“If a young man honours an elderly on account of his age, Allah appoints someone to honor him in his old age.”
By Muhammad Mus`ad Yaqut / 6 Apr 2013
In the last years, the world has witnessed a remarkable interest in the elderly. Many international conferences and symposiums were held to deal with the issues and problems they encounter. In 1982, the first initiative to care for the elderly was declared as the United Nations declared the ninth decade of the 20th century “the decade of the elderly.” In 1983, the World Health Organization adopted the slogan “Add Life to Years.” In addition, the UN conference held in Madrid in 2002 adopted a plan of action to solve the problems of the elderly in various countries around the world. The outcome of these conferences, however, was just sweet promises and plans without any actual application.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), on the other hand, was a pioneer in this field. He taught caring for the elderly irrespective of sex, colour, or religion, and he himself set a great example in practicing the principles he taught.
Do you know what the Duties of the Young towards elders are?
Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If a young man honours an elderly on account of his age, Allah appoints someone to honour him in his old age.” (At-Tirmidhi)
A Sign of Reverence for Allah
Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “It is out of reverence to Allah to respect the white-headed (aged) Muslim.” (Abu Dawud)
Moreover he said:
“He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young ones and esteem to our elderly” (At-Tirmidhi and Ahmad)
Practical Examples
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “The young should (initiate) salutation to the old, the passerby should (initiate) salutation to the sitting one, and the small group of persons should (initiate) salutation to the large group of persons.” (Al-Bukhari)
Similarly, giving priority to the elderly in different situations is a token of respect and honour to them:
It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said,“Jibreel ordered me to give priority to the elderly.”
The Prophet also ordered Muslims to “start with the elderly” when serving a drink or the like
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