Then return to your parents and accompany them in a best way
Authentic hadithعن عبد الله بن عمرو رضي الله عنهما قال: أقبَلَ رجل إلى نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: أُبَايِعُكَ على الهجرة والجهاد أَبْتَغِي الأجر من الله تعالى قال: «فَهَل لَكَ من وَالِدَيك أحد حيٌّ؟» قال: نعم، بل كلاهما، قال: «فتبتغي الأجر من الله تعالى؟» قال: نعم، قال: «فَارْجِع إلى وَالِدَيك، فَأَحْسِن صُحْبَتَهُمَا». وفي رواية لهما: جاء رجل إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فاستأذنه في الجهاد، فقال: «أَحَيٌّ والداك؟»، قال: نعم، قال: «فَفِيهِمَا فجاهد».
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "I pledge allegiance to you to immigrate and fight for Allah's cause seeking Allah's reward." He said: "Is either of your parents alive?" He replied: "Yes, both of them." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked him: "Do you seek reward from Allah?" He replied: 'Yes.' The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then return to your parents and accompany them in a best way" [Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]. This is the wording in Sahīh Muslim. In another narration: "A man came to the Prophet seeking his permission to fight in Allah's cause, so the Prophet asked him: 'Are your parents alive?' He said: 'Yes.' The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Then strive in serving them.'"
Explanation
A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about his interest and love for fighting and immigration in the cause of Allah. The man had left behind his parents. In another narration by Abu Dawūd: "He left behind his parents crying", out of their fear of him being killed. The man was waiting for the Prophet to approve his proposal. So the Prophet asked him: "Are either of your parents alive?" He said: "Yes, both of them are alive." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do you seek reward from Allah?" He replied: 'Yes.' The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then return to your parents and be the best and kindest companion for them." In the narration by Abu Dawūd: "Go back to them and make them laugh just as you made them cry." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) guided the man to what is worthier and more obligatory on him, which is returning to his parents and giving them his best companionship. Serving the parents, obeying them, and seeking to please them is part of striving in the cause of Allah. In a narration by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim: "... then strive in their service ." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated in another Hadīth that dutifulness to parents, obeying them, and kindness to them is better than fighting in the cause of Allah, as in the narration reported by Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) where he said: "A man came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and asked him about the best deeds. He said: 'Prayer.' The man asked: 'Then what?' He said: 'Jihad.' The man said: 'I have parents (meaning, my parents are still alive).' The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Your kindness to your parents is better'" [Ibn Hibbān]. This Hadīth indicates that dutifulness to the parents is better than Jihad, except at times when Jihad becomes an individual obligation. In this case, it takes precedence over obedience to the parents.
Source · Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
From the Hadith Encyclopedia (hadeethenc.com).