The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 30)
Educational Lessons from the Story of Noah (peace be upon him)
Lesson Seven: Praying for the Mercy and Forgiveness of Parents, Examples of Good Deeds
In the height of politeness and supplication to Allah, Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) called upon his Lord to forgive him, his parents, and the believers. He said: “رَبِّاغْفِرْلِیوَلِوَالِدَیوَلِمَندَخَلَبَیتِی مُؤْمِنًا وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِینَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَلَا تَزِدِ الظَّالِمِینَ إِلَّا تَبَارًا” Translation: “My Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and all those who enter my house as believers, and also the believing men and believing women. And the disbelievers will only increase in destruction!” [1]
This supplication is a justification for every believer who constantly prays for his parents and his believing brothers and sisters. Many verses and hadiths have also been narrated in this regard. Allah the Almighty says in the position of commanding goodness to parents: “وَقُلرَّبِّارْحَمْهُمَاكَمَارَبَّیانِیصَغِیرًا” Translation: “And say: My Lord! Have mercy on them, just as they raised me when I was little.” [2]
The implications of the command to pray for parents
This divinely inspired statement contains important points, including the following:
First: Qaffal (may Allah bless him) believes that Allah Almighty did not limit to teaching parents to be good only by teaching them words; He also added teaching them actions; that is, a child should seek mercy for his parents by saying: «رَبِّارْحَمْهُمَا» Translation: “My Lord, have mercy on them.” The word “mercy” here includes all the good things in this world and the hereafter. [3]
Second: Since children (no matter how much goodness and kindness they do) are unable to fully fulfill their parents’ rights, except in a special case where the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A child cannot repay his father’s debt unless he finds him a slave and buys him and frees him.” Therefore, Allah Almighty has commanded children to compensate for this inability by praying for the mercy of their parents. A mercy that a child cannot bring to his parents except by supplicating to Allah. [4]
Third: Al-Qurtubi (may Allah bless him) says: The command to pray for the mercy of parents is only for believing parents and does not include non-believers, because the Holy Quran has forbidden seeking forgiveness for deceased polytheists, even if they are close relatives, as we read in the verse: “مَاكَانَلِلنَّبِیوَالَّذِینَآمَنُواأَن یسْتَغْفِرُوا لِلْمُشْرِكِینَ وَلَوْ كَانُوا أُولِی قُرْبَى مِنبَعْدِمَاتَبَینَلَهُمْأَنَّهُمْأَصْحَابُالْجَحِیمِ” Translation: “It is not for the Prophet and those who have believed to ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even if they were relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are companions of Hellfire”. [5]
Based on this, if the parents of a Muslim are from the Zimma (non-Muslims under the protection of the Islamic government), the child should behave with them as Allah had commanded in the verse: “وَبِالْوَالِدَینِإِحْسَانًاإِمَّایبْلُغَنَّعِندَكَالْكِبَرَأَحَدُهُمَاأَوْكِلَاهُمَافَلَاتَقُللَّهُمَاأُفٍّوَلَاتَنْهَرْهُمَاوَقُللَّهُمَاقَوْلًاكَرِیمًا * وَاخْفِضْلَهُمَاجَنَاحَالذُّلِّمِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ” Translation: “And be good to parents. Whether one or both of them reach old age in your life, do not say to them a word of contempt, nor repel them but say to them a generous word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy”. [6]
But seeking mercy for them after their death on disbelief, as mentioned, is forbidden. Some have said that the meaning of the supplication here is the supplication for worldly mercy for the polytheist parents while they are alive, or that the generality of this verse (commanding mercy) is specific to that verse (prohibiting seeking forgiveness for the polytheists) and does not include the mercy of the Hereafter. Especially since it is said that the verse: «وَقُلرَّبِّارْحَمْهُمَاكَمَارَبَّیانِیصَغِیرًا» was revealed about Sa’ad ibn Abi Waqqas; when he embraced Islam and his mother threw herself on hot sand and forced him to return from Islam. Sa’ad said: Let him die, so this verse was revealed. Some have also said: This verse is specific to supplication for Muslim parents, but it is more correct that its ruling is general. [7]
Lesson Eight: The Story of Noah (peace be upon him) is a Model for Parents Who Do Not Have Pious Children
The story of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) and his disbelieving son is a great lesson and example for every parent who does not have righteous children, or even some of them; children who have not walked the path of faith, have not put on the garment of certainty, but have returned with harm and turned away from guidance, drowning in the waves of misguidance and corruption.
Severing Family Ties with Disbelief
In such a case, neither the kinship of relatives benefits them nor the intercession of intercessors. Accordingly, the wise law of the Holy Quran has ruled until the Day of Judgment: Disbelief cuts off family ties. For these disbelievers, neither support, nor maintenance, nor inheritance are obligatory from their believing relatives. These details and additions are well known to the scholars. In the Hereafter, the wicked will be far from divine mercy and destroyed. [8]
The bond of religion is deeper than the bond of lineage
Zamakhshari says in his commentary on the verse:
«إِنَّهُ عَملٌ غَیرُ صَالِح» Translation: “Indeed, it is an unrighteous deed,” [9] that this verse is evidence that the son of Noah was not considered one of his people. There is a message hidden in this verse that the bond of religion is superior to the bond of lineage and overshadows it. That is:
Your kin (in the literal sense) in your religion and belief is the one who is very close and intimate to you, even if he is an Abyssinian and you are from Quraysh. He is your closest person and your most special friend.
But the one who is not of your religion, even if he is your closest relative, is the one who is the furthest from you.
And the fact that the nature of the son of Noah was called “an unrighteous deed” was to exaggerate his criticism. This shows that Allah saved those of Noah’s family who were righteous, not simply because they were his family and relatives. And since this son was devoid of qualifications and goodness, Noah’s fatherhood was of no benefit to him. [10]
The conclusion of the story of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) and his family can be stated as follows:
Loyalty in a difficult test: The story of Noah (peace be upon him) shows that loyalty to faith and divine command, even in the most difficult circumstances and denial by everyone, ultimately brings divine victory.
The consequence of disobedience: The fate of Noah’s disobedient son (Canaan), who drowned in the flood, is an eternal warning that kinship with Allah’s friends is of no benefit without faith and obedience.
The salvation of the patient companions: The salvation of Noah’s family (peace be upon him) and the animals on the ark is a symbol of Allah’s mercy to the faithful and patient servants who persevere on the path of truth.
Individual Responsibility: This narrative emphasizes that everyone is responsible for their own choices and no one bears the burden of another’s sins.
Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Husayn, Al-Fakhr al-Razi, Keys of the Unseen “The Great Commentary,” Vol. 5, p. 135.
Muslim Ibn al-Hajjaj, Al-Nayshaburi, Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 3778.
Surah Al-Tawbah, Verse 113.
Surah Al-Asra, Verses 23-24.
Muhammad ibn Ahmad Al-Ansari, Al-Qurtubi, The Compendium of the Rulings of the Qur’an, Vol. 10, p. 160.
Faruq, Hamada, Fathers and Sons: Educational Features in the Holy Qur’an, p. 22.
Surah Hud: 46.
Jarallah Mahmoud, Al-Zamakhshari, Al-Kashaf on the Realities of Revelation and the Sources of Sayings on the Faces of Interpretation, Beirut: Dar Al-Ma’rifa, 1423 AH, Vol. 2, p. 273.
