Manners in Society

Putting one’s parents before oneself Abu Hurayrah, a man who used to look after his mother with great devotion, went one day, early on in the Madinan period, to the mosque of the Prophet. There he found a number of other people, who asked him why he had come there. “Hunger,” he replied. They told him that they had come there too for that very reason. Then they all arose and went to see the Prophet. “What has brought you here?” asked the Prophet. When they told him, he sent for a dish full of dates, from which he gave them two dates each. “Eat them, and drink some water afterwards,” he told them. “That’s enough for you for today.” When Abu Hurayrah ate one date and put the other in his pocket, the Prophet wanted to know why he had done so. “It’s for my mother,” replied Abu Hurayrah. “Eat it,” said the Prophet. “You can have another two for your mother.”