Motherhood


It is a source of fascination for some to discover that the word
Ummah, meaning the universal Muslim community, is from the base root
Um, which means mother. The gift of women from Allah subhana wa
ta'ala is in the word itself. By this, I am reminded of an analogy
about women, that the Ummah is a pearl necklace; the Muslim men are
the pearls and the entity that holds and binds them together, the
string, are the Muslim women.

Muslim women are a sanctuary for the Ummah.

Allah did not make women simply as bearers of children, but as a
source of mercy and compassion for the Ummah. Allah has made us the
first teachers of the next generation. Muslim women are taught to
educate themselves in our teachings, to know our role and to know our
value as Allah has given them in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Women and Spirituality

"Oh! humanity, revere your lord who created you from one soul, and
created from it its mate, and from these two disseminated many men
and women. Be reverent toward Allah by whom you ask of each other, be
reverent toward your relationships; for Allah is watching over you."
(4:1)

The inner aspect of the relationship between the man and the woman is
what we can find particularly important in this ayah. It says, "and
revere your Allah by whom you ask of one another."

In context, this ayah is saying that there is a shared understanding
between the husband and the wife, and most importantly it is done in
the name of Allah. Human relationships in Islam are thus understood
consciously in the home as having a higher purpose (worshiping
Allah), and is not just a matter of arriving at a compromise.

The verse also says "and revere the relationships".

The word for "relationships", al arhaam, means blood relations. The
same word also means wombs in which case the verse can be read
as "revere the wombs." The words for kindness, mercy and compassion
also come from the same root R-H-M.

With the two objects in the same breath-- revering Allah and then
wombs or relationships-- we see that throughout the injunction of
dealing with relationships among peoples, this quality of mercy,
compassion is crucial.

This is one aspect of womanhood in particular that is brought out
very strongly in the Qur'an and Islamic traditions. In a world that
is full of all kinds of people, the essential quality of mercy and
compassion are undoubtedly significant. Motherhood in Islam is
regarded as the best faculty of these virtues.

Motherhood

The Prophet Muhammad said "Paradise is at the feet of mothers"
(Sahih). This is the best example of the reverence for motherhood.

In the Qur'an it says:

"And we have enjoined upon man goodness towards his parents: his
mother bore him by bearing a strain upon strain, and his utter
dependence on her lasted two years: hence be grateful towards Me and
towards your parents and with me is all journey's end." (31:14)

The last line once again is a part of constant repetition of the
ultimate purpose of life, and in this context it reinforces the
significance of parents in the process, especially the mothers, in
the raising of the next generations of Muslims.

In this ayah, Allah is telling us to recognize the tremendous labor
of pregnancy and of motherhood. Motherhood is yet once again seen as
a sign of and vehicle for mercy to humanity.

The emphasis is not really so much on the physiological breast
feeding, though that is taken for granted. It has to do more so with
the inner component of the nursing, the inner milk that makes
compassionate people. Meaning, the act itself of feeding and caring
for the children not only teaches the child his or her first lessons
of TRUST, but more so a lesson in affection and devotion through
example.

The belief of being thankful to Allah is achieved through the act of
nursing and taking care of children.

Raising children in the way of the Qur'an and Sunnah consequently
produces the milk of human kindness such as love, compassion,
gratefulness, patience. We certainly know and read about what becomes
of people who did not get enough milk of human kindness when they
were small. They grow hungry, angry, dangerous, and ungrateful to
Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

By the same token, this idea in Islam of bringing up children who are
grateful to Allah, children who are capable of being loving and
giving people, are profound virtues in any society. Allah has given
women this gift and opportunity through motherhood.

The Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

"Allah rendered mercy into one hundred parts keeping 99 and sending
one down to earth by virtue of that one portion creatures are
merciful to one another such that even the mare (mother deer) lifts
her hooves away from her foul fearing she may step on it." (Sahih)

I observe two consequences from this. First, the act of mercy is
evident in that the mother deer takes care of her foul. Second, we
are affected by that act in that it reminds us of mercy and makes it
easier for us to be merciful to one another.

Therefore, motherhood is significant not only in a linear fashion in
terms of propagation of the species, but also in a radiant way in
that the specific virtues of motherhood is contagiously positive. It
teaches us, changes our hearts and eyes.

Patience and awareness is a natural inherent gift of womanhood. She
imparts the virtues of indiscriminate giving and universal compassion.

"...on the authority of Anas, it is related that a woman went
to 'A'ishah, and `A'ishah gave her three dates. The woman gave one to
each of her children and kept one for herself. When the two children
had eaten their dates, they began glancing at their mother. The
mother took her date, divided it, and gave each child a portion. When
the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, returned home "A'ishah told
him what had happened. He asked, "Why should that surprise you? Allah
showered mercy on her for the mercy she showed her children."
(Bukhari, Trimidhi, Ibn Majah)

In this sense, the idea of the woman is not so much biologically
defined but spiritually defined as a radiant quality of compassion
and mercy. These are fundamental to the development of a healthy
human being, an extension of a healthy society that Islam is meant to
produce.