Supplication of Courtesy to Parents

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The following is taken from Swalah Birr al-Walidayn, The Prayer of Filial Piety. 

سُوۡرَةُ لقمَان

وَوَصَّيۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٲلِدَيۡهِ حَمَلَتۡهُ أُمُّهُ ۥ وَهۡنًا عَلَىٰ وَهۡنٍ۬ وَفِصَـٰلُهُ ۥ فِى عَامَيۡنِ أَنِ ٱشۡڪُرۡ لِى وَلِوَٲلِدَيۡكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ (١٤) 

And We have Enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning: (hear the Command) “Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is (your final) Goal.” (Surah Luqman:14) 

From amongst the goodly works one can perform to thank and benefit one’s parents is the Prayer of Filial Piety, Swalat Birr al-Walidayn.  Many traditional scholars and shuyukh highly recommend that this prayer be part of one’s Friday night acts of worship. 

Shaykh Talal ‘Azhim (r.a.) mentioned this prayer in his Prayers of Occasions that his father said, “It is mentioned in Sharh ash-Shir’ah, ‘The prayer for one’s parents is a sunnah, due to the saying of the Prophet (s.a.w.): ‘Whoever prays two raka’atan on the eve of Friday, between maghrib and 'isha’, in which he recites, in each rak’ah, al-Fatihah once, Ayat al-Kursi fifteen times, Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad fifteen times in the second rak’ah; sends benedictions upon the Prophet (s.a.w.) twenty-five times; and then intends that the reward be for his parents — whoever does this will have fulfilled the rights of his parents and perfected his filial piety, even if he had been undutiful towards them.  Allah (s.w.t.) will Bestow him with that which He Bestows upon those of great faith and the martyrs.’” 

This has been mentioned in the abridgement of Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali’s (r.a.) Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din.  It is also mention in Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghani ibn Isma’il an-Nablusi’s (r.a.) Nihayat al-Murad fi Sharh Hadiyyat ibn al-’Imad. 

Method of Swalah

1^st Rak’ah

Surah al-Fatihah

Ayat al-Kursi x 15 

2^nd Rak’ah

Surah al-Fatihah

Surah al-Ikhlasw x 15 

For those of higher resolve and spiritual aspiration, it is recommended to recite the Du’a Birr al-Walidayn, “Supplication of Courtesy to Parents”, after the prayer of filial piety, by the intimate knower of Allah (s.w.t.), Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Abu al-Hibb al-Hadhrami at-Tarimi (q.s.). 

In the Name of Allah, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate 

Praise be to Allah, Who Commanded us to thank parents and to treat them well, and Enjoined us to seek every opportunity to be courteous with them and to do good in their presence.  He Obliged us to lower the wing of mercy upon them out of exaltation and esteem, and He Counseled us to show compassion towards them just as they did in our infancy. 

O Allah, be Merciful with our parents (3 times), Forgive them, and be Content with them in a manner that permits Your Divine Pleasure for them, by virtue of which You Grant them the abode of Your Generosity and Security, and the regions of Your Pardon and Forgiveness.  Drench them in the subtleties of Your Goodness and of Your Perfect Extension of Beauty. 

O Allah, Forgive them in an All-Comprehensive Manner that Effaces their past sins and evil.  Bestow upon them a kind of Mercy through which their final resting abodes are illuminated and by virtue of which they are Shielded on the day of terror when they are resurrected. 

O Allah, Show Compassion when they exhibit weaknesses, just as they showed much compassion to us in our times of weaknesses.  Be Merciful to when they break ties with You, just as they showed immense mercy when we broke ties with them.  Care for them just as they ardently cared for us when we were young. 

O Allah, Preserve the love that You Poured into their hearts, the compassion that You Filled their chests with, and the kindness that You Occupied their limbs with.  Reward them for the efforts they exerted for our sake.  Recompense them for the struggles they underwent for our sake, and for the care they displayed towards us.  Let it be a Recompense that exceeds what is Given to those who strive to rectify and to those who are sincere in their care and concern. 

O Allah, be Good to them over and above the good that they showered us, and Gaze upon them with the Eye of Mercy just as they used to lovingly look at us. 

O Allah, Grant them what they omitted from the rights of Your Mercy due to their pre-occupation with the rights of our upbringing.  Overlook their deficiencies in true service to You due to their desire for being in our service.  Pardon them for the doubtful matters they indulged in for the mere purpose of earning enough for us.  Do not Take them to Account for their prejudice due to the passionate rage that overcame their hearts because of their love for us.  Bear the wrongs that they committed due to the sins perpetrated on our behalf and that they sought after for our sake.  Be Gentle with them, in a place where one withers, in a manner that far exceeds their gentleness with us whilst they were alive. 

O Allah, any acts of obedience that You have Guided us unto, and any good deeds that You have Facilitated for us, and any acts of endearment that You have Decreed for us, we beseech You, O Allah, that You Grant them a potion and a fair share of it.  And whatever evil we have committed, or wrongs that we have earned, or consequential misdeeds that we have burdened ourselves with, we implore that You do not attribute our sins to them nor take them to account for any of our misdeeds. 

O Allah, just as You Made them happy with us in life, then Make them happy with us after death. 

O Allah, do not allow news about us that brings them sorrow to reach them, and do not burden them with our sins that weigh heavily upon them, and do not allow us to disgrace them in front of the army of the dead through the shameful acts that we have innovated, and the reprehensible deeds we have done.  Make their spirits happy with our deeds in the assembly of souls, just as the righteous are prone to be happy with the children of righteousness.  Do not Gather them on the plains of exposure because of the evil sins that we commit. 

O Allah, whatever recitations that we recited that You Purified, or prayer that we prayed that You Accepted, or charity that we expended that You Made Flourish, or good deeds that we performed that You were Content with, we entreat You, O Allah, that You Make their fair share of it greater than our share, their portion of it larger than our portion, and their lot more abundant than our lot, as You have indeed Commanded us to treat them well and be thankful to them, although You are more deserving of goodness than those that do good and more right to maintain ties than those commanded. 

O Allah, Make us the coolness of their eyes on the day witnesses take the stand, and allow them to hear from us the most beautiful call on the day of the call.  Make them, due to us, parents who are the object of envy because of their progeny, until You Gather us, them, and Muslims, altogether, in the abode of Your Generosity, and the dwelling of Your Mercy, and the place of those You have Befriended, alongside those whom You have Blessed amongst the prophets, the veracious, the martyrs, and the righteous.  And what magnificent company they are! 

سُوۡرَةُ الصَّافات

سُبۡحَـٰنَ رَبِّكَ رَبِّ ٱلۡعِزَّةِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ (١٨٠) وَسَلَـٰمٌ عَلَى ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ (١٨١) وَٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ (١٨٢) 

Glory to your Lord the Lord, of Honour and Power!  (He is free) from what they ascribe (to Him)!  And Peace on the Messengers!  And praise to Allah, the Lord and Cherisher of the Worlds. (Surah asw-Swaffat:180-182) 

al-Hamdulillahi ladzii amaranaa bishukrii al-waalidayni wa al-ihsaani ilayhimaa wa hashshanaa ‘alaa aghtinaami birrihimma waswthinaa’i al-ma’ruufi ladayhimaa wa nadabanaa ilaa khafdhi al-janaahi min ar-rahmati lahumaa i’izhaa man wa ikbaaran wa waswswanaa bi at-tarahummi ‘alayhimaa kamaa Rabbayaanaa swighaaraan.  Allahumma faarham walidiynaa (3 x).  Waaghfirlahum waardha ‘anhum ridhan tuhillu bihi ‘alayhim ridhwaanaka wa tuhilluhum bihi daara karaamatika wa amaanika wa mawaathina aghwika wa ghufraanik wa adirra bihi ‘alayhim lathaa’ifa birrika wa ihsaanika. Allahummaaghfirlahum maghfiratan jaami’at tamhuubihaa saalifa aw zaarihim wa sayyi’a iswraarihim waarhamhum rahmatan tubiirulahum bihaa al-madhja’a fii qubuurihim wa tu’amminuhum bihaa yawma al-faza’i ‘inda nushuurihim.  Allahumma tahannan ‘alaa dha’fihim kamaa kaanu ‘alaa dha’finaa mutahaniniin.  Allahumma ahfazh lahum dzalika al-wudda al-ladzii ashrabtahu quluubuhum wa al-janaanata allatii mala’ata bihaa swuduurahum wa al-luthfa alladzi shaghalat bihaa jawaarihahum waashkurlahum dzalika al-jihaada alladzii kaanuu fiinaa mujaahadiin wa laa tudhayyi’i lahum dzalika al-ijtihhada alladzii kaanuu fiinaa mujtahadiin wa jaazihim ‘alaa dzalika as-sa’i alladzii kaanuu fiinaa saa’iina wa ar-ra’i alladzii kaanuu lanaa raa’iina afdhala maa jazaita bihi as-su’aata al-muswlihiin wa ar-ru’aata an-naswihiin.  Allahumma barrahum adh’aafa maa kaanuu yabarruunanaa wa anzhur ilayhim biayni ar-rahmati kamaa kaanuu yanzharuunanaa.  Allahumma hablahum maa dhayya’uu min hiqqi rabuubiyyatika bimaa ashtaghaluu bihi fii haqqi tarbiyatinaa watajaawaz ‘anhum maa qaswaruu fiihi min haqqi khidmatika bimaa atsruunaa bihi fii haqqi khidmatinaa wa’afu’anhum maa artakabuu min ash-shubuhaati min ajli maa aktasabuu min ajlinaa wa laatu’akhidzhum bihaa da’athum ilayhi al-hamiyyatu min al-hawaa lima ghalaba ‘alaa quluubihim min mahabbatinaa wa tahammal ‘anhum ath-thulumaati allatii artakabuuhaa fiimaa ajtarahuu lanaa wa sa’aw ‘alaynaa wa al-thufabihim fii madhaaji’i al-bilaa luthfan yaziidu ‘alaa luthfihim fii ayyaami hayaatihim binaa.  Allahumma wa maa hadaytanaa lahu min ath-thaa’aati wa yassartahu min al-hasanaati wa wafiqtanaa lahu min al-qurubanaa fanas’aluka Allahumma an taj’ala lahum minhaa hazhaa wa naswiiban wa maa aqtarafnaahu min as-sayyi’aati wa aktasabnaahu min al-khathii’aati wa tahammalnaahu min at-tabi’aati falaa tulhiqhum minnaa bidzalika huuban wa laa tahmil ‘alayhim min dzunuubinaa dzunuuban.  Allahumma wa kamaa sarartahum binaa fii al-hayaati fasurrahum binaa bada’ al-wafaati.  Allahumma wa laa tuballighhum min akhbaa rinaa maa yasuu‘uhum wa laa tuhammilhum min awzaarinaa maa yanuu’uhum wa laa tukhzihim binaa fii ‘askari al-amwaati bimmaa nuhditsu min al-mukhziyaati wa na’tii min al-munkaraati wa surra arwaahahum bi a’amaalinaa fii multaqaa al-arwaahi idzaa surra ahla asw-swalaahi bi abnii’i asw-swalaah wa laa taqifhum minnaa ‘alaa mawqifi aftidhaahi bimaa najtarahu min suu’i al-ijtiraah.  Allahumma wa maa talawnaa min tilawaati fazakkaytahaa wa maa swallaynaa min swalaati fataqabbaltahaa wa maa taswaddaqnaa min swadaqati fatammaytahaa wa maa ‘amilnaa min a’amaalin swaalihatin firadhiitahaa fanas’aluka Allahumma an taj’ala hazhahum minhaa akbara min huzhuuzhinaa wa qismahum minhaa ajzala min aqsaaminaa wa sahmahum min tsawaabinaa aw fara min sihaaminaa fainnaka waswswaytanaa bibirrihim wa nadabtanaa ilaa shukrihim wa anta awlaa bi al-birrihim min al-baarriin wa ahaqqu bi al-waswli min al-ma’muuriin.  Allahummaj’alnaa lahum qurrta a’ayuni yawma yaquumu al-ashhaadu wa ‘asmi’hum minnaa athyab an-nidaa’i yawma at-tanaadi wa aj-‘alhum binaa min aghbati al-abaa’i bi al-awlaadi hatta tajma’anaa wa iyyyaahum waal-muslimiin jamii’an fii daari karaamatika wa mustaqarri rahmatika wa mahali aw liyaa’ika ma’a alladziina an’amta ‘alayhim min at-tabiyyina wa asw-swiddiiqiina wa ash-shuhadaa’i wa asw-swaalihiin wa husna ulaa’ika rafiiqan dzalika al-fadhlu min Allah wa Kafaa bi Allah ‘aliiman.  Subhaana Rabbika Rabbi al-‘izzati ‘ammaa yaswifuuna wa salaamu ‘alaa al-mursaliin wa al-hamdulillahi Rabbi al-‘alamiin.