Respecting elderly people (1)

Summary of the sermon:

1- Muslims' carelessness about the manners of their religion.

2- Islam exhorted to respecting elder people.

3- Warning youth from being deceived of their power.

4- Images of the maltreatment of young to elderly people.

5- Stressing the importance of respecting elderly people particularly relatives.

6- Rearing children for respecting eldely people.

7- The manners of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The first sermon

O people, fear Allah as due.

O servants of Allah, our Shari`ah contains high manners, great morals, and multiple virtues. The major problem is the negligence of many Muslims to these manners and values and not acting according to them, so children grow up without paying attention to these manners which is our responsibility is to keep to these manners and values which cause happiness to individuals in their life and in the Hereafter.

Our Shari`ah came to strengthen links among individuals, young and old, rich and poor, learned and ignorant. It came to strengthen these bonds so as to create a perfect Muslim community in both virtues and values. The Shari`ah of Allah contains every goodness and guidance: "O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'an, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences) which is in your breasts, a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers." [Surat Yunus: 57].

O Muslims, of these great manners which the Shari`ah brought and urged people to keep is respecting elderly people, showing kindness and mercy to them, and not to insult or dishonor them. Islam calls Muslims to honor and respect Muslim people who grow old, whereas elderly people are asked to show kindness and mercy to the young. These mutual benefits among Muslims prove the bonds of love and harmony between the Muslim community.

O Muslim, our Prophet (peace be upon him) exhorted us to adopt this great manner. First the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained to us that the one who treats elderly people kindly, Allah shall assign for him some to treat him kindly when he grows old as a reward for his righteous action. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Any Muslim honors an elderly person, Allah shall assign someone to honor him when he grows old."[1] So, when you honor elderly people for their age, Allah shall treat you in the same way and show mercy to you.

Our Prophet (peace be upon him) informs us that honoring elderly people is part of revering and glorifying Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "It is out of reverence to Allah in respecting an aged Muslim, and the one who commits the Qur'an to memory and does not exaggerate pronouncing its letters nor forgets it after memorizing, and to respect the just ruler."[2]

So, it is part of revering and glorifying Allah is to honor those three kinds of people:

1- Elderly people for his weakness, old age, and disability.

2- The one who memorizes the Qur'an without being harsh, for those who show harshness shall go away from the Straight Path as the Kharijites did who misunderstood the Qur'an and deemed the blood of Muslims lawful and seized their properties. The extremists with the Qur'an are haughty, see others as disbelievers, deeming the disbelief of others without having good opinion. As for the negligent, they do not recite the Qur'an or recite it but do not act according to it or waste its rights; may Allah protect you and us.

3- People in power who are just whom you should honor for their responsibility and taking care of people's affairs.

O young Muslim, your youth is full of vitality and power, and you see yourself full of power in hearing, listening, and all your organs, but when an elderly person passes by, you do not show kindness or mercy to him or perhaps you trouble him in the road or mock at him.

O young Muslim, although you are powerful, remember your condition after some years when your power is taken from you and you go back to your first weakness. Allah says: "Allâh is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful (i.e. Able to do all things)." [Surat Ar-Rum: 54].

When you know this, honor, respect, and do not insult elderly people. Behave yourselves and have some manners for manners lead to every virtue and protect you from every vice.

O young Muslim, our Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that insulting elderly people, scholars, and people in power and showing lack of respect is a proof to the hypocrisy of the heart. [3] Allah (Glory be to Him) exhorts you to respect your parents when they grow old, 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 small." [Surat Al Isra': 23 - 24].

When elderly people speak in an assembly, young people look at them in contempt and disdain, considering his speech is incorrect. That person spent his life in obedience and he may be in a rank better than theirs.

O young Muslim, our Prophet (peace be upon him) said: `Amr ibn Al `As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Anyone who does not show mercy to our children nor acknowledge the right of our old people is not one of us."[4] When two people wanted to speak about something, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to start hearing from the elderly and used to say: "Start with the elderly."[5] These are the manners of Islam, and thus Muslims reared their children to respect elderly people and the elderly show kindness and mercy to the young so that the Muslim society would be a connected society and cooperative for goodness and piety.

O Muslim, pay attention to your relatives, for relatives have rights on you and their elderly people must be respected for their old age and for their relationship with you. You have to rear your children for the respect of elderly people and do not let them transgress their limits by tongues or hands. Do not let young people advance to the old and behave them to know their status. When you visit your family, advance the elderly, respect them, and do not insult them. This is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him); Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Indeed, in the Messenger of Allâh (Muhammad peace be upon him) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allâh and the Last Day, and remembers Allâh much." [Surat Al Ahzab: 21].

May Allah bless the Glorious Qur'an for you and for me! May Allah make me benefit from Ayahs and the words of the Most Wise. These are my words to you, and I seek Allah's Forgiveness for you and for all Muslims from every sin, so seek His Forgiveness and repent to Him for He is All-Forgiving, All-Merciful.

                       
                        

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[1] Reported by At-Tirmidhy in the book of showing kindness (2022). Reported by Al `Uqayly in Ad-Du`afa' (4/375). Reported by At-Tabarany in Al Awsat (5903). Reported by Ibn `Ady in Al Kamel (3/27, 7/279). Reported by Al Bayhaqy in Shu`ab Al Iman (7/461) from the Hadith of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). At-Tirmidhy said: Hadith Gharib (a Hadith with a single narrator usually at the beginning of the chain of narration). We do not recognize this Hadith except from this way. Adh-Dhahaby graded it as weak in Siyar A`lam An-Nubala' (15/31) and it is reported in As-Silsilah Ad-Da`ifah.

[2] Reported by Abu Dawud in the book of manners (4843).

It is reported from the way of Al Bayhaqy in As-Sunan Al Kubra (8/163) on the authority of Abu Musa Al Ash`ary (may Allah be pleased with him), and An-Nawawy graded it as good in Riyad As-Salihin (173).

Reported by Ibn Hajar in At-Talkhis Al Habir(2/118) and Al Albany in Sahih Al Targhib (98).

Reported by Al Bukhari in Al Adab Al Mufrad (357) and Ibn Abu Shaybah (6/421) on the authority of Abu Musa. Ibn `Abdul-Bar said in At-Tamhid (17/430): It was reported connected to the Prophet from weak ways.

[3] Reported by At-Tabarany in Al Mu`jam Al Kabir (8/202) on the authority of Abu Umamah with these wordings: "There are three types of people whom are belittled only by hypocrites, they are: Muslim elderly people, knowledgeable people, and just rulers." Al Haythamy said in Majma` Az-Zawa'id (1/127): Reported by At-Tabarany in Al Mu`jam Al Kabir from the narration of `Ubaydullah ibn Zajar from Ali ibn Yazid and both are non-trustworthy narrators, and Al Albany graded it as weak in As-Silsilah Ad-Da`ifah (7/245).

[4] Reported by Ahmad (1/257), At-Tirmidhy in the book of kind treatment (1921), and `Abd ibn Humayd (586). Reported by At-Tabarany in Al Mu`jam Al Kabir (11/72, 449). Al Quda`y in Musnad Ash-Shihab (1203) from the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him). At-Tirmidhy said: This Hadith is Hassan Gharib (a good Hadith that is strange to come from this chain of narration). Ibn Hibban graded it as authentic (458, 464).

[5] Reported by Al Bukhari in the book of Al Jizyah (Tribute) (3173) and Muslim in the book of Al Qasamah (an obligatory commitment to refrain from doing a certain act) (1669) from the Hadith of Sahl ibn Abu Hathmah (may Allah be pleased with him).