FRIDAY KHUTBA OF TOKYO CAMİİ “LOYALTY TO THE ELDERLY: A REASON FOR ALLAH’S MERCY AND GRACE“

Honorable Muslims!
Our elderly people are those people whose prayers Allah answers and whom He (swt) grants blessings abundantly. They are our most valuable bridges connecting our past with our future. We learn from them about how to love our Lord (swt) and have a fondness of our Prophet (saw). It is they who passed our national and spiritual values, customs and traditions down on us. They are the ones who are the pillars of our homes and the source of blessings.

Dear Muslims!
The Prophet Muhammad (saw), who attached special importance to the elderly all his life, calls on us as follows, “If a young man honors an older person on account of his age, Allah appoints someone to show reverence to him in his old age.”^[１] What befits us as the ummah of the Prophet Muhammad is to not abandon our elders, who are sources of mercy and blessings, and our sacrificing and enduring parents as they reach old age. What befits us is to stand by their side and meet their needs in the most vulnerable stage of their lives. What befits us is to speak pleasantly with them and to not even say “fie” to them. What befits us is to treat them compassionately and mercifully, and strive to be the addressees of their prayers. For respect for the elderly is a reason for the pleasure of Allah the Almighty.

Dear Believers!
Then, let us make no mistake in showing respect to our elders who held our hands when we were young and brought us to these days. Let us ask them how they are and if they need any help, and heartily run to serve them in any way. Let us not forget that respect for the elderly is a means for peace in our homes and blessings in our lives.

^[１] Tirmidhi, Birr, 75.