Abu 'Amr ash-Shaybani said, "The owner of this house (and he pointed at the house of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud) said, "I asked the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, which action Allah loves best. He replied, 'Prayer at its proper time.' 'Then what?' I asked. He said, 'Then kindness to parents." I asked, 'Then what?' He replied, 'Then jihad in the Way of Allah.'" He added, "He told me about these things. If I had asked him to tell me more, he would have told me more."

'Abdullah ibn 'Umar said, "The pleasure of the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parent. The anger of the Lord lies in the anger of the parent."

Bahz ibn Hakim's grandfather said, "I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. I asked, 'Then to whom should I be dutiful?' 'Your father,' he replied, 'and then the next closest relative and then the next.'"

"I don't know of a deed closer to Allah, Exalted and Majestic, other than dutifulness to the mother."

Abu Hurayra said, "The Prophet was asked, 'Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?' 'Your mother,' he replied. He was asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. He was asked, 'Then whom?' 'Your mother,' he replied. He was asked, 'Then whom?' He replied, 'Your father.'"

"A man came to the Prophet of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, and asked, 'What do you command me to do?' He replied,'Be dutiful towards your mother.' Then he asked him the same question againand he replied, 'Be dutiful towards your mother.' He repeated it yet againand the Prophet replied, 'Be dutiful towards your mother.' Then he put the question a fourth time and the Prophet said, 'Be dutiful towardsyour father.'"

Ibn 'Abbas said, "If any Muslim obeys Allah regarding his parents, Allah will open two gates of the Garden for him. If there is only one parent, then one gate will be opened. If one of them is angry, then Allah will not be pleased with him until that parent is pleased with him." He was asked, "Even if they wrong him?" "Even if they wrong him" he replied.

associating others with Allah, killing someone, desertionfrom the army when it is advancing, slandering a chaste woman, usury, consumingan orphan's property, heresy in the mosque, scoffing, and causing one's parentsto weep through disobedience.' Ibn 'Umar then said to me, 'Do you wish toseparate yourself from the Fire? Would you like to enter Paradise?' 'By Allah,yes!' I replied. He asked, 'Are your parents still alive?' I replied, 'Mymother is.' He said, 'By Allah, if you speak gently to her and feed her,then you will enter the Garden as long as you avoid the major wrong actions.'"

Hisham ibn 'Urwa related this ayat from his father, "Take them under your wing, out of mercy, with due humility." (17

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Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "A child cannot repay his father unless he finds him as a slave and the buys him and sets him free."

Sa'id ibn Abi Burda said, "I heard my father say that Ibn 'Umar saw a Yamani man going around the House while carrying his mother on his back, saying, 'I am your humble camel. If her mount is frightened, I am not frightened.' Then he asked, 'Ibn 'Umar? Do you think that I have repaid her?' He replied, 'No, not even for a single groan.'

Marwan used to make Abu Hurayra his agent and he used to be located in Dhu'l-Hulayfa. His mother was in one house and he was in another. When he wanted to go out, he would stop at her door and say, "Peace be upon you, mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." She would reply, "And peace be upon you, my son, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." Then he said, "May Allah have mercy on you as you raised me when I was a child." She answered, "May Allah have mercy on you as you were dutiful to me when I was old." Whenever he wanted to go inside, he would do something similar.

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and made a pledge to him that he would do hijra. He left his parents who were in tears. The Prophet said, 'Go back to them and make them laugh as you made them weep.'"

Abu Hazim reported that Abu Murra, the mawla of Umm Hani' bint Abi Talib had told him that he rode with Abu Hurayra to his land in al-'Aqiq. When he entered his land, he shouted out in his loudest voice, "Peace be upon you, mother, and the mercy of Allah and His blessing!" She replied, "And peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessing." He said, "May Allah have mercy on you as you raised me when I was a child." She replied, "My son, may Allah repay you well and be pleased with you as you were dutiful towards me when I was old."

Abu Bakra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Shall I tell you which is the worst of the major wrong actions?" "Yes, Messenger of Allah," they replied. He said, "Associating something else with Allah and disobeying parents." He had been reclining but then he sat up and said, "and false witness." Abu Bakra said, "He continued to repeat it until I said, 'Is he never going to stop?'"

Warrad, the scribe of al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba, said, "Mu'awiya wrote to al-Mughira, saying, 'Write down for me what you heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say.'" Warrad said, "He dictated to me and I wrote out, 'I heard him forbid asking too many questions, wasting money and chit-chat.'"

'Allah curses anyone whosacrifices an animal to something other than Allah. Allah curses anyone whosteals a milestone. Allah curses anyone who curses his parents. Allah cursesanyone who gives shelter to an innovator.'"

'Do not associate anything withAllah, even if you are cut to pieces or burned. Do not abandon a prescribedprayer deliberately. Anyone who abandons it will forfeit Allah's protection.Do not drink wine - it is the key to every evil. Obey your parents. If theycommand you to abandon your worldly possessions, then leave them for them.Do not contend with those in power, even if you think that you are in theright. Do not run away from the army when it advances, even if you arekilled while your companions run away. Spend on your wife out of your means.Do not raise a stick against your wife. Cause your family to fear Allah,the Almighty and Exalted.'"

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "A man came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, 'I have come to make you a pledge that will do hijra although I have left my parents in tears." The Prophet said, 'Go back to them and make them laugh as you made them cry.'"