Tradition

لَيْسَ مِنّا مَنْ لَمْيُوَفَّرْ كَبيرَنا وَ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغيرَنا

Imam al-Sadiq (‘a) is narrated to have said: “He who does not respect the elders and is not affectionate towards the young is not from us.”1

Brief Commentary

Human society is much like a caravan that is always in motion; children are born and soon grow up while the adults age and become older, eventually passing away. No one amongst these travelers can bypass this process. In this caravan, the elders usually have more experience and wisdom due to the lives that they have lived. If they have lived their lives properly, they are also the source of much good in this world. Due to this reason, they are to be respected and honored by those who are younger than them. At the same time, the youth are newer to this world and they are just starting their lives; due to this reason, they must be loved and treated with complete care and consideration. This is the proper way that the youth and the elders are to be treated in a balanced and caring society.

• 1. Usul al-Kafi, vol. 3, p. 253.