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Apart from her role as a wife, the Muslim woman has a very important role as
mother. The status and value attached to parents in the Muslim world is very
high. The Qur'an says:
"Your Lord has decreed that you should worship nothing except Him, and (show)
kindness to your parents, whether one or both of them attain old age (while they
are) still with you, never say to them a word of contempt nor scold them.
Address them in a generous fashion. And out of kindness, stay before them with
humility and say: 'My Lord, show them mercy, just as they cared for me in my
childhood' " (17:23-24).
Again Allah says:
"We have enjoined man to respect his parents; his mother bears him with fainting
after fainting, while his weaning takes two years. Thank Me as well as your
parents; towards Me lies the goal" (The Qur'an 31:14)
It is reported that a man came to the Prophet and asked:
"Messenger of Allah, who is the most deserving of good care from me?" The
Prophet replied: "Your mother (which he repeated three times) then your father,
then your nearest relatives in order".
In another hadith the Prophet has said: "Paradise lies at the feet of mothers".
In other words Paradise awaits those who cherish and respect their mothers.
The Muslim mother has consequently a great feeling of security about the type of
care and consideration she can expect from her children when she reaches old
age. As the verse of the Qur'~ n quoted above indicates, thankfulness to parents
is linked with thankfulness to Allah, and a failure in either of these respects
is indeed a major failure in one's religious duties.
The principles of Islam made explicit in the Qur'anand hadith are belief and
good conduct, and good conduct begins at home with one's closest relatives. A
Westerner who has had close contact with a Muslim society cannot fail to be
struck by the love and respect given to parents and the honour shown to old
people in general, both men and women, as a direct application of these
principles of Islam.
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