Disrespecting Parents A Grave Sin According to Quran
Similarly, the gravest sin after Shirk is disrespect and disobedience to parents and causing them to Aaq (declare one’s son or daughter disobedient and complain to God about it).
Previously, we reviewed some verses of the Quran that order us to do good to parents. Here we will review two other verses.
In Verse 151 of Surah Al-Anaam, the Holy Quran highlights the Haram (forbidden actions and sins). In this Verse, first Shirk is declared forbidden and then doing good to one’s parents is commanded:
“(Muhammad), say, ‘Let me tell you about what your Lord has commanded: Do not consider anything equal to God; Be kind to your parents; Do not murder your children out of fear of poverty, for We give sustenance to you and to them. Do not even approach indecency either in public or in private. Take not a life which God has made sacred except by way of justice and law. Thus does He command you that you may learn wisdom.’”
In this verse and the following two verses, several important principles are highlighted that are common among all divine faiths. These are commandments that are mentioned in the Torah as well. In Verse 151 of Surah Al-Anaam, ordering to avoid murdering children and committing other grave sins comes after commanding to do good to parents, which shows refusing to do good to parents is Haram (forbidden).
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In Verse 23 of Surah Al-Isra, too, there is a categorical order to worship God and do good to parents and then describes how to interact with parents when they get old:
“Your Lord has ordained that you must not worship anything other than Him and that you must be kind to your parents. If either or both of your parents should become advanced in age, do not express to them words which show your slightest disappointment. Never yell at them but always speak to them with kindness.”
In our time, there is a lot of education about children’s rights, which is necessary indeed, but there is little taught to children about parents’ rights. Given the great emphasis the Quran attaches to the status of parents and the need to respect and be kind to them, children should be taught how to treat their parents in accordance with the verses of Quran.
