[HonjUopu]

17:23. Thy Lord hath decreed
That ye worship none but Him,
And that ye be kind
To parents. Whether one
Or both of them attain
Old age in thy life,
Say not to them a word
Of contempt, nor repel them,
But address them
In terms of honour.

17:24. And, out of kindness,
Lower to them the wing
Of humility, and say:
"My Lord! bestow on them
Thy Mercy even as they
Cherished me in childhood.

In the same way our parents looked after us when we were small; when they get old and helpless it is our turn to "repay" them. It would be "wrong" for someone else to do this when so much reward is due for this act. What happens if we have no extended family to assist and both husband and wife are working full time? What happens if our parent(s) abused us (sexually perhaps) are we still expected to look after them in old age? Can the West learn from our practice on this matter?

[BoattyGonm]

17:23. Thy Lord hath decreed
That ye worship none but Him,
And that ye be kind
To parents. Whether one
Or both of them attain
Old age in thy life,
Say not to them a word
Of contempt, nor repel them,
But address them
In terms of honour.

17:24. And, out of kindness,
Lower to them the wing
Of humility, and say:
"My Lord! bestow on them
Thy Mercy even as they
Cherished me in childhood.

In the same way our parents looked after us when we were small; when they get old and helpless it is our turn to "repay" them. It would be "wrong" for someone else to do this when so much reward is due for this act. What happens if we have no extended family to assist and both husband and wife are working full time? What happens if our parent(s) abused us (sexually perhaps) are we still expected to look after them in old age? Can the West learn from our practice on this matter?

of course the west can learn. this is what sir maripat says about dawah to the west. even if they choose not to become Muslim (which is unfortunate) they can still adopt some portion of islam in their society and culture (or everyday life). this will benefit humanity.

our job is just to convey.
its a duty.

[Dominick Yo]

How can they copy if the whole household needs to go work and the children are at school? Who will look after the elderly?

Once again the problem is riba and economics which requires everyone to work, to pay high taxes, their savings are always being eaten away by inflation, and the bankers get their cut from debts.

[MilenaMKB]

How can they copy if the whole household needs to go work and the children are at school? Who will look after the elderly?

Once again the problem is riba and economics which requires everyone to work, to pay high taxes, their savings are always being eaten away by inflation, and the bankers get their cut from debts.

How long are we going to tolerate this?
I have gray hairs now ( a few). Shall my children and my children's children all suffer in silent madness this road back to serfdom?
Or will one of us have to take a stand?
Or is this gradualism the answer?


That being said, there are legitimate justifications for 'old people's homes'. Hospices are medical facilities which administer medical care for those with terminal illnesses to have a managed path to death, so to speak. The cost of having ventilators, nurses, etc in one's own house is astronomical.

As well, some elderly care facilities function as long term medical care facilities for parents who require too much attention for the traditional family to maintain for sustained periods. Parents with Alzheimers are notoriously difficult to care for at one's own home because they have literally forgotten their familial identity and bond and can often become hostile and abusive towards family members who they perceive to be strangers. It is heartbreaking, but a reality.

I've seen elderly men who were boxers who literally boxed/punched people as they walked by. They can't use their bowels properly anymore, but they know how to punch and do so sometimes randomly.

Conversely, here in the UAE, there are a growing number of cases of elderly abuse, but these are often due to foreign caretakers, ie. nurses or maids from Phillipines, Nepal, etc, abusing elderly in the children's house.