What is Jihad?

Jihad, also spelled Jehad, Means "struggle", or "battle"

One day a person went to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and offered to perform Jihad.

The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) inquired from him whether his parents were alive.

To this he said, "Yes, Praise be to Allah (S.W.T.), both my mother and father are alive."

Thereupon the Prophet (S.A.W.) asked, "Well then, do you really want to receive a reward from Allah (S.W.T.) for performing Jihad?"

The man replied, "Yes, indeed I beseech a reward from Allah (S.W.T.)."

Then the Prophet (S.A.W.) said, "Go then, attend to your parents and serve them well."

From this we learn that serving our parents brings greater merit than performing Jihad.

From the instances I have given you so far, you will realize that the best way we could honour the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) is to respect and obey our parents. Always try to make your parents happy.Do not say anything that will hurt their feeling, especially when your parents reach an advanced age you must pay special attention to them. In old age parents start making many demands and claims on you. In such cases you must tolerate them cheerfully and not say anything in anger and thus cause pain of mind to them. If one or both of your parents reach an advanced age with thee, say not 'fie' unto them or repulse them.

While enjoining upon believers to show good behaviour towards both father and mother, the Holy Qur'an has drawn a moving picture of constant suffering of pain and hardship undergone by the mother in the verse Sura Luqman:

"And we have commanded unto man, kindness towards parents. His mother beareth him with suffering, bringeth him forth with suffering, bearing of him and weaning of him in thirty months."

Having observed the several references to the duties of children towards their parents, let us pray to Allah to give us the Emaan and right guidance to respect and regard our parents so that the future generation too would emulate us.

"And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: My Lord! bestow on them thy mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."

[Sura Bani Isra'il, 17:24]