Principles of Islamic life

Way of behaving old persons
Generally, as persons become older, physical changes of their body and mind provide ground of their senility.
The messenger of God and innocent Imams have devoted prominent social positions for old persons with their precious and valuable remarks and they have demonstrated them as glorious and magnificent as all of persons should look at them with concepts such as experience, sagacity and dignity rather than laxity and neediness. When old persons are glorified so much, it makes persons in the community need old persons and they do not imagine that they need them. For example, the messenger of God states
''الشَّيخُ فِي أَهْلِهِ كَالنَّبِي فِي أُمَّتِه''
To clarify the valuable position of old persons in the Islam, the prophet of the Islam grants them rank of prophet in leadership of tribe and family because old period is full of maturity, experience and perfection. Certainly, using experience of old persons will be solution of the society.
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) states about value of experience and thought of old persons
''رَأْي الشَّيخِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ جَلَدِ الْغُلَامِ''
Indicators
1. Respect
One of rights of old persons is that families consider same rank and dignity that Islam devotes to them since they attempt in the path of the Islam. Therefore, families should not consider as unwanted members and respecting them is a human duty that Islam has determined.
Respecting old persons has a special importance in Islamic lifestyle; especially, respecting them among family members and in the society has been highly emphasized. An old person came to the messenger of God. Persons that had sat in the presence of the prophet ignored him. The messenger felt gloomy from their impolite behavior and stated to them
''لَيسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يُوَقِّرْ كَبِيرَنَا...''
Imam Sadq (peace be upon him) narrates from the messenger of God
''مِنْ إِجْلَالِ اللَّهِ إِجْلَالُ ذِي الشَّيبَةِ الْمُسْلِم‏''
References
a. Priority in talking
In the Islamic lifestyle, listening to and respecting statements of old persons is considered as a kind of social respect. Active listening is more than common listening and it is a kind of sympathy with them. Additionally, sympathy with old persons is to put ourselves in their place and recognize how they think and feel in different situations.
Imam Sadeq (peace be upon him) narrates from his glorious ancestors
''جَاءَ رَجُلَانِ إِلَي النَّبِي شَيخٌ وَ شَابٌّ فَتَكَلَّمَ الشَّابُّ قَبْلَ الشَّيخِ فَقَالَ النَّبِي الْكَبِيرُ الْكَبِيرُ''
In addition, talking to old persons, we should respect their remarks. It does not mean that we should accept whatever they say. In other words, we should respect their right for thinking and talking. When they talk, we should wait until their remarks end and never complete their statements.
b. kindness and cordiality
Edi Bin Hatem Taei escaped Sham in order to avoid becoming Muslim and resided there with their kin. His sister that was a wise girl persuaded him to go to Medina and to visit the prophet of the Islam.
Edi says '' when I entered Medina, went to the mosque and attended the presence of the prophet. When he recognized me, he stood up and invited me to his house. On the way, a senile woman came to the prophet and she expressed some remarks. He had stood, listened to her remarks and answered her questions kindly. I murmured '' I swear God that behavior of the man is not like.
An old woman from Ansar wanted the messenger of God to wish her to enter the heaven. The messenger of God said humorously
''إِنَّ الْجَنَّةَ لَا يَدْخُلُهَا الْعَجُوز''
Then the old woman cried.
He smiled and stated
''أَ مَا سَمِعْتِ قَوْلَ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى‏ «إِنَّا أَنْشَأْناهُنَّ إِنْشاءً فَجَعَلْناهُنَّ أَبْكاراً ''
.''''We have created (their Companions) of special creation
''And made them virgin - pure (and undefiled)''. Al-Waaqia/35-36 19
A person that smiles is usually considered as a lovely and kind personality and since old persons become sensitive due to their senility, humor, smiling and sympathy should be applied in talking to them.
c. Acceptance and tolerance (benevolent behavior)
The least expectation of senile persons from their family is that they should not be sent out of house for all of attempts they have undergone during all of these years for growth of their family and family. It is decent that families tolerate all of problems caused by old persons due to their senility and weakness and they imagine that they will suffer from such problems in the future.
Quran states
''اِمّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِنْدِكَ الْكِبَرَ اَحَدُهُما اَوْ كِلاهُما فَلاتَقُلْ لَهُما اُفٍّوَ لاتَنْهَرهُما وَ قُلْ لَهُما قَولاً كَرِيمَا''
''Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour''. Al-Israa/ 23
Mentioning signs of senile period in brief, expressive and clear statements, God wants children to respect their old father and mother.
According to the above verse, when parents become old, we should not say them a word of contempt and should not hurt them, but we should talk to them mildly and kindly.
d. Use of abilities
Imam Ali (peace be upon him) reminds Malek Ashtar about use of knowledge of experienced persons
''وَ تَوَخَّ مِنْهُمْ أَهْلَ التَّجْرِبَةِ وَ الْحَيَاءِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبُيُوتَاتِ الصَّالِحَةِ وَ الْقَدَمِ فِي الْإِسْلَامِ الْمُتَقَدِّمَةِ فَإِنَّهُمْ أَكْرَمُ أَخْلَاقاً وَ أَصَحُّ أَعْرَاضاً وَ أَقَلُّ فِي الْمَطَامِعِ إِشْرَاقاً وَ أَبْلَغُ فِي عَوَاقِبِ الْأُمُورِ نَظَراً ''
Unfortunately, there is no positive point of view about abilities of senile persons at the present time and most of people consider them completely weak although such a thing is true about a group of senile persons, but it is not true all of them. Most of senile persons have prominent and exclusive abilities and valuable and prominent experiences.
e. Avoidance of assignment of difficult affairs
Family members should pay attention that old persons did their abilities when they were strong in youth. Now that they have been retired, their physical ability have decreased and have no ability for difficult and strenuous activities. Such a matter is as important as they are not obliged to fulfill some religious obligations such as fasting and Jihad.
