Respect

Respected principal, beloved teachers and my dear friends,
I greet you with the Islamic greetings; Assalaam Alaikumm WaRahmathullahi WaBarakaath! And a very warm good morning to one and all.
Today I am going to talk a little bit about respect. This word is something that we hear quite often. But what does it actually mean? It means due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others.
First of all, we all as Muslims must respect our religion. This should come before anything else. To respect our religion means to follow all the commandments of Allah that are revealed to us in the Holy Quran and in the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohamed. It should be done to the best of our abilities. We must thank Him for everything He has blessed us with. Moreover, a Hadith clearly proclaims: “He who does not respect the elders amongst us and is not merciful upon the young is not one of us.” From this Hadith too the importance of respect in our religion is very clear.
Second of all, we must respect our parents. They are the ones who took care of us from when we came to this world. They treat us when we are sick, feed us when we are hungry and help us when we are in need. In the holy Quran, Allah says “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) .In this Ayat, Allah has commanded us to respect our parents right after commanding us to worship none but Him. This is to stress the importance of respecting our parents.
Thirdly, we should respect our teachers, for they are the ones who help us to increase our knowledge and prepare us for the life ahead. They help us train ourselves to better face this world and hence brighten this life and the Hereafter. Therefore we should pay them due respect.
It is also important for us to respect our Muslim brothers and sisters. Quran asks us to wish for them what we wish for ourselves. Furthermore, we must respect the elderly, the sick and the poor for it is our responsibility to help them.
It is also very important to respect all the creations of Allah as Allah as made each of his creations with a purpose. In this regard, we must also respect ourselves. We can do this by living our life the way Allah has asked us to in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah. We must also give due respect to all the members of the society.
So, I hope I have stressed enough the importance of this simple aspect of our lives. Let us respect each other, even when we differ in opinion. May Allah guide us all to the righteous path bless us with Jannah in the Hereafter. Amen!
Thank you! Wassalaamu Alaikum WaRahmathullahi WaBarakaath!