Al-Jannah lies at the feet of your Mother

Islam ranks our parents so highly, that only obedience to Alláh and His Prophet, come before love and obedience to our parents.

The Holy Qur’án says, in Sura Al-Isrá’ [ch 17 v 23]:

"Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and that you be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in your life say not to them a word of contempt nor repel them but address them in terms of honour. And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say: "My Lord! bestow on them Your Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood."

O Muslims, The way we treat others, so shall we be treated. We can see this by looking around and reflecting on the successes and failures of others. Clearly, those who sow good seeds reap goodness; and those who sow evil only reap sorrow. The reward for good deeds can only be good, and the reward for bad deeds can only bring us closer to self-destruction.

Brothers and sisters in Islam! Who has the most right to our hearts, to our love and respect? Who deserves most, to hear our words of kindness, and appreciation? Our parents, of course! A mother's love for her child is a du'ah, an invocation for the wellbeing of her child. It is through her love that her child learns to crawl, to walk, to speak, to relate to others in the community. Surely we can offer our mothers and our fathers, companionship, words of comfort and appreciation! Abu Huraira narrates that a man once approached our Nabi and asked:

"O Apostle of Allah, who has the most right to my companionship?

To this our Nabi replied: "Your Mother."

Thrice the man asked the same question, and thrice our Nabi replied,"Your Mother",

until the fourth time when our Nabi replied, "Your Father".

From this Hadíth we can see, how highly we should regard our mothers. Can we ever repay the time and effort, the years loving care and attention our mother gave to us? Has she not sacrificed her health and her wealth to rear us to maturity? Did she ever complain when she had to feed, to clean and clothe us? No, she served us with love! How young and beautiful was she then ? How healthy and energetic? Today she may be grey and wrinkled not only with age, but from endless hours, days and years of hard work and sacrifice as mother. Love deserves love! Allah reminds us in the inspiring words of the Holy Qur'an, Sura Al-Ahqáf, 46:15:

"WE have enjoined on man, kindness to his parents:

in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth.

The carrying of the child to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months..."

When we were ill, she suffered with us, fearful that some misfortune might befall us. In her worry and anxiety she would cry and beseech Allah to restore us to good health and grant us a long and prosperous life. In the same way, too, a good deed from us, brings joy to her heart, but when we do something wrong, it fills her heart with disappointment and tears stream down her cheeks. Love deserves love!

Remember, :"Paradise, Al-Jannah lies at the feet of your Mother."