God states about Hazrat Musa and the daughters of Hazrat Shoayb and their taking care of old father
'' وَ لَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَ وَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ امْرَأَتَينْ‏ِ تَذُودَانِ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتىَ‏ يُصْدِرَ الرِّعَاءُ وَ أَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ''
2. Benevolence
References
a. Financial support
Economically, senile persons include different groups. Some of them did not have a suitable job in their youth and spoilt their incomes due to some reasons. Moreover, they may have been homeless and may have suffered from hard and difficult diseases. Such old persons do not have appropriate financial conditions in comparing to senile persons that have little pension. It should be mentioned that the salary of the second group does not meet their needs because other family members expect the oldest family member. However, old persons, especially old parents, are persons that must receive alimony from their children and they should be supported financially. Such a matter does not decrease responsibility of the government for financial support of old persons. Amir Al-Momenin saw a blind old man begging. He asked others about his life conditions and persons that knew him said '' he is Christian man and worked as much as he could, but now that he has been weak, he is begging''. Then Imam Ali (peace be upon him) states
اسْتَعْمَلْتُمُوهُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَبِرَ وَ عَجَزَ مَنَعْتُمُوهُ أَنْفِقُوا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ بَيْتِ الْمَالِ
b. Blessing for parents and donating prayer for them
Quran orders children to bless for their parents when they become old;
''قُلْ رَبِّ ارْحَمْهُما كَما رَبَّياني‏ صَغيراً Al-Israa/ 24 ''
.''My Lord! bestow on them thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood''
Moreover, Quran orders them to pray for them so that their sins can be forgiven after they die. A poor old women swept the mosque that the messenger of God prayed there. This old woman slept on one of the corners of the mosque and her food was supplied by the persons that came to group prayer. One day, the prophet entered the mosque and since he did not see the old women, he asked '' where is she?'' people said '' she died last night and was buried''. They never imagined that her death was important for the prophet. However, the prophet become sad for her death and reprimanded them. Then he asked them to guide him to the place where she was buried. The prophet along with his companies prayed for her beside her grave so that God could forgive her sins.
Way of behaving tyrannized persons
One group of persons that devout persons interact with them, must interact with them, is weak persons. A tyrannized person is a person that is suppressed and a person that makes such a person weak and unable is called '' a tyrant person''. Therefore, contrast between a tyrannized person and a tyrant person turns out and since a tyrannized person has been tyrannized, his or her relationship with tyrant persons is determined.
Such a contrast and a relationship have been expressed in a lot of verses of Quran. In fact, it is recommended to Jihad in the path of God and for tyrannized persons. To introduce such persons, Quran has narrated remarks from them and states
''الَّذينَ يقُولُونَ رَبَّنا أَخْرِجْنا مِنْ هذِهِ الْقَرْيةِ الظَّالِمِ أَهْلُهاNisaa/ 75 ''
''Whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors''.
According to verses and narrations, a tyrannized person is a person that is weak physically, mentally and economically as much as he or she can not recognize right path from false one, or he or she cannot do his or her duties completely due to physical weakness or environmental limitations imposed on him or her and he or she cannot migrate.
Kinds of tyrannized persons
Mentally tyrannized persons are two groups:
Tyrannized persons from mental aspect: such persons are mentally weak and rationally and cannot recognize reality and falsity. Or they cannot recognize right path because they do not know the trains and rules of the religion. Quran has introduced such persons in this way
''إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفينَ مِنَ الرِّجالِ وَ النِّساءِ وَ الْوِلْدانِ لا يَسْتَطيعُونَ حيلَةً وَ لا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبيلاًNisaa/ 98 ''
''Except those who are (really) weak and oppressed - men, women, and children - who have no means in their power, nor (a guide-post) to their way''.
Practically tyrannized persons: persons that do not think independently, have to obey due to domination of the system, do not have power of expressing themselves freely and do not find a way out are practically tyrannized. Such tyrannized persons are two groups:
a. Unbeliever tyrannized persons: such persons can recognize right path from false one and reality has been proved to them, but they have succumbed against insults, tricks and conspiracies of tyrant persons, have drowned into their finery and have obeyed their unbeliever and tyrant rules.
b. tyrant and weak persons: such persons have believed in God, but they have accepted domination of tyranny, do not want to leave their country, family and property and migrate in the path of God, learn the trains of the religion in the Islam and fulfill their obligations.
c. Righteous tyrannized persons: such persons have believed in God, want to save themselves from domination of blasphemy and tyranny, learn the trains of the religion safely and do their obligations, but they do not have physical and mental ability and financial support. Righteous persons want to put up the flag of monotheism, but tyrant persons suppress them and prevent them from achieving this exalted purpose.
Tyrannized righteous persons include another group and they are remembered as attributes of tyrannized persons. In fact, unbelievers and polytheists usurp their facilities and put them under political, social and economic pressures so that they cannot revolt. Prophets, Imams and their companions were such tyrannized persons throughout the history. Quran states from Harun
''إِنَّ الْقَوْمَ اسْتَضْعَفُونيAl-Araaf/ 150 ''
.''The people did indeed reckon me as naught''
The prophet looked at the prophet, Imam Ali, Imam Hassan and Imam Hussein and stated
''أَنْتُمُ الْمُسْتَضْعَفُونَ بَعْدِي''
Purpose from '' tyrannized persons'' in the above verse is mentally tyrannized righteous persons and special recommendations have been given in assisting and collaborating them in the Islamic lifestyle.