Special Rights Of Parents After Their Death

The rights of parents do not come to an end with their death. Some rights, actually, take effect after the parents have died and it is a religious obligation of good and dutiful children to fulfil them.

Aboo Usayd radhiyallahu anhu narrates: Once we were sitting with the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  when a person belonging to the tribe of Banoo Salamah came and said to him, 'O Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  ! Are there any rights of my parents on me which I have to fulfil even after they have died?' 'Yes' replied the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam , 'To pray for mercy and forgiveness on their behalf to fulfil the promises they may have Trade to anyone, to pay due regard to the bonds of relationship that are from their side and to be respectful to their friends.'

Abdullah Ibne Umar radhiyallahu anhumaa relates that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  said, 'Whoever wishes to give comfort to his father in the grave should treat his (i.e. his father's ) brothers kindly and well after his death.'

Abdullah Ibne Umar radhiyallahu anhumaa relates that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  said, 'An excellent way to serve one's father and show kindness to him, after his death, is that one behaved towards his friends with respect and politeness and discharged the right of one's father's friendship.'

COMMENTARY: In both of these Traditions the friends or brothers of only the father have been mentioned, but as already stated, the claim of the mother is
even greater with regard to it. Besides, in Aboo Usayd's radhiyallahu anhu narrative we have just quoted, it is clearly told that both father and mother have the right on their children after their death, that they treated their relatives and friends with attention and honour.

Anas radhiyallahu anhu relates that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam  said, 'It happens, (sometimes), that the parents of the person or one of their die and he has been disobedient to their in their lifetime and incurred their
displeasure, but after their death he prays to Allah Ta’aalaa, (with a sincere heart), to have mercy on their and forgive their sins, (and thus tries to make amendments for his impudence) and the Lord, thereupon, declares the disobedient child obedient, (and thus he is saved from punishment of being rude to his parents).'

COMMENTARY: Just as to obey one's parents and treat them with respect and
affection is a virtue of the highest order and becomes an atonement even for major sins, to beseech the Lord earnestly, after his death, to show mercy to them, 'also, is an act which on one hand, brings comfort to them in their graves, and on the other, serves as an expiation for the wrongs the children may have committed in that respect, and they become worthy of Divine Mercy and Beneficence in the Hereafter.

 In the Qur'aan, the Muslims have been exhorted, particularly, to pray for the salvation of their parents. It says:

And say: My Lord! Have Mercy on their both as they did care for me when I was little.

(17: 24 )

Worldly Advantages Of Showing Kindness And Obedience To Parents