Birr al-Walidayn - Ibn Wahb 2
- Author died
- 1440 AH
- Editions
- Safir Printing Press
Birr al-Walidayn: Mafhum, wa-Fada'il, wa-Adab, wa-Ahkam fi Daw' al-Kitab wa-al-Sunnah (Filial Piety: Concept, Virtues, Etiquette, and Rulings in Light of the Quran and Sunnah) is a concise Islamic treatise authored by the Saudi scholar Saeed bin Ali bin Wahf al-Qahtani (d. 1440 AH / 2018 CE) focusing on the obligations, virtues, and rulings pertaining to honoring parents in Islam.
Composition and Publication
The author completed the drafting of the treatise in Riyadh after the afternoon prayer on Thursday, 2 Jumada al-Ula 1426 AH. It was published in a single volume by Mu'assasat al-Juraisi for Distribution and Advertising in Riyadh, printed by Matba'at Safir in October 2012 CE.
Contents and Structure
The treatise examines the religious importance of filial piety through textual evidence from the Quran and the Sunnah, addressing several key themes:
- Definitions: It outlines the linguistic and technical meanings of filial piety (birr al-walidayn)—defined technically as treating parents well in heart, speech, and action seeking proximity to God—as well as the linguistic and technical definitions of filial ingratitude ('uquq al-walidayn).
- Textual Evidences and Status: It details the obligation of honoring parents and the severe prohibition of disrespecting them. The text highlights how God conjoins dutifulness and gratitude toward parents with His own worship and gratitude across multiple Quranic passages, such as: وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا (Worship God and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good [al-Nisa': 36]).
- Virtues and Rulings: The work discusses the priority of serving parents over communal military struggle (jihad), noting scholarly consensus that entering communal jihad requires parental consent. It details prophetic reports ranking filial piety as the most beloved action to God after the timely performance of ritual prayers, its role in attaining God's pleasure, and its status as a direct means to entering Paradise.
- Dutifulness After Death: The book concludes with the forms of continuous piety and benevolence that children can extend to their parents after their demise, such as supplication, seeking forgiveness on their behalf, honoring their pledges, maintaining their kinship ties, and treating their friends generously.
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