Advice for a father who is lax about prayer
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Question:
I have a problem that I am confused about, and it concerns my father. He was ill and used to pray at home, but now he has recovered, praise be to Allah. However, he is lax about prayer and still prays at home. He does not pray with the Muslim congregation except late, and the reason for this is that he watches television. I asked some of the scholars, and they told me to have the mosque imam advise him. I did that, I and the imam, but to no avail. My question, Honorable Shaykh, is: What must I do in this situation? Please give me a ruling, may you be rewarded, and may Allah reward you.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to follow up your advice with gentleness and wisdom. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, described the one whose parents are disbelievers by saying:[Luqman 31:14-15] So you must treat him with kindness, and advise him. You should call upon Allah in the unseen, asking Allah to grant him success and guide him. You should call upon Allah in your prostration, at the end of your prayer, and in the last part of the night, asking Him to grant your parents success in good, to open their hearts to good, and to help them in obeying Allah and His Messenger. You should continue speaking kindly to him and advising him, and seek the help of any of your good brothers who can go to him, whether it is the imam of a mosque or someone else, to visit him, advise him, and direct him to good. And you will succeed, if Allah wills.
So do not neglect it, and you must supplicate to Allah, asking Him to grant him success, guide his heart to faith, and protect him from Satan. Strive to advise him with a good manner, gentleness, and wisdom, and also cooperate with your good brothers from among your neighbors to visit him and advise him. We ask Allah for his guidance, we ask Allah to guide your father, we ask Allah to expand his chest to the truth, and we ask Allah to protect him from the whispers of Satan.
I have a problem that I am confused about, and it concerns my father. He was ill and used to pray at home, but now he has recovered, praise be to Allah. However, he is lax about prayer and still prays at home. He does not pray with the Muslim congregation except late, and the reason for this is that he watches television. I asked some of the scholars, and they told me to have the mosque imam advise him. I did that, I and the imam, but to no avail. My question, Honorable Shaykh, is: What must I do in this situation? Please give me a ruling, may you be rewarded, and may Allah reward you.
Answer:
It is obligatory for you to follow up your advice with gentleness and wisdom. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, described the one whose parents are disbelievers by saying:
(14) And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the [final] destination. (15) But if they endeavor to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do.
أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًاSo do not neglect it, and you must supplicate to Allah, asking Him to grant him success, guide his heart to faith, and protect him from Satan. Strive to advise him with a good manner, gentleness, and wisdom, and also cooperate with your good brothers from among your neighbors to visit him and advise him. We ask Allah for his guidance, we ask Allah to guide your father, we ask Allah to expand his chest to the truth, and we ask Allah to protect him from the whispers of Satan.
Source
فتاوى الصلاة — islamhouse.com (18:13)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.