ONE AYAT A DAY
۞ وَقَضٰى رَبُّكَ اَلَّا تَعْبُدُوْٓا اِلَّآ اِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ اِحْسٰنًاۗ اِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدَكَ الْكِبَرَ اَحَدُهُمَآ اَوْ كِلٰهُمَا فَلَا تَقُلْ لَّهُمَآ اُفٍّ وَّلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُلْ لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيْمًا
Wa qaḍā rabbuka allā ta‘budū illā iyyāhu wa bil-wālidaini iḥsānā(n), immā yabluganna ‘indakal-kibara aḥaduhumā au kilāhumā falā taqul lahumā uffiw wa lā tanhar humā wa qul lahumā qaulan karīmā(n).
And your Lord has decreed that you worship not except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word.
The Command to Worship Allah Alone and to be Dutiful to One's ParentsAllah commands us to worship Him alone, with no partner or associate. The word Qada normally having the meaning of decree here means "commanded". Mujahid said thatوَقُضِىَ(And He has Qada) means enjoined. This is also how Ubayy bin Ka`b, Ibn Mas`ud and Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim recited the Ayah as:«وَوَصَّى رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاه»"And your Lord has Wassa enjoined that you worship none but Him." The idea of worshipping Allah is connected to the idea of honoring one's parents. Allah says:وَبِالْوَلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا(And that you be dutiful to your parents.) Here He commands good treatment of parents, as He says elsewhere:أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ الْمَصِيرُ(give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is the final destination) 31:14إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلاَهُمَا فَلاَ تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ(If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect,) means, do not let them hear anything offensive from you, not even say "Uff!" which is the mildest word of disrespect,وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا(and do not reprimand them) means, do not do anything horrible to them.وَلاَ تَنْهَرْهُمَا(and do not reprimand them) `Ata' bin Rabah said that it meant, "Do not raise your hand against them." When Allah forbids speaking and behaving…