The Status of Mothers in the Light of the Prophet’s Hadiths (Peace Be Upon Him)
Hazrat Asma, the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with them), asked the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him), “My mother is a polytheist and has come to visit me. Should I maintain ties with her?” He replied, “Maintain the ties of kinship.” This response is a remarkable demonstration of Islam’s deep respect for parents and its emphasis on kindness, gratitude, loyalty, and generosity towards them.
Serving one’s mother is akin to jihad. It is narrated that a man came to the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, “I wish to participate in jihad.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, “Do you have a mother?” The man replied, “No!” He then asked, “Do you have an aunt?” The man said, “Yes!” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Go and serve your aunt, for the aunt holds the status of a mother (الخالة بمنزلة الأم).”
Another person approached the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) and confessed, “I have sinned and made mistakes. Guide me.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, “Do you have a mother?” He replied, “Yes.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Go and serve her; this will serve as your repentance.”
Hazrat Owais al-Qarni (may Allah have mercy on him) was one of Allah’s close friends. The Prophet (peace be upon him) advised his Sahaba, saying, “A man named Owais al-Qarni in Yemen is a pious individual. Go to him and ask him to pray for you.” Hazrat Umar Farooq (may Allah be pleased with him), a man about whom the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “If there were to be a prophet after me, it would be Umar,” sought out Owais al-Qarni to ask for his prayers. What granted Uwais such a status? It was his devotion to serving his sick mother. He believed in the Prophet (peace be upon him) and wrote to him, stating, “I have embraced Islam, but my mother is ill, and I cannot come to serve you.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed him, “Serve your mother and do not come to me.”
Owais gave up the opportunity to meet the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) for the sake of serving his mother. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away and Owais could not see him, the Sahaba were advised, “Go to him and ask for his prayers of goodwill.”
One day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) ascended the pulpit and said “Ameen” three times. When the Sahaba asked about this, he explained, “Gabriel (peace be upon him) made several prayers, and I said Ameen. One of these prayers was: ‘Woe to the one who finds his parents in old age and does not enter Paradise through serving them.’ In other words, woe to the person who, despite having the opportunity to serve his parents, does not earn Paradise.”
A mother is the most prominent source of comfort, love, and happiness in a family. Her role in the formation of a child, both physically and emotionally, surpasses that of a father. The mother’s womb plays a critical role in shaping the child’s personality and characteristics. The significance of a mother’s position becomes evident when we observe children in orphanages or correctional facilities, where the absence of a caring and competent mother often leads to troubled lives.
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