Generally speaking, Islam orders a Muslim to be kind to his/her
parents, even if they are non-Muslims. The well-known hadith of Asma (may
Allah be pleased with her) is a clear example.
Asma, the daughter
of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them all) had a non-Muslim mother
who lived in Makkah, whereas Asma had migrated with her father and the
rest of the Muslims to Madinah. After the Treaty of Hudaybiya, peace was
established and they could visit each other. So, her mother came to
Madinah in order to visit her. She wanted some gifts and donations from
Asma. Asma' was not sure what to do because she knew that her mother
hated Islam and was a polytheist. So she came to the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) informed him of the situation, and asked him if she
could also maintain the ties of kinship and act kindly towards her mother.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told her to do so saying:
Yes, do an act of kindness to her. (Reported by Al-Bukhari,
Muslim and Abu Dawud)
Sheikh Muhammad Saleh Al-Munajjid, the prominent Saudi Islamic
lecturer and author, says:
1. You should address her in the best of terms and treat her
in the best manner.
2. Do not think at all that there is any
burden or sin on you if your mother gets angry with you for being a
Muslim. Remember that when a person pleases Allah even though it makes
people angry with him, Allah will be pleased with him and will make the
people pleased with him.
3. Keep on praying for your mother so
that Allah guides her to the truth, and invite her to Islam with wisdom
and fair exhortation. Maybe Allah will guide her through
you.
The best thing to do for non-Muslim parents
While Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) embraced Islam,
his mother continued to be an unbeliever for quite a long time. He
continuously tried to convince her to adopt Islam, but to no avail.
Nevertheless, he continued respecting and obeying her. Once when he was
trying to speak with her about Islam, she became insolent and uttered some
insulting remarks about the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Because of this, Abu Hurayrah was very much pained. He went to the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) and complained saying, "O Messenger of
Allah! I have always been trying to make my mother accept Islam but she
always refuses to accept it. But today when I asked her to believe in
Almighty Allah, she became very much annoyed and started insulting and
rebuking you which I could not stand and tears came to my eyes. O
Messenger of Allah! Pray to Allah that He may open the heart of my mother
to Islam." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) immediately
raised his hands and prayed,
"O Almighty Allah, guide the mother of Abu
Hurayrah." Abu Hurayrah was overjoyed and went home. When he reached
home, he found the door was bolted from the inside but he heard the sound
of flowing water, which assured him that his mother was taking a bath.
Hearing his footsteps, she hastily finished the bath. Then she opened the
door. She said, "O my son, Abu Hurayrah, Allah has heard you. Be witness
that I recite the
Shahadah." He started crying out of sheer joy and
went back to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with the tiding
that Almighty Allah had accepted his prayer and that his mother had
embraced Islam. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was also
pleased to hear that. He praised Allah and gave Abu Hurayrah some pieces
of advice. Then, on his request, he prayed,
"O Allah, put the love of
Abu Hurayrah and his mother in the hearts of all true Muslims and put the
love of all true Muslims in the hearts of both of them."
In conclusion, try to let your mother see Islam through your good
example. Maybe the more you impress upon her own beliefs in a direct
manner, the more she will become strong-willed and refuse to listen to
you. This can pressurize her. Maybe Allah will illuminate her heart as she
sees you presenting Islam in the best way.
Allah Almighty says: (But if they strive with thee to make thee ascribe unto Me
as partner that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not.
Consort with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of him who
repents unto Me. Then unto Me will be your return, and I shall tell you
what you used to do.) (Luqman
31: 15)
You can also read:
Da`wah: How to Achieve Success?
Du`a' for non-Muslim Parents
How Should Muslims Deal with Non-Muslims?
Allah Almighty knows best.