Naming some creatures as “the daughters of Allah” or “the sons of Allah,”

• Adopting rulers as Lord who make things permissible (halal) or forbidden (haram). That is because the power to make things permissible or forbidden for people is unique to Allah.

• Sacrificing an animal for the name of someone other than Allah,

• Swearing in the name of someone other than Allah,

• Visiting places special to beings ascribed as partners to Allah,

• Naming children after the beings that remind ascribing partners to Allah…^[6]

In our second hadith, the dangers of showing off, being insincere, and performing some deeds for something other than Allah’s contentedness which is also known as “implicitly (secretly) ascribing partners to Allah” are being drawn attention to. Performing the things that should be done for the contentment of Allah for others to see, admire, and for some worldly benefits is a situation that the Messenger of Allah was worried about his followers. That is because acting this way is among the major sins and is also something very easy to be trapped into since it is not obvious. On the other hand, the greater shirk, i.e., ascribing partners to Allah openly (explicitly), is evident. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) explained this with all its aspects to his followers. After that, it is not possible for a sane believer to worship creatures such as moon or sun. However, the desires of the carnal self and sense of showing-off is not like that so one must be aware of them at all times. For example, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) considered trying to perform a prayer better knowing that it is being observed by others as a manifestation of ascribing partners to Allah implicitly. (Ibn Majah, Zuhd, 21)

The result of the implicitly ascribing partners to Allah is a surprise misery. While the person expects divine rewards from the worships that he has performed as showing-off, he will face with a punishment in the Hereafter and realize that he gained nothing.

One day, the Prophet (pbuh) said:

“The thing that worries me the most about you is the lesser (implicit ascription of partners to Allah.”

The people around him asked:

“What is the lesser ascription of partners to Allah, O the Messenger of Allah?”

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) answered:

“It is hypocrisy, or, in other words, it is showing-off. On the Day of Judgment, while people receive what corresponds to their deeds, Allah will tell the hypocrites:

“Go to those whom you wanted to see your deeds! See if you can find any rewards with them?” (Ahmad, V, 428, 429)

Therefore, a Muslim should sincerely perform his acts of worships and good deeds, and avoid anything other than the content of Allah such as hypocrisy, showing-off, and similar senses of benefits.

It is said in the Noble Qur’an:

“… whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” (Al-Kahf; 18:110)

In our third hadith, we are informed that Allah the Exalted prohibits disobedience to parents and to break off relations with them. Even if “mothers” is used in the original text of the hadith, it is clear that both of parents are implied. The reason why “mothers” are specifically mentioned in the hadith is the fact that they are mistreated and abused more often than fathers since they are more merciful, gentler, and weaker.

The Prophet (pbuh) informs us that, on the Day of Judgment, He will not look at the faces of those who disobey their parents. (Nasai, Zakat, 69/2560)

Almighty Allah says:

“Serve Allah, and join not any partners with Him; and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, those in need, neighbors who are near, neighbors who are strangers, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (ye meet), and what your right hands possess: For Allah loves not the arrogant, the vainglorious…” (Al-Nisa; 4:36)

In this verse, our Exalted Lord prohibits ascribing partners to Him and, right after that, commands being nice to parents. This is enough to prove the importance of being nice to parents and how bad it is to disobey them.^[7]

For this reason, the way of gaining the consent of Allah passes through gaining the consent of parents. Angering the parents attracts the wrath of Allah.

Someone came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and asked:

“O Messenger of Allah!  What is the right of parents upon their children?”

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“They are either your Paradise or your Hell.” (Ibn Majah, Adab, 1/3662)

In other words, parents are two big opportunities presented to everyone. A Muslim can make it easy to gain Paradise for himself by pleasing his parents. If one does not act in this way and displeases his parents, this time, he makes the ways of Paradise difficult for himself. As a matter of fact, Almighty Allah lets us know that the Paradise lies under the feet of our mothers.

 Aisha, the mother of believers, told a story about an act of a Companion who gained Paradise by being nice to his mother:

One day, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:

“I fall asleep and saw myself in Paradise. I heard someone reciting the Qur’an.

“Who is this?” I asked.

They said “This is Haritha b. Nu‘man.”

The Messenger (pbuh) continued saying:

“Doing goodness should be like this, doing goodness should be like this!”

At the end of the narration, it is told that Haritha advanced his spiritual level by acting nicely towards his mother and said:

“He was one of the Noble Companions who treated his mother in the best fashion.” (Ahmad, VI, 151-152; Hakim, IV, 167)

Our Master the Pride of the Universe (pbuh) prayed for those who are nice to their parents as:

“How happy those who treat their parents well are!  May Allah lengthen their lives!” (Haythami, VIII, 137)

While one must treat his parents well all the time, it is an important duty to serve them nicely especially in their old age.

It is said in a noble verse:

“Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: “My Lord! Bestow on them your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.” (Al-Isra; 17:23-24)

That is because; humans need kindness, help and service most in their old ages. And there is no one else who could do this better than one’s own child. Those children who take advantage of this can easily gain Paradise. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) harshly warned those who reach the old age of their parents and lose the chance of earning Paradise since they avoid serving them and treating them nicely.

There is only one exception for not obeying one’s parents: A child should not obey his parents if they ask to ascribe partners to Allah. However, he should still continue to keep his relations with his parents and treat them nicely. (Luqman; 31:14, Al-Ankabut; 29:8)