Unmodern Aspects of Islam (32): Parentless Elders

 

Did you know that in some countries, nearly half of elderly people report feeling abandoned or neglected by their families? Many spend their final years in loneliness, placed in institutions rather than honored in homes.

Abandoning parents leaves deep scars. Elders who once sacrificed everything for their children are left with silence. Families lose blessings, and societies lose wisdom carried only by those who have lived long lives.

Allah commands directly: 

“And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents…” (Qur’an 29:8). 

And the Prophet ﷺ said:  

“May he be humiliated, may he be humiliated, may he be humiliated—the one whose parents reach old age with him, and he does not enter Paradise by serving them.” (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2551)

The early Muslims saw their elders as treasures. They cared for them, sought their advice, and treated their service as worship. Their respect for parents preserved family bonds and invited Allah’s mercy into their homes.

What about us? A visit, a phone call, a hand held in love—it’s not a duty, it’s a path to Paradise. Parents gave us everything; honoring them is how we honor ourselves.

In a modern world, the Sunnah is our way back to what truly matters.