Woman as Mother in Islam

Islam was born in the Arabia Peninsula, now Saudi Arabia, in the seventh century AD. The pre-Islamic era dates back to more than 1400 years ago. Many cultures, nations and countries, other than Arabia, existed during that time. Let’s begin with a review on the Arabian culture. In that era, in the tribal culture of Arabs, women were not equal to men with respect to many social and personal conditions and systems, such as marriage, inheritance or education, among other areas. Women did not have businesses, own property, or have independent legal rights. Even though we read about Khadijeh (who later became a wife of the Prophet (saw), and the first Muslim woman) who owned her own business, which is an indication that there are always exceptions in any recorded history. In Arabia, female infants were often abandoned or buried alive; and the practice of polygamy was common. The position of women, in countries other than Arabia, in the 7th century, was not much different. In Europe, it was not until the turn of the century (13 centuries later) that French women became legally able to sell property without the permission of their husbands. In many nations, sons would inherit the name, wealth and position of the family and daughters were hoped to marry rich. In many western or eastern countries, women could not chose their husbands, and, widows were expected to mourn for their husbands until the end of their lives (still practiced in some countries).

A man once consulted the Prophet Muhammad about taking part in a military campaign. The Prophet asked the man if his mother was still living. When told that she was alive, the Prophet said: “(Then) stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet.” (Al-Tirmidhi) On another occasion, the Prophet said: “God has forbidden for you to be undutiful to your mothers.” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

 As a mother the status of woman has been raised by Islam to such an extent that nothing higher is conceivable.The Holy Qur'an says: 

"Your Lord has commanded that you shall worship none but Him goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age in your life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repeal them but address them in terms of honour. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion and say: O my Lord! Bestow on them compassion even as they cherished me in my childhood"  (XVII: 23, 24).

 The Prophet is reported to have said when questioned by a disciple as to who should be revered most after the great Prophet himself: "your mother". When questioned "Who, after the mother?" The Prophet said "your mother". He was again asked: "and, then, who after the mother?" He again replied: "Your mother". The man put the question a fourth time and the Prophet then answered "your father". This tradition shows that the position of the mother in the eyes of her sons and daughters should be three times higher than that of the father.

It is reported that once a disciple came to the Prophet and said: "O Prophet of God! On the hot days in the desert of Arabia, in the sunny noon when the stones and sands were burning like fire, my mother I were travelling on foot without my shoes.  I carried my mother on my shoulders so that she may not suffer the pain of walking bare-footed on the hot-sands and stones. Could I pay the reward of the pains she had to bear in bringing me up?" The Prophet replied: "No, not even a fraction of the pain she suffered at the time you were born".

In Islam the best action is the performance of the pilgrimage to Mecca, i.e., the Hajj, and the reward to a person who performs the Hajj properly is that all his past sins are pardoned and he receives a high rank in the estimation of God. But, in expressing the dignity of the mother, the Holy Prophet said: "One who looks at the face of his mother with sentiments of reverence and love once, is rewarded as if he had performed a Pilgrimage". People asked him, what if he looked twice, to which he replied: it is as if he had performed two Pilgrimages, and so on".

In this respect, the Prophet himself set a model for the world. Once Halimah, the lady who nursed him in his childhood, came to see him. The Prophet was sitting with his disciples. As soon as he saw her, he stood up with reverence and spread his mantle on the floor and requested his foster-mother to take her seat there.

 It is quite evident from the above that the respect which a mother receives from her children in Islam is the highest to which no other worldly relationship can aspire.