--- title: "A Sermon on the Rights of Parents in Islam" description: "A sermon on the rights of parents: the Quran's 'do not say uff to them,' the hadith 'Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers,' and the virtue of caring for parents in old age." canonical: "https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/rights-of-parents-sermon" locale: "en" published: "2026-05-14" updated: "2026-05-14" author: "VAAZ Team" source: "VAAZ — getvaaz.com" --- # A Sermon on the Rights of Parents in Islam > **Quick answer:** A sermon on the rights of parents centers on the Quran's command 'do not say uff to them' (Al-Isra' 17:23). The Messenger of Allah said: 'Your mother. Then your mother. Then your mother. Then your father.' A servant who cares for parents in old age holds the key that opens the door of Paradise. In the Quran, Allah commands kindness to parents immediately after His own tawhid — the ordering itself carries a tremendous message. A servant who rebels against parents cannot fully live their servanthood to Allah. This sermon explores the place of parents' rights in the Quran, the levels of ihsan, the proper attitude when parents grow old, and the obligations that continue even after their death. ## The Quran's Definitive Command — "Do Not Even Say Uff" In Surah al-Isra' Allah, after speaking of tawhid, moves immediately to the rights of parents; this sequencing is no coincidence: > Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. If one of them or both of them reach old age in your life, do not say to them "uff" nor scold them — but speak to them a noble word. 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." Al-Isra' 17:23-24 Two verses — but they hold the marrow of parents' rights: - **"Do not even say uff":** Islam draws the line at the smallest sigh of complaint. - **"Do not scold":** even raising the voice is forbidden. - **"Speak a noble word":** don't just keep silent; speak well. - **"Lower the wing of humility":** as if making yourself low before them — like a bird shielding its young. - **"My Lord, have mercy upon them":** make du'a for them — a continuous duty. In Surah Luqman Allah makes a particular emphasis about the mother: "His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning was after two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents" (Luqman 31:14). The mother's effort is brought specially to the fore. ## "Your Mother" Three Times — The Prophet's Lesson A Companion came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, who deserves my best companionship most?" The Messenger of Allah replied: > Your mother. The man asked: "Then who?" He said: "Your mother." The man asked again: "Then who?" He said: "Your mother." The man asked a fourth time: "Then who?" The Messenger of Allah said: "Then your father." Mother three times, father once. This ratio is neither rigid mathematics nor a lack of appreciation of the father. It is an emphasis on how great the bodily and emotional burden of the mother is in raising a child: pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, sleepless nights — these are weights that can never be fully transferred to the father. In another hadith the Prophet (peace be upon him) uses an even stronger expression: > Paradise is at the feet of the mothers. This short phrase says two things: the worth of serving the mother is so great that its reward is Paradise; and without earning the mother's pleasure, the path to Paradise is not opened. ## In Their Old Age — The Hardest Test While parents are young and healthy, serving them is relatively easy; the real test begins when they grow old. Memory weakens, the body is not as it was; sometimes they ask the same thing many times; sometimes they may behave childishly. At this point Islam asks a noble character from the believer. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) expressed the value of serving aged parents in this way: > Let his nose be rubbed in dust, let his nose be rubbed in dust, let his nose be rubbed in dust! It was said: "Who, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The one who finds one or both of his parents in old age and yet does not enter Paradise!" The Messenger of Allah declared in wonder, three times: the one who finds aged parents at his side and yet fails to earn Paradise through serving them is a great loser. This is one of life's most magnificent opportunities. ## After Parents Have Passed The rights of parents do not end at their death. Islam teaches that this responsibility continues even after the grave. A man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "Is there any kindness I can do for my parents after their death?" The Messenger of Allah replied: > Yes: praying for them, paying their debts, fulfilling their covenants, treating their relatives with kindness, and honoring their friends. The hadith lists five duties after death: 1. Pray for them (remember them in every salah). 2. Pay their debts. 3. Fulfill their covenants. 4. Treat their relatives (uncles, aunts) with kindness. 5. Honor their friends. As these are done, the parents' book of deeds does not close — they continue to earn reward. ## Rebellion Against Parents — Among the Gravest Sins The Prophet (peace be upon him), when listing the gravest sins, placed rebellion against parents immediately after shirk: > Shall I tell you of the gravest of major sins? Associating partners with Allah, disobedience to parents, and lying. Shirk → rebellion against parents → lying. This ordering offers a fearful warning to the believer: a servant who keeps tawhid toward Allah yet rebels against parents is overlooking one of the greatest sins. ## Remembering the Rights of Parents With VAAZ The [VAAZ app's](https://getvaaz.com/en) [du'a archive](https://getvaaz.com/en/dua) categorizes du'as made for parents — especially the du'as for mercy upon deceased parents. The [hadith archive](https://getvaaz.com/en/hadith), filtered by "rights of parents," presents hundreds of narrations. For the wider framework of family responsibilities, see [A Sermon on Family](https://getvaaz.com/en/blog/sermon-on-family). The right of parents is among the heaviest and most precious trusts a believer carries through life. The reward for fulfilling it is Paradise; the cost of rebellion is named among the gravest sins. A daily phone call, a visit, a small help — these are weights to be added to the heavy side of the scale in the Hereafter. ## References 1. The Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:23-24, Diyanet translation. 2. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab, Hadith No. 5971. 3. An-Nasa'i, Kitab al-Jihad, Hadith No. 3104. 4. Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Birr, Hadith No. 2551. 5. Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Adab, Hadith No. 5142. 6. Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Adab, Hadith No. 5976. ## Frequently Asked Questions --- Source: [VAAZ — getvaaz.com](https://getvaaz.com/en) · This is the agent-facing Markdown edition of the page; the canonical edition lives at the `canonical` URL above. Full index: https://getvaaz.com/llms.txt