by Once upon a time there was an era when stories about abandoning parents by children 
were heard, frowned and associated with the firangi culture and shunned off by saying that it is common in the western culture that young people abandon their parents in old homes. However, the changing time did not had any mercy to Pakistan and unfortunately, this custom is becoming a part of eastern society as well. Every now and then, we come across an old home accommodating old parents who have been deserted by their children.
In today’s time parents are seen as a burden and are often sent elsewhere so that the
children do not care for them. Shrugging of the responsibility of caring for parents is a sin and results in nothing but an end in Hell. When it comes to how the mother and father should be cared for, they deserve equal attention in terms of care and physical and mental 
comfort and peace. The time when a Muslim child should not abandon his or her parents is during their old age since they are more vulnerable and they need someone to look after them. He should know his duty as a Muslim towards his parents. To be devoted to them at this time of their lives is a major way to please Allah and seek His goodwill. It is one of the easiest ways to be granted access to Paradise, unfortunately, however, many people do not treat their parents in the manner they deserve. Teenagers fight relentlessly
with their parents, often over extremely trivial topics. Other young people ignore their parents, rather spending time with their friends or online. As we get older, we tend to forget that our parents are growing older as well, and they are pushed aside to living on their own or in nursing homes while we start our own families. Not only is this disregard unfair to our parents, it is also strictly forbidden in Islam. God has commanded us to treat out parents with utmost respect, no matter the situation we are in.
There may be many factors involved for this societal change. For me in my opinion earlier, there was a family bond practised in Pakistan, the father would come home from work and the whole family would sit together and have tea and dinner together, watch TV and off course the weekend outings and cousins sleep overs were common factors whereas in the western society everyone would be too busy to make their both ends meet, and that would be one factor for making the family an independent nucleus without the bonding. But today in our society cell phones are an essential part of our lives in this technology infested generation. Nowadays, everyone, from twelve-year olds to the aged, roams around carrying a smart-phone in their hand. These devices are consuming teenage and adult minds alike to the limit that their studies and routine lives are being compromised. People all around bring their cell phones to offices, schools and colleges and are often engaged in texting or simply scrolling through their Instagram feed during day course. Some people are so obsessed that they would continue this practice even during social activities and when they’re around friends. It is considered ill-mannerly to be ignoring your family and friends while they are contributing their time.
Besides, people are also becoming less concerned towards their children. Parents believe that their responsibilities end after they get their children admitted to schools. They consider a school a complete institution that is responsible for the overall character building of a child. For example, if a child uses any bad word, parents believe that he has picked it from his school. They expect that teachers are supposed to fulfill the functions of babysitters. Parents should also contribute positively to developing children’s overall personality at home. Children are the trust from Allah given to parents so that they may be nicely trained and made well versed in Islamic matters. In this connection the Holy Quran says: O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones.
Fathers and mothers have the obligation of training their children on right lines. The Holy Prophet محمدﷺ has said: Honor your offspring and nourish them with good manners and desirable virtues.
Right training is one of the factors for making the youth wholesome and intelligent. Those who have been nourished correctly in their childhood and who have benefited from 
essential guidance know the art of living nicely. They are able to derive benefits from their early training during their middle and old age. They can present themselves in a desirable and deserving way before their families and in their societies, living comfortably and happily. On the contrary, those who were not nourished and trained nicely in their childhood and who cultivated undesirable habits and manners are unable to find the correct way of living during their youth and old age. They cannot live in a fitting way in society due to their immorality. Mostly they fail in their social life because, unknowingly they put into practice the bad habits of their childhood thus putting both themselves and the society to trouble and disrespect. We must know that a child and youth is ever ready to imbibe every kind of teaching and training. If their fathers and mothers and guardians so desire they can turn a child into a model human being and they entrust it to the society.
Maybe I guess this may be the reason that today, not only the grown-ups but young children disrespect their parents, teachers & elders and disobey them. This is contrary to the teachings of our religion Islam. Hence, we need to educate young children about the importance of parents and parents also need to realise their role towards their children and spend quality time with family. It is our duty to take care of our elders and regard them with the highest respect we can accord. Respecting parents is one of the most significant aspects of Islam. God says in the Quran:
Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honor. (17:23)
The first decree in this verse is to worship none but God. This is the first and most important pillar of Islam, and enjoining partners with God is the only unforgivable sin. The order right after this is kindness to parents. There are other major sins in Islam that could have been mentioned here, but the one God has forbidden us against here is disrespect to parents. We are told not to speak contemptuously to them: the word given in Arabic is “UFF/اف,” and even this simple groan of scorn is forbidden. Instead, God has told us to address them with honor and deference.
The next verse tells us: “And, out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! Bestow on them your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood’” (17:24). The phrase “lower to them the wing of humility” has been interpreted as an image of the way birds spread their wings out of protection and love for their young. Our treatment of our parents is shown in the same way: we should be humble, respectful, and loving towards them.
Moreover, the prayer in this verse (“My Lord! Bestow on them your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood”) is extremely powerful, and many scholars say that Muslims should say this after every prayer. It is truly a beautiful prayer, as we are asking God to bestow mercy on our parents, as they were merciful to us when we were young.
Finally, there are many ways to fix our relationships with our parents. First and foremost, of course, we must recall the importance our parents have in our lives, and the various verses that remind us to be kind to them. There are also many sayings from the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that teach us how to act with them. In one narration, he likened caring for parents to fighting for the cause of God, the best deed a Muslim can do in his life. In another, we are told that smiling kindly at our parents is as though we have done the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj. We should make it a habit to do these small things in our daily lives. Talking to our parents on a day-to-day basis, no matter our age, is also a way to close any gaps we may have with them. Lastly, it is always important to remember to pray for our parents. We have been told that several people’s prayers will always be answered, and among these is the child’s prayer for their parents.
May God help us all to be more respectful to our parents.
