*The Prophet ﷺ says in his famous narration:*
"Paradise lies at the feet of mothers." (An-Nasa'i, 3104)
What can be greater evidence of honoring women than this?
Islam has effectively placed the ultimate reward for human beings in their devotion to their mothers.
Abdullah ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه , a companion of the Prophet ﷺ and a great scholar of Islam, considered the kind treatment of one's mother to be the best deed for strengthening or rectifying one's relation with Allah. He relays:
"I know of no other deed that brings people closer to Allah than kind treatment and respect towards one's mother."
The Best Reminders
All the verses and ahaadith on mothers demonstrate the importance of this figure in Islam. They also show that the mother is accorded a higher honour than even the father because of all the responsibilities she has towards her child indicating again the impact of women and mothers in Islam.
I was truly humbled on reading about Zayn Al-Abidin رضