He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young and honor to our elders.
“He is not one of us who does not show mercy to our young and honor to our elders.”
A Muslim is not compliant with the Sunnah of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) if he is not merciful to the younger members of the community by treating them with compassion and jolliness. The same is true if he does not treat the older members of the community with due respect and veneration.
The plain meaning, from HadeethEnc
عن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما مرفوعاً: «ليس منا من لم يَرحمْ صغيرنا، ويَعرفْ شَرَفَ كبيرنا».
‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘ās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He does not belong to us who does not show mercy to our young and honor our old."
What does Riyad as-Salihin 355 mean?
Narrated by Anas ibn Malik and recorded by al-Tirmidhi, who gives the occasion: an old man came wanting to speak to the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the people were slow to make room for him. Al-Tirmidhi places two parallel narrations right after it, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr and from Ibn 'Abbas. The scholars are careful with the opening phrase — "he is not one of us" is said here as a warning, not as a ruling that puts anyone outside Islam — and the two duties are given different verbs on purpose: mercy downwards to the young, honour upwards to the old.
Written from HadeethEnc