This Mother’s Day only?

 

By: Masood Malikyar

Mothers first bear us, then rear us, all along imprinting the gentle side of humanity deep into our very souls.  We suck out the energy from the depths of their within for months and then are metamorphosed to our existence without – sensing the continuity in protections and security of our pre-natal existence in the warmth of their embrace and life-sustaining sweet milk.  How sweet is that?

No wonder we are reminded by Quran in so many verses directing us to worship God – adjacent to these commandments within the same verses – and with equal emphasis to be good to our parents.  Here is a sample:

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ  فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي  وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

“And [God says:] ‘We have enjoined upon man to be good to his parents, she bore him bearing strain upon strain, and his utter dependence upon her lasted two years; [hence, O man,] be good towards me and towards thy parents, [and remember that] with me is all journeys’ end.”  [31:14]

If the question is, how do we pay homage to our parents – or specifically in this case – to our mothers – then the answer is simple.  It is clearly spelled out in the above verse.  Be good to them!  Don’t abandon them when independent, house them when they are old instead of sending them to nursing homes; if they live on their own or with another sibling, talk to them several times daily – at least at the two ends of each day;  visit them frequently, be respectful and kind, never talk back, don’t show anger or impatience, do their chores, proactively seek out to keep them happy, healthy, and entertained, take them with you on vacations, picnics, and gatherings – don’t abandon them. 

Besides God, your mother gave you the gift of life.  The best gift you can give her in return this Mothers Day – yet better,  every day from now on – is to simply be good to her.  She will value that a lot more than whatever gift that is commercially available in the marketplace.

I will end this article with another verse from Quran and a few narrations from Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ الْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَا أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَا أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿٢٣﴾وَاخْفِضْ لَهُمَا جَنَاحَ الذُّلِّ مِنَ الرَّحْمَةِ وَقُل رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا

“For thy Sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents.  Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say "Ugh" to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech, and spread over them humbly the wings of thy tenderness, and say: ‘O my Sustainer! Bestow Thy grace upon them, even as they cherished and reared me when I was a child!’” [17:23-24]

“The Heaven lies under the feet of your mother.” (Ahmad, Nasai).

“A man asked the Prophet: ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship?’  The Prophet said: ‘Your mother.’  The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then your mother.’  The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then your mother.’  The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then your father.’”  (Bukhari, Muslim).

Abu Usaid Saidi said: “We were once sitting with Rasulullah [messenger of God] when a man from the tribe of Salmah came and said to him: ‘O Messenger of Allah! do my parents have rights over me even after they have died?’ And Rasulullah said: ‘Yes. You must pray to Allah to Bless them with His Forgiveness and Mercy, fulfill the promises they made to anyone, and respect their relations and their friends.’” (Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah).