Surah 29 Al-Ankaboot — Ayah 8
وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حُسْنًۭا ۖ وَإِن جَٰهَدَاكَ لِتُشْرِكَ بِى مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌۭ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَآ ۚ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ
And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents. But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them. To Me is your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.
wawaṣṣaynā l-insāna biwālidayhi ḥus'nan wa-in jāhadāka litush'rika bī mā laysa laka bihi ʿil'mun falā tuṭiʿ'humā ilayya marjiʿukum fa-unabbi-ukum bimā kuntum taʿmalūna
Word by word
- وَوَصَّيْنَا wawaṣṣaynā And We have enjoined
- ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ l-insāna (on) man
- بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ biwālidayhi goodness to his parents
- حُسْنًۭا ۖ ḥus'nan goodness to his parents
- وَإِن wa-in but if
- جَـٰهَدَاكَ jāhadāka they both strive against you
- لِتُشْرِكَ litush'rika to make you associate
- بِى bī with Me
- مَا mā what
- لَيْسَ laysa not
- لَكَ laka you have
- بِهِۦ bihi of it
- عِلْمٌۭ ʿil'mun any knowledge
- فَلَا falā then (do) not
- تُطِعْهُمَآ ۚ tuṭiʿ'humā obey both of them
- إِلَىَّ ilayya To Me
- مَرْجِعُكُمْ marjiʿukum (is) your return
- فَأُنَبِّئُكُم fa-unabbi-ukum and I will inform you
- بِمَا bimā about what
- كُنتُمْ kuntum you used
- تَعْمَلُونَ taʿmalūna (to) do
Tafsir · Ibn Kathir (Abridged)
Allah commands His servants to be dutiful to parents, after urging them to adhere to belief in His Tawhid, because a person's parents are the cause of his existence. So he must treat them with the utmost kindness and respect, his father for spending on him and his mother because of her compassion for him. Allah says:
(And your Lord has 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 shout at them, but address them in terms of honor. 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.") (17:23-24) Although Allah orders us to show kindness, mercy and respect towards them in return for their previous kindness, He says:
(but if they strive to make associate with Me, which you have no knowledge of, then obey them not.) meaning, if they are idolators, and they try to make you follow them in their religion, then beware of them, and do not obey them in that, for you will be brought back to Me on the Day of Resurrection, and Allah will reward you for your kindness towards them and your patience in adhering to your religion. It is Allah Who will gather you with the group of the righteous, not with the group of your parents, even though you were the closest of people to them in the world. For a person will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection with those whom he loves, meaning, religious love. Allah says:
(And for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, surely, We shall make them enter with the righteous.) In his Tafsir of this Ayah, At-Tirmidhi recorded that Sa`d said: "Four Ayat were revealed concerning me -- and he told his story. He said: "Umm Sa`d said: `Did Allah not command you to honor your parents By Allah, I will not eat or drink anything until I die or you renounce Islam.' When they wanted to feed her, they would force her mouth open. Then this Ayah was revealed:
(And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful to his parents; but if they strive to make you associate with Me, of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not.)" This Hadith was also recorded by Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih.