DR. KIRMANI’S CORNER
This section is developed through the weekly reflections of Dr. Sayed Shabbir Kirmani, our respected resident scholar. Each week, Dr. Kirmani will share his thoughts on faith, current affairs, and community matters, offering valuable insights on how Islamic teachings relate to both global and local events.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful
Parents and Divine Mercy in Islam: Insights from Tafsir al-Mizan
In Tafsir al-Mizan, Allama Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai presents a profound exegesis of the Quranic teachings on parents, portraying them as living conduits of divine mercy (rahmah). Through his method of interpreting the Quran by the Quran, enriched with philosophical insights and authentic hadith, Tabatabai underscores that honoring parents is not merely a social duty but a theological imperative, second only to the worship of Allah, and a direct participation in His boundless mercy.
Central to Tabatabai’s analysis is Surah al-Isra (17):23-24: “Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents… lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood.’” The verb “qada” (decreed) signifies an irrevocable divine mandate, linking monotheism with ihsan (excellence) toward parents. Tabatabai interprets the phrase “lower the wing of humility” as an act of compassionate submission, reflecting Allah’s mercy (rahmah), rooted etymologically in the womb (rahm). Parents, particularly mothers, embody this mercy through their sacrifices—pregnancy, childbirth, and nurturing—mirroring Allah’s attributes of al-Rahman and al-Rahim. The prescribed prayer for parental mercy acknowledges them as vessels of divine compassion, fostering a cycle where filial piety invites further divine blessings.
Tabatabai reinforces this with Surah Luqman (31):14-15: “We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him in weakness upon weakness… Be grateful to Me and to your parents.” He highlights the mother’s “weakness upon weakness” as a vivid reflection of divine mercy manifested through human effort. Gratitude to parents, he argues, mirrors gratitude to Allah, aligning filial duty with spiritual return to the Creator. Yet, Surah al-Ankabut (29:8) clarifies boundaries: obedience to parents ceases if it conflicts with tawhid, though kindness persists, preserving the merciful bond even amidst theological differences.
Citing hadith, such as Imam al-Sadiq’s saying, “The glance of a child at his parents out of love is an act of worship,” Tabatabai emphasizes practical ihsan—gentle speech, support, and prayers for parents’ forgiveness—as acts that sustain divine mercy. Forbidding even a sigh of annoyance (“uff”) to aged parents preserves their dignity and aligns the believer with Allah’s compassion.
In Tafsir al-Mizan, parents are sacred signs (ayat) of divine mercy, fostering spiritual and societal cohesion. Honoring them cultivates humility and gratitude, transforming filial duty into a path to eternal felicity, deeply intertwined with Allah’s rahmah.
May we have the ability to receive the Divine Mercy and extend it to others!
With Duas,
Dr. Kirmani