Paradise lies at the feet of mothers
The
Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) said, “Paradise lies at the feet of mothers”…emphasizing
that each of us should cherish and respect his/her mother and that pleasing
them will serve well in the hereafter also.
As a matter of fact, the
importance of one’s mother is exemplified by the following hadith:
Once,
when the Holy Prophet was talking to his companions a man came and addressed
him,
“O Messenger of Allah! A young man is dying. People are asking him to
recite Shadada but he is unable to do so.” The Holy Prophet asked, “Did
this man offer his prayers,” and got the answer in the affirmative. Then
he went to the house of the dying man. The Messenger of Allah advised him to
offer the kalimah. The man indicated that he was unable to do so as the words
could not come out of his mouth. He then called the mother of the dying man
whom he had disobeyed persistently throughout his life. When his aged mother
approached the scene, the Holy Prophet asked, “Respected lady, is he your
son?”
She replied in the affirmative. He then put to her a question, “O respected
lady, if we threaten to throw your son in a raging fire, will you recommend
him to be forgiven?” The Lady replied that she would definitely do so
at that time. The Holy Prophet then said to her, “If so, declare, making
Allah and me your witnesses, that you are now pleased with him!” The old
woman readily declared, “O ‘ Allah, You and your Messenger be my witness
that I am pleased with this beloved son of mine.”
The Holy Prophet turned
to the dying man and asked him to recite, “There is no god but Allah.
He is One and has no partners and I witness that Mohammed is His Servant
and His Messenger.” By the virtue of the forgiveness of his mother he
found the words flowing out of his mouth and he recited the Kalimah. Seeing
this, the Holy Prophet praised Almighty Allah and thanked Him saying, “Thanks
to Almighty Allah that He saved this man from the fearful fire of Hell through
me.” (Tabarani, Ahmad)
