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Islam Honors the Elders
Author : Dr Noah Ali Salman
Date Added : 16-03-2023

Grand Mufti of Jordan: Dr. Noah Ali Salman

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

Human dignity has three characteristics:

 

First: Cosmic Honoring:

Allah Has Referred to this in the verses: "We have indeed created man in the best of moulds." {At-Teen/ 4} and " We have honoured the sons of Adam; provided them with transport on land and sea; given them for sustenance things good and pure; and conferred on them special favours, above a great part of our creation." {Al-Isra`, 70}.

 

There is a huge difference between the creation of man and other creatures as well as their life conditions. Man is honored in the sense that he walks upright on two legs while other creatures walk on four legs or crawl on stomach. Another point is that Allah The Almighty Has subjected to man what is in the heavens and the earth. In addition, they differ in the way they consume food.

The pious and the sinner as well as the believer and the disbeliever share this honor.

 

Second: Sharia honoring:

In His Sharia, Allah Has Given special rights to human being and Honored him by sending down a Sharia that guides him to the truth. Allah Says {What means}: "Surely this Koran guides to the way that is straightest and gives good tidings to the believers who do deeds of righteousness, that theirs shall be a great wage." {Al-Israa`/9}.

 

He, The Almighty Gave man the ability to choose some things, so he can do or not do while the rest of the creatures live their lives according to the instincts Allah Created in them.

 

Third: Honoring in the Hereafter:

Allah created man to live forever: either in lasting bliss in case he obeyed Allah and His Messenger or constant agony if he failed to do that. Do not be surprised, Allah The Almighty Says: "And God summons to the Abode of Peace." {Younis/25}. One who rejects this call should blame none but themselves. One proverb says: "One rejecting dignity is mean." Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Every one of my Ummah will enter Jannah except those who refuse". He was asked: "Who will refuse?" He (PBUH) said: "Whoever obeys me, shall enter Jannah, and whosoever disobeys me, refuses to (enter Jannah)". [Al- Bukhari].

 

The Quran states what Allah prepared for the believers in Jannah and for the disbelievers in Hell. The former will be greatly honored and rewarded while the latter will be severely punished.

 

In Quranic exegesis, the verse: "and the unbeliever shall say, ’O would that I were dust!’" {An-Naba'/40} is interpreted as follows: On the Day of Judgment, Allah Will Rule between the animals whereby the hornless goat will retaliate against the one with horns. After that, Allah Says to the animals: "Be dust" and they be. Then the one who deserves to be sent to Hell Says {’O would that I were dust!}. He wishes that he was an animal to be dust on that Day. 

 

After this introduction, I will tackle the main topic of this article, which is looking after the elderly to honor their humanity.

 

The elderly are people who are old; however, ageing is a relative matter, as a person may look younger than their actual age. Since this is a relative matter, there is love and mercy amongst all groups of society. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "He is not one of us who shows no mercy to younger ones and does not acknowledge the honour due to our elders." {Tirmithi}. According to Islam, when a person gets old, they are entitled to two things:

 

First: Moral right

Second: Material right

 

Moral right encompasses several things:

1- Respect and reverence. The Prophet (PBUH) said: Glorifying Allah involves showing honour to a grey-haired Muslim and to one who can expound the Qur'an, but not to one who acts extravagantly regarding it, or turns away from it, and showing honour to a just ruler." {Abu Dawood}.

Moreover, the Messenger of Allah commanded that the oldest leads the people in prayer if they were of equal knowledge of the Quran, the Sunnah and the Hijrah.  When a group of people came to the Prophet (PBUH) and their youngest wanted to speak on their behalf, he said: "Give room to those who are older." {Agreed upon}.

 

This honoring entails a great reward from Allah and it isn`t delayed. The Messenger (PBUH) said: "No young person honors an elder due to his age, except that Allah appoints for him one who will honor him at that age." {Tirmithi}.

 

      2- Learning from experiences: 

 

Life teaches things that school itself doesn`t. Islamic literature is full of examples encouraging the youth to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the elderly as well as to steer the determination and strength of the youth in the right direction.  Therefore, in our country and other countries, there is a Council of Elders alongside the House of Representatives. As Muslims, our motto is : "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers, who preceded us in belief, " {Al-Hashir, 10}.

 

All the texts of Sharia promoting dutifulness to parents apply to every old person since respecting the elderly is an obligation upon everyone, and not only their children.

 

The person most entitled to take care of the old person is the old person him/herself, but from a younger age. The Messenger of Allah Said (What means): "Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age…." {Al-Hakim}. One should take advantage of being young by doing beneficial things in the Hereafter and when old; one of which is treating people kindly to be loved and treated as such when old.

 

As for Material right:

This has to do with provision. If the old person has wealth then he/she can spend from that but if he/she doesn`t then his/her children are obliged to provide for him/her. According to Sharia, this provision covers what is sufficient for the old person in terms of food, drink, clothes, treatment and education, but in accordance with the financial status of the provider. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "God puts no burden on any person beyond what He has given him. After a difficulty, God will soon grant relief." {At-Talak, 7}.

 

In addition, scholars mentioned two differences between father spending on child and child spending on father: 

 

First: If the poor child reached the age of puberty, was healthy, discerning and able to earn, then his father isn`t obligated to provide for him, even if he (Father) was well off. It is not a shortcoming on either of them if he (child) went to make a living through lawful means. However, if he didn`t find a lawful means for making a living then he is a poor Muslim who deserves to be given from public funds as other poor people. As for the poor father who is able to earn, his rich child is obligated to provide for him and he isn`t responsible for making a living. This is according to the view of the Shafi'ee and Hanfi schools of thought.

 

Second: The father isn`t obligated to cover the marriage expenses of his son, even if he is well off and his son needs to get married. This is because marriage expenses aren`t an obligation upon the father. On the contrary, the rich child is obliged to pay the marriage expenses of his father if the latter needed that.

 

It is no secret that fathers help their children as much as they can. However, I wanted to clarify the degree of attention Sharia pays to the welfare of the elderly.

 

It is also no secret that children are keen on serving their parents and grandparents. Rather, they enjoy doing that following the commands of Allah Who Says {What means}: "Thy Lord has decreed you shall not serve any but Him, and to be good to parents." {Al-Isra`, 23}. He The Almighty also Says {What means}: "Is there any Reward for Good-other than Good?" {Al-Rahman, 60}.

 

Here, I would like to point out that it isn`t the duty of the daughter in law to serve her father in law and if she does so then she is among the good doers. Allah The Almighty Says {What means}: "no ground (of complaint) can there be against such as do right." {At-Tawbah, 91}.

 

However, if the old person is poor and has nobody to provide for him/her then it is an obligation upon the public treasury to provide for him/her. We all know the story of 'Umar Bin Khattab who waived the Jizyah for an old blind man whom he saw begging from people, and he allocated to him some money from the Bayt Al-Maal (public treasury). Providing for the poor has different names, such as retirement, social security and national aid. In addition, what the poor takes from Zakah, Kafarah, vows and the like is a form of caring for the elderly. If these resources are organized, they will pay off and have a good impact on society. They also bring a Muslim closer to Allah.

 

Homes for the disabled and the elderly are similar to hospitals in the sense that they are there for exceptional cases. If the son or daughter is busy earning for himself and his dependents and can`t afford a nurse or servant to care for them at home then sending them to such homes is allowed. However, it is if he/she visits them on regular basis, doesn`t desert them and doesn`t favor child, wife, friend or money over them. These homes, with proper care, are the best choice for the elderly who have no one to care for.

 

Ageing along with incapacity is a painful situation from which the Prophet (PBUH) sought refuge with Allah. He used to say, "O Allah! I seek refuge with You from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and geriatric old age, and seek refuge with You from the punishment of the grave, and I seek refuge with You from the afflictions of life and death." {Agreed upon}. Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) used to make this supplication: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from miserliness, from sloth and from decrepitude." {Agreed upon}. This is why Allah granted concessions to the old. For example, they are allowed to breakfast in Ramadan and feed a needy person for each day of missed fast. Allah Says {What means}: "For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent." {Al-Baqarah/184}. Ibn `Abbas said: "This Verse is not abrogated, but it is meant for old men and old women who have no strength to fast, so they should feed one poor person for each day of fasting (instead of fasting). {Bukhari}.

 

In addition, Allah's Messenger (PBUH) said: "Pray standing and if you are unable, pray sitting and if you cannot, pray lying on your side, [otherwise pray by signs]." {Bukhari}. This exemption includes the incapacitated because he/she is like the ill.

 

Moreover, scholars have allowed the old person who has difficulty maintaining purity for every prescribed prayer to combine Duhr with Asr and Maghreb with `Ishaa`.

 

In addition to taking care of the elderly through providing food, clothing, residence and treatment, it gave attention to the spiritual aspect and the human dignity. Rather, children and grandchildren can draw closer to Allah by caring for their parents and grandparents. The supplication of the latter for the former brings them good in this life and the next. Most importantly, Allah Never turns down the supplication parents make in favor of their children.

 

This attitude towards the elderly in this blessed country confirms the words of Allah Who Said (What means): "Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in God" {Al-Imran/110}. In fact, sending one`s parents, god forbid, to the homes of the elderly means getting sent by one`s children to the same place.

 

May Allah Keep this nation on the way of its noble Messenger (PBUH) where the young respect the old and the old is merciful to the young. May Allah`s Peace and Blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

 

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it permissible for the wife to give the Zakah (obligatory charity) of her money to her poor husband?

Yes, it is permissible for the wife to give from the Zakah of her money to her poor husband. And Allah Knows Best.

What is the ruling on wiping the front of the head beneath the ḥijāb, and is it permissible to wipe over the ḥijāb if it was put on while in a state of purification (wudu`)?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is permissible to wipe the front portion of the head (nāṣiyah) with the fingertips. It is likewise sufficient to place a wet hand over a head covering (ḥijāb), provided the moisture actually reaches the hair beneath it — if it does not, it does not suffice. A head covering is not treated in the same manner as leather socks (khuff) and may not be wiped over in lieu of the head itself.
Imām al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy upon him, states in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.1/P.407): "If a person is wearing a turban and does not wish to remove it — whether for a valid reason or otherwise — he should wipe the entire front portion of the head... The same ruling applies to whatever a woman wears on her head. If, however, he confines himself to wiping over the turban without wiping any part of the head itself, this does not suffice — and there is no disagreement among us on this point." He further states: "A woman is like a man in the manner of wiping the head... She should insert her hand beneath her head covering so that the wiping falls upon the hair itself. If she places her wet hand over her head covering, our scholars stated: if the moisture does not reach the hair, it does not suffice her." And Allah the Almighty knows best.

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the wisdom behind the legislation of fasting?

Fasting is a divine school from which the believer learns much and trains in virtues that may be needed in life. Among these virtues is patience, as it is the month of patience. Fasting also teaches honesty and consciousness of Allah in both private and public, for there is no observer over the fasting person in abstaining from lawful pleasures except Allah alone.
Fasting strengthens willpower, sharpens determination, and nurtures mercy and compassion among the servants of Allah. It is a struggle against the self, a restraint of desires, a purification of the soul, and a cultivation of goodness.
The Prophetﷺ said: "Allah, the Almighty, said: ‘Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward for it. Fasting is a shield. So when one of you is fasting on a day, let him not engage in obscene speech or raise his voice in anger. If someone insults him or fights him, let him say: I am a fasting person. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the fragrance of musk.’" [Bukhari and Muslim]
 

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