Mom is an inexhaustible spring of tenderness

Mother’s Day was celebrated by many countries of the world a few days ago in recognition of the mother, who is the icon of purity and the symbol of extreme love and tenderness. On that day and while the world is busy with making courtesy statements, I recall the saying of our Prophet (PBUH), which does not leave any room for anyone to express the right of mothers over their children in a more eloquent manner, when a man asked him: “O Prophet of Allah! Who is the most deserving and worthy of my good company?” The answer, which no philosopher or intellectual could ever add to it or express it more clearly, came when the Prophet said: “Your mother.” The man asked: “Who comes next after her?” the Prophet said: “Your mother.” The man asked again: “Who comes next after her?” The Prophet said: “Your mother.” The man asked again: “Who comes next after her?” The Prophet said: “Your father.”

Mothers were honored by Allah in more than one location in the Holy Quran: “And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship” (Surah Al Ahqaf, Verse 15) and “His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship” (Surah Luqman, Verse 14). They were also honored by our Prophet (PBUH) when he said: “Paradise is under the feet of mothers.”

In this context, I quote one of the most beautiful paragraphs on mothers from an article by Sheikh Dr. Saud Al-Shuraim, Imam of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, in which he described the mother as “A simple, weak female creature, who is extremely affectionate and tender and has many virtues which are ignored by the rich who have eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear and hearts but do not understand. She is a soldier with no one to protect her and a guard with no one to guard her; she has the force of attraction and propitiation and the right of mercy and compassion. She is perfect, mature and the weakest of Allah’s creatures.

It is my mother: the receptacle for love and kindness and the spring of compassion and tenderness. Is there anyone who can affirm that they have given her what she really deserves? I believe that no matter what we do in this connection, we will never be able to give this sun her dues.