25/5. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3103 — Serving Parents as Jihad
Concession Allowing The One Who Has Two Parents To Stay Behind
Serving Parents as Jihad in Islam
Sunan an-Nasai : 3103
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3103
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، وَشُعْبَةَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا حَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْتَأْذِنُهُ فِي الْجِهَادِ فَقَالَ " أَحَىٌّ وَالِدَاكَ " . قَالَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ " فَفِيهِمَا فَجَاهِدْ " .
'Abdullah bin 'Amr Narrated from:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked him for permission to go for Jihad. He said: 'Are your parents alive?' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then strive for their sake.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3103In-book reference : Book 25, Hadith 19English translation : Vol. 1, Book 25, Hadith 3105
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3103
This hadith about serving parents as Jihad gives a short but powerful answer. A man came to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم asking permission to go for Jihad. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not answer only by saying yes or no. He first asked whether the man’s parents were alive. When the man said yes, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said, then strive for their sake. The hadith places care for living parents before that man’s wish to leave for fighting. The wording does not give a long legal discussion, but it gives a clear direction for this case. For people searching for hadith about parents and Jihad, the main point is that serving parents can be a serious field of effort and devotion.
What we learn from this hadith
- Serving living parents can be treated as a major form of effort.
- A person should seek guidance before taking on a major religious act.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked about family duty before giving permission.
- Care for parents is directly supported by this narration.
