THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

There are many hadiths that emphasize the importance of serving one’s parents. From these reports, it becomes clear that after God, parents hold the greatest rights over a person. One reason for this is that, among all human beings, an individual is most indebted to their parents. For this reason, it becomes a moral responsibility for every person, once they reach adulthood, to serve their parents in every possible way. In their old age, children should care for their parents just as their parents once cared for them in childhood. Another important point is that by serving their parents, a person trains themselves to become someone capable of serving the broader human community. They learn to look at all human beings with compassion, to treat everyone with respect, and to become someone who fulfills the rights of others. LIVING BY VIRTUE The Quran repeatedly emphasizes the importance of leading a righteous life and performing good deeds. For example, it states: “Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.” (16:97)