Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

Reward for benevolence toward your parents is greater than the reward for Jihād

muslim:2549dSaʿīd b. Manṣūr > ʿAbdullāh b. Wahb > ʿAmr b. al-Ḥārith > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > Nāʿim a freed slave of Um Salamah > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

There came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ a person and said: I owe allegiance to you for migration and Jihad seeking reward only from Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is one from amongst your parents living? He said: Yes, of course, both are living. He further asked: Do you want to seek reward from Allah? He said: Yes. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Go back to your parents and accord them benevolent treatment.  

مسلم:٢٥٤٩dحَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ نَاعِمًا مَوْلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ

أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ: أُبَايِعُكَ عَلَى الْهِجْرَةِ وَالْجِهَادِ أَبْتَغِي الأَجْرَ مِنَ اللَّهِ۔ قَالَ فَهَلْ مِنْ وَالِدَيْكَ أَحَدٌ حَىٌّ قَالَ نَعَمْ بَلْ كِلاَهُمَا قَالَ فَتَبْتَغِي الأَجْرَ مِنَ اللَّهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَارْجِعْ إِلَى وَالِدَيْكَ فَأَحْسِنْ صُحْبَتَهُمَا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ṭabarānī, Bayhaqī

نَاعِمُ مُولِي أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو

tabarani:13807Aḥmad b. Rishdīn > Aḥmad b. Ṣāliḥ > Ibn Wahb > ʿAmr b. al-Ḥārith > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > Nāʿim a freed slave of Um Salamah > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr > Aqbal a man > Nabī Allāh ﷺ > Ubāyiʿuk > al-Hijrah Wa-al-Jihād Waʾabghī al-Ajr from Allāh > Fahal from Wa-al-Idayk Aḥad Ḥay > Naʿam > Famā Tabghī al-Ajr from Allāh > Naʿam

There came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ a person and said: I owe allegiance to you for migration and Jihad seeking reward only from Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is one from amongst your parents living? He said: Yes, of course, both are living. He further asked: Do you want to seek reward from Allah? He said: Yes. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Go back to your parents and accord them benevolent treatment. (Using translation from Muslim 2549d)  

الطبراني:١٣٨٠٧حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ رِشْدِينَ قَالَ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ ثنا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ نَاعِمًا مَولَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو

وَحَدَّثَهُ قَالَ أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أُبَايِعُكَ عَلَى الْهِجْرَةِ وَالْجِهَادِ وَأَبْغِي الْأَجْرَ مِنَ اللهِ قَالَ «فَهَلْ مِنْ وَالِدَيْكَ أَحَدٌ حَيٌّ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ كِلَاهُمَا قَالَ «فَمَا تَبْغِي الْأَجْرَ مِنَ اللهِ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ «ارْجِعْ إِلَى وَالِدَيْكَ وَأَحْسِنْ صُحْبَتَهُمَا»  

bayhaqi:17829Abū al-Ḥusayn b. al-Faḍl > ʿAbdullāh b. Jaʿfar > Yaʿqūb b. Sufyān > Aṣbagh b. al-Faraj > ʿAbdullāh b. Wahb > ʿAmr b. al-Ḥārith > Yazīd b. Abū Ḥabīb > Nāʿim a freed slave of Um Salamah > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ > Aqbal a man > Nabī Allāh ﷺ

There came to Allah's Apostle ﷺ a person and said: I owe allegiance to you for migration and Jihad seeking reward only from Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Is one from amongst your parents living? He said: Yes, of course, both are living. He further asked: Do you want to seek reward from Allah? He said: Yes. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Go back to your parents and accord them benevolent treatment. (Using translation from Muslim 2549d)   

البيهقي:١٧٨٢٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ثنا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ ثنا أَصْبَغُ بْنُ الْفَرَجِ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ أَنَّ نَاعِمًا مَوْلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ حَدَّثَه أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ؓ قَالَ أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ

أُبَايِعُكَ عَلَى الْهِجْرَةِ أَوِ الْجِهَادِ أَبْتَغِي الْأَجْرَ مِنَ اللهِ قَالَ فَهَلْ مِنْ وَالِدَيْكَ أَحَدٌ حَيٌّ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ بَلْ كِلَاهُمَا قَالَ فَتَبْتَغِي الْأَجْرَ مِنَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَارْجِعْ إِلَى وَالِدَيْكَ فَأَحْسِنْ صُحْبَتَهُمَا  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