Dutifulness towards non-Muslim parents

21-8-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

In the name of Allah. Assalamu Alaykum. I have been a Muslim for almost 19 years, praise be to Allah. Ever since, my non-Muslim father does not want to have any contact with me. I do not know whether it is because of Islam (he hates Islam, but he never explicitly told me) or because of a quarrel about money that we had. This quarrel started before I became a Muslim, and I apologized later on to him even though I was right and he was wrong. Nevertheless, as Islam teaches us to treat our parents kindly, I try my best and hope that Allah accepts it. During the last 19 years, I have written him many letters, tried to phone him, sent him e-mails, and even visited him once. (At that time, we lived a 1, 5 hours drive away from him, but now I live in another country.) Sometimes, his wife would answer my e-mails, she seems to be a nice person. But since a few years, I have never received any answers anymore. Now my question is: Do I have to continue in my efforts to contact my father, or have I fulfilled my duty and can I stop it. May Allah reward you!

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, we congratulate you on the blessing of Allah upon you by guiding you to Islam. We ask Allah to grant you happiness through Islam in this worldly life and the Hereafter.

We also commend your keenness in showing dutifulness towards your father. Indeed, Islam enjoins dutifulness towards the parents even if they are non-Muslims.

We also recommend you to invite him to Islam.

You did well by striving to keep in touch with your father. It seems -Allah knows best –that you should continue doing that as much as you can, perhaps Allah would guide him to Islam thanks to you.

Do not give up and hope for the reward of your efforts from Allah, The Exalted.

Allah knows best.