Quran Lays Great Emphasis on Honoring, Respecting Parents
Parents are the ones who make it possible for one to enter and live this world and after birth raise the child with great care and kindness, providing the child with whatever they can.
If anyone does something good to us, we regard it as necessary to appreciate and thank them. Hence, parents, who sacrifice many things in life to raise their children are the most worthy of receiving appreciation and gratefulness.
The Holy Quran in several verses mentions the need to appreciate parents in parallel with thanking God and orders people to honor and do good to parents after ordering to monotheism, which is the basis of religion. This shows the great significance that the Quran attaches to the issue:
“.. you (shall do) good to (your) parents.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 83)
“Be thankful to Me and to your parents, to Me is the arrival.” (Surah Luqman, verse 14)
When we grow up and, apparently, no longer need the support and help of our parents, is it still necessary to thank them? Are they still worthy of being honored when they get old and no longer can help us?
The Quran points to this in verse 23 of Surah Al-Isra: “Your Lord has ordered you to worship none except Him, and to be good to your parents. If either or both of them attain old age with you, do not say: "Fie on you", nor rebuke them, but speak to them with words of respect.”
Doing good to parents can be material, psychological or spiritual. The Holt Prophet (PBUH) was once asked if one can do good to parents after their death. The Prophet (PBUH) answered: Yes, by saying prayers and asking for God’s forgiveness for them, paying their debts and respecting their friends.
In his Noor Exegesis of the Quran, Mohsen Qara’ati mentions several points about this verse:
1- Tawheed (monotheism) is on top of all divine orders “Your Lord has ordered you to worship none except Him.”
2- Serving one’s parents and doing good to them is what true monotheists do: “… and (has ordered you) to be good to your parents.”
3- Parents do not need to be Muslim to be served and honored.
4- The Quran orders children to honor and serve their parents but does not order parents to good to their children because they natural do so.
5- The more physical and psychological parents have, the more necessary it will be to help and do good to them: “If either or both of them attain old age…”
6- We should not leave our old parents in nursing homes: “… with you.”
7- Not only doing good to them but also speaking well with them is necessary: “…speak to them with words of respect.”
8- If they do not honor you and do not speak well to you, you still need to honor them: “speak to them with words of respect.”
