Dear Islamic brothers! If a person displeases his elders especially his parents hurting their feelings, showing disrespect to them and treating them badly, so such a person becomes a great sinner and deserves torment in the world and in the Hereafter. He is not also considered an honourable person in society.

Remember! Our relation with our parents requires that we must also show respect towards our maternal grandmother, maternal grandfather, paternal grandmother and paternal grandfather. In fact, we should treat every aged person with respect. Islam attaches great importance to the respect and honour of the elderly people. This is a unique quality and feature of Islamic society. Islam does not allow anyone to turn out the elderly people considering them to be a burden and to send them to any ‘old people’s home’. This is a distinguishing feature of Islam that it teaches and encourages the young people to show respect and reverence to the aged, and to preserve their honour. In the past era, if any young person walked ahead of any old person, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ would make him sink into the ground (due to disrespect).

(Ruh-ul-Bayan, vol. 9, pp. 62)

It is stated in a narration: The young person who reveres an elderly person due to his age, in exchange for it, Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ will make anyone else respect him [i.e. the young person]. (Sunan-ut-Tirmizi, vol. 3, pp. 411, Raqm 2029)

We should show respect to our elders, and obey their orders immediately so that we can attain respect in the world and save ourselves from disgrace [i.e. disrespect] in Hereafter. Our pious predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی would advise their followers and admirers to show respect and reverence towards the elders.

Advice of respecting the elders

Having completed his studies, Sayyiduna Yusuf Bin Khalid Basri رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, a pupil of Imam-e-A’zam Abu Hanifah Sayyiduna Nu’man Bin Saabit رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه, sought permission to go to his city ‘Basra’. Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه replied: Stay for some days. Let me advise you about those important matters you have to deal with; such as ‘meeting people’, ‘recognising the status of knowledgeable individuals’, ‘rectifying the Nafs’, ‘taking care of people’, ‘establishing friendship with ordinary and extraordinary people’ and being