Surah 17

Surah 17:24

"but speak to them an honorable word. And conduct yourself humbly toward them out of mercy, and say: ‘My Lord, have compassion on both of them, as they brought me up (when I was) small.’"
The Command to Worship Allah Alone and to be Dutiful to One's Parents Verses 17:23-24
Show Full Scripture Context (17:23-24) — 2 Verses
Verse 23

۞وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنًاۚ إِمَّا يَبۡلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلۡكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوۡ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفّٖ وَلَا تَنۡهَرۡهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوۡلٗا كَرِيمٗا

Your Lord has decreed that you do not serve any but Him, and (that you do) good to your parents, whether one or both of them reaches old age with you. Do not say to them, ‘Uff,’ and do not repulse them,

Verse 24

وَٱخۡفِضۡ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ ٱلذُّلِّ مِنَ ٱلرَّحۡمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ٱرۡحَمۡهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرٗا

but speak to them an honorable word. And conduct yourself humbly toward them out of mercy, and say: ‘My Lord, have compassion on both of them, as they brought me up (when I was) small.’

Allah said:

"Whoever is afflicted with poverty and goes and asks people for help, will never get rid of his poverty, but if he asks Allah for help, then Allah will grant him the means of independence sooner or later."

This was also recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi, who said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib".

23. And your Lord has Qada [decreed] that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor reprimand them but address them in terms of honor.

24. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your mercy as they did bring me up when I was young."

The Command to Worship Allah Alone and to be Dutiful to One's Parents

Allah commands us to worship Him alone, with no partner or associate. The word Qada [normally having the meaning of decree] here means "commanded". Mujahid said that

And He has Qada means enjoined. This is also how Ubayy bin Ka'b, Ibn Mas'ud and Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim recited the Ayah as:

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, means, be humble towards them in your actions.

and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was young."

means, say this when they grow old and when they die. Ibn 'Abbas said: "But then Allah revealed:

It is not (proper) for the Prophet and those who believe to ask Allah's forgiveness for the idolaters... (9:13)

There are many Hadiths which speak about honoring one's parents, such as the Hadith narrated through a number of chains of narration from Anas and others, which states that the Prophet climbed up on the Minbar, and then said, ((Amin, Amin, Amin.)) It was said, "O Messenger of Allah, why did you say Amin?" He said:

'Jibril came to me and said, "O Muhammad, he is doomed who hears you mentioned and does not say Salla upon you." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin. Then he said, "He is doomed who sees the month of Ramadan come and go, and he has not been forgiven." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin. Then he said, "He is doomed who grows up and both his parents or one of them are still alive, and they do not cause him to enter Paradise." He said, "Say Amin," so I said Amin.'

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad reported from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said:

"He is doomed, he is doomed, he is doomed, the man whose parents, one or both of them, reach old age while he is alive and he does not enter Paradise."

This version is Sahih although no one recorded it other than Muslim.

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded Mu'awiyah bin Jahimah As-Salami saying that Jahimah came to the Prophet and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I want to go out to fight and I have come to seek your advice." He said,

"Do you have a mother?" He said, "Yes." The Prophet said,

"Then stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet."

Similar incidents were also recorded by others. This was recorded by An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.

Another Hadith

Imam Ahmad recorded that Al-Miqdam bin Ma'dikarib said that the Prophet said:

"Allah enjoins you concerning your fathers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your mothers, Allah enjoins you concerning your close relatives then the next in closeness."

This was recorded by Ibn Majah from the Hadith of 'Abdullah bin 'Ayyash.

Another Hadith

Ahmad recorded that a man from Banu Yarbu' said: "I came to the Prophet, while he was talking to the people, and I heard him saying,

'The hand of the one who gives is superior. (Give to) your mother and your father, your sister and your brother, then the closest and next closest.'"

— from Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Vol. 5, Page 603)

About this Source & Scholarly Authority (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Universal Sunni Consensus: Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim by Hafiz Ibn Kathir (701–774 AH / 1301–1373 AD) is universally regarded across all major schools of Sunni Islam (traditional, Salafi, Ash'ari) as the most authoritative classical exegesis. It is prized because it relies on Tafsir bil-Ma'thur—interpreting the Quran using the Quran itself, authentic Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad, and recorded statements of the early Companions (Sahabah).

Standard English Edition: This text is from the standard 10-volume English abridgment published by Dar-us-Salam Publications (supervised by Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri), which is the official, most widely distributed English Quranic commentary in mosques and Islamic libraries worldwide today.