Originally Published in Beliefnet
With Mother’s Day here, we can use this opportunity to remind ourselves of the respect that is due to to all mothers. Mother’s Day isn’t just meant to celebrate our mothers once a year, but rather it reminds us of the respect due to our mothers every day. We live in a fast-paced society where it’s sometimes very easy to get consumed in our own lives and forget to check on how our mothers are doing. Let’s take a second to pause on our lives and let our mothers know how much we appreciate them for all that they have done for us. A mother is due the highest of respect. This is what my faith has taught me since I was a child.
As a Muslim, I have been taught that kindness to both parents is of the utmost importance. In our holy book, the Quran, it is stated, “Worship God and join not any partners with Him; and be kind to your parents(4:37).” Respect and kindness to parents are spoken of in the same verse as not associating partners with God. This emphasizes the weightiness of the issue since associating partners with God is the ultimate wrong in Islamic teachings.
The Prophet of Islam has said that a mother is worthy of kindness three times before anyone else. This is not by any means a knock on the fathers out there, but rather an elevation of the status of mothers to such a high level. Our mothers are our first teachers and they are also our first vessel for food and shelter. They have been biologically entrusted with carrying us before birth until we are ready to enter the world. For this reason, mothers are given three times the respect before fathers. It is said that paradise lies at the feet of the mother and this analogy is meant the illustrate how important Islam sees mothers and overall women in the wider scope. They are, after all, the ones who teach us love, respect, and honor. Women are the backbone of society and a vital part of securing a future for life overall.
To all of the mothers out there, I commend you for all that you do and I know you have the toughest of jobs on this planet. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms and future moms to be.
