Surah Al-Isra 17:24

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 your Lord has Wassa enjoined that you worship none but Him." The idea of worshipping Allah is connected to the idea of honoring one's parents. Allah says:

(And that you be dutiful to your parents.) Here He commands good treatment of parents, as He says elsewhere:

(give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination) 31:14

(If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect,) means, do not let them hear anything offensive from you, not even say "Uff!" which is the mildest word of disrespect,

(and do not reprimand them) means, do not do anything horrible to them.

(and do not reprimand them) `Ata' bin Rabah said that it meant, "Do not raise your hand against them." When Allah forbids speaking and behaving in an obnoxious manner, He commands speaking and behaving in a good manner, so He says:

(but address them in terms of honor.) meaning gently, kindly, politely, and with respect and appreciation.

(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 idolators. ..)" 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.)"

Kemudian Allah swt memerintahkan kepada kaum Muslimin agar bersikap rendah hati dan penuh kasih sayang kepada kedua orang tua. Yang dimaksud dengan sikap rendah hati dalam ayat ini ialah menaati apa yang mereka perintahkan selama perintah itu tidak bertentangan dengan ketentuan-ketentuan agama. Taat anak kepada kedua orang tua merupakan tanda kasih sayang dan hormatnya kepada mereka, terutama pada saat keduanya sangat memerlukan pertolongan anaknya. Ditegaskan bahwa sikap rendah hati itu haruslah dilakukan dengan penuh kasih sayang, tidak dibuat-buat untuk sekadar menutupi celaan atau menghindari rasa malu pada orang lain. Sikap rendah hati itu hendaknya betul-betul dilakukan karena kesadaran yang timbul dari hati nurani. Di akhir ayat, Allah swt memerintahkan kepada kaum Muslimin untuk mendoakan kedua ibu bapak mereka, agar diberi limpahan kasih sayang Allah sebagai imbalan dari kasih sayang keduanya dalam mendidik mereka ketika masih kanak-kanak. Ada beberapa hadis Nabi saw yang memerintahkan agar kaum Muslimin berbakti kepada kedua ibu bapaknya: Diriwayatkan dari 'Abdullah bin 'Umar bahwa sesungguhnya telah datang seorang laki-laki kepada Nabi saw meminta izin kepadanya, agar diperbolehkan ikut berperang bersamanya, lalu Nabi bersabda, "Apakah kedua orang tuamu masih hidup?" Orang laki-laki itu menjawab, "Ya." Nabi bersabda, "Maka berjihadlah kamu dengan berbakti kepada kedua orang tuamu." (Riwayat Muslim dan al-Bukhari dalam bab al-adab) Seorang anak belumlah dianggap membalas jasa kedua ibu bapaknya, kecuali apabila ia menemukan mereka dalam keadaan menjadi budak, kemudian ia menebus mereka dan memerdekakannya. (Riwayat Muslim dan lainnya dari Abu Hurairah) Saya bertanya kepada Rasulullah saw, "Amal yang manakah yang paling dicintai Allah dan Rasul-Nya?" Rasulullah menjawab, "Melakukan salat pada waktunya." Saya bertanya, "Kemudian amal yang mana lagi?" Rasulullah menjawab, "Berbuat baik kepada kedua ibu bapak." (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim dari Ibnu Mas'ud) Di dalam ayat yang ditafsirkan di atas tidak diterangkan siapakah yang harus didahulukan mendapat bakti antara kedua ibu bapak. Akan tetapi, dalam sebuah hadis dijelaskan bahwa berbakti kepada ibu didahulukan daripada kepada bapak, seperti diriwayatkan dalam shahih al-Bukhari dan Muslim: Diriwayatkan dari Abu Hurairah bahwa Rasulullah saw ditanya, "Siapakah yang paling berhak mendapat perlakuan yang paling baik dariku?" Rasulullah menjawab, "Ibumu." Orang itu bertanya, "Siapa lagi?" Rasulullah menjawab, "Ibumu." Orang itu bertanya, "Siapa lagi?" Rasulullah menjawab, "Ibumu." Orang itu bertanya, "Siapa lagi?" Rasulullah menjawab, "Bapakmu." (Riwayat al-Bukhari dan Muslim) Berbakti kepada kedua orang tua, tidak cukup dilakukan pada saat mereka masih hidup, akan tetapi terus berlanjut meskipun keduanya sudah meninggal dunia. Adapun tata caranya disebutkan dalam hadis yang diriwayatkan Ibnu Majah: Bahwa Rasulullah saw ditanya, "Masih adakah kebaktian kepada kedua orang tuaku, setelah mereka meninggal dunia?" Rasulullah saw menjawab, "Ya, masih ada empat perkara, mendoakan ibu bapak itu kepada Allah, memintakan ampun bagi mereka, menunaikan janji mereka, dan meng-hormati teman-teman mereka serta menghubungkan tali persaudaraan dengan orang-orang yang tidak mempunyai hubungan keluarga dengan kamu kecuali dari pihak mereka. Maka inilah kebaktian yang masih tinggal yang harus kamu tunaikan, sebagai kebaktian kepada mereka setelah mereka meninggal dunia." (Riwayat Ibnu Majah dari Abu Usaid)