An old man was sitting in the courtyard of his house along with his son who had received tertiary education. Suddenly a crow perched on a wall of the house.

The father asked the son: ‘What is this?’ The son replied: ‘It is a crow.’

After a little while the father again asked the son: ‘What is this?’ The son said: ‘It is a crow.’ After a few minutes the father asked his son the third time: ‘What is this?’ The son said: ‘Father, I have just now told you that this is a crow.’

After a little while the old father again asked his son the fourth time: ‘What is this?’ At this time some expression of irritation was felt in the son’s tone when he said to his father with a rebuff, ‘Father! It is a crow, a crow.’

A little after the father again asked his son: ‘What is this?’ This time the son replied to his father with a vein of temper. Father: ‘You are always repeating the same question, although I have told you so many times that it is a crow. Are you not able to understand this?’

A little later the father went to his room and came back with an old diary. Opening a page he asked his son to read that. When the son read it the following words were written in the diary: "Today my little son was sitting with me in the courtyard, when a crow came there. My son asked me twenty-five times what it was and I told him twenty-five times that it was a crow and I did not at all feel irritated. I rather felt affection for the innocent child."

The father then told the son the difference between a father and a son’s attitude, ‘While a little child he asked me this question twenty-five times and I felt no irritation in replying to the question twenty-five times and when today I asked him the same question only five times, he felt irritated and annoyed.’

"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, And that you be dutiful to your parents, If one of them or both of them attain old age with you, do not say ‘uff’ to them, nor repulse them, but speak to them a gracious word. And lower to them the wing of submission and humbleness out of mercy to both of them and say: ‘My Lord! Have mercy on them both, as they cared for me and brought me up when I was a little child.’" (17:23-24) "And worship Allah, Ascribe nothing as partner to Him, and (show) kindness to parents…." (4:36)

It is narrated from Abdullah bin Masud (radhiallahu anhu) that he asked the Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) which act is the best of all in the sight of Allah. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "It is prayer at its appointed time." He (radhiallahu anhu) asked which the next best act was after prayer. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "Nice behaviour with the parents." He (radhiallahu anhu) asked which was the next best act after that. Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: "It is Jihad (holy war) in the path of Allah." (Bukhari)

"If they (your parents) compel you to commit shirk (polytheism) with Me, then do not obey them, but behave with them in the world with kindness" (31:15)

According to this verse Allah forbids you to obey your parents if they force you to become Mushriks (polytheists) but He commands you to behave with them, nicely (still) in the life of this world, because THEY ARE YOUR PARENTS!

A person once asked the Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), "What is the right of the parents over their children?" He (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) answered: "They are your heaven and hell." (Ibn Majah)

This beautiful Hadith answers in just three words (in the original Arabic ) not only what, but also why. We are to honour them, serve them, and take care of them in such a way that pleases them. For we will find the pleasure of Allah in the pleasure of our parents. On the other hand, if a person is disrespectful, disobedient, or careless toward his parents, he has just opened his door to hell through this behaviour.