56. "And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy.........."  Complete this dua. For whom this dua has to be prayed?

بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِٱلرَّحِيمِ

Answer: Allah has asked us to be kind and obey to our parents and pray for them like this: " رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا"  "Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small." (Al-Isra,17: 24).

★  Previous to this ayath Allah said:

“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 honour.” (Al-Isra,17: 23). Then Allah asked them to be obedient and kind and pray for them as mentioned above. Next to Allah a person has to obey his parents.

★  Allah  ﷻ has insisted in the Quran about parents in several places  :

"Worship none but Allah and be dutiful and good to parents (2:83, 4:36, 6:151,17: 23, 31:14 & 6:15). "No mother shall be treated unfairly on account of her child, nor father on account of his child" (2:233). "They ask you (O Muhammad   ﷺ what they should spend. Say: Whatever you spend of good must be for parents and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin (2:215). Even in spending for Allah سبحانه وتعالىٰ, He mentions a list in which parents are the first ones.

Allah further says: "It is prescribed for you, when death approaches any of you, if he leaves wealth, that he make a bequest to parents and next of kin, according to reasonable manners.This is) a duty upon pious."(2:180). Even when making a will before death, it is the duty of the pious to bequest  their property to parents first  than others.

Allah pointed out in the share of inheritance to parents as: "For parents, one sixth share of inheritance to each if the deceased left children; if no children, and the parents are the (only) heirs, the mother has a third; if the deceased left brothers or sisters, the mother has a sixth. This is after the payment of legacies he may have bequeathed or debts. You know not which of them, whether your parents or your children, are nearest to you in benefit, (these fixed shares) are ordained by Allah. And Allah is Ever All-Knower, All- Wise. (4:11).

★  Allah ﷻ  gave importance to mother among the parents:

 You all know the famous Hadhees - the mother is three times more important than the father. Allah says: "His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness & hardship, and his weaning is in two years, give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination." (31:14). In another place Allah has been mentioned, "With trouble did his mother bear him and with trouble did she bring him forth; and the bearing of him & the weaning of him was 30 months, until when he attains his maturity.” (46:15).

 So it is his duty when he reaches forty years, he has to pray like this: "My Lord! grant me that I may give thanks for Your favor which You has bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do good which pleases You and do good to me in respect of my offspring; surely I turn to You, & surely I am of those who submit." (46:15). This is also an important dua asking about ourselves, parents & offspring.

 ★ To stand for justice when you are called as witness against parents:

Allah calls upon the believers and says like this: "O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin." (4:135).

★ Do not obey the parents when they asked you to do shirk:

"And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents, but if they strive to make you join with Me (in worship) anything (as a partner) of which you have no know- ledge, then obey them not Unto Me is your return, and I shall tell you what you used to do." (29:8).

★ Similarly Allah removes rebellious children from pious parents:

This is the case with Nuh (AS). His son drowned along with disbelievers. Similarly Kidhr (AS) killed a boy and explained to Musa (AS) like this, "And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief." (18:80).

★ Allah says, a man is  ever a loser if he disbelieves Allah even after his parents advise him to be a Muslim:

"He who says to his parents: "Fie upon you both! Do you hold out the promise to me that I shall be raised up (again) when generations before me have passed away (with out rising)?"  While they (parents) invoke Allah for help (and rebuke their son): "Woe to you! Believe! Verily, the Promise of Allah is true." But he says: "This is nothing but the tales of the ancient." (46:17). Allah says for such persons there is a  punishment in the Hereafter and he is ever a loser.

 ★ Allahuthala gives examples in the Quran, about the Prophets who obeyed for their parents.

Yahaya (AS) was dutiful towards his parents, and he was neither anarrogant nor disobedient to Allah to his parents. (19:14 ). Likewise, Isa (AS) was dutiful to his mother; and prayed to Allah not to make him arrogant, unblest." (19: 32). Allah warns the Children of Adam, "Let not Shaitan deceive you, as he got your parents [Adam  & Hawwa] out of Paradise" (7:27).

★ The Prophets pray for thier parents like this:

Ibrahim (AS) prayed, "Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, & all the believers on the Day when the reck- oning will be established." (14:41). Nooh ( AS) prayed, "My Lord! Forgive me, and my parents, and him who enters my home as a believer" (71:58). Sulaiman (AS) prayed: "My Lord! Inspire and bestow upon me the power and ability that I may be grate- ful for Your Favours which You have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds that will please You, and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous slaves." (27:19).

 Yusuf (AS) raised his parents to the throne and they fell down before him prostrate. And he was thankful to Allah praying like this: "My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me the interpretation of dreams. The Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Wali in this world and in the Hereafter, cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous." (12:101).

الحمدلله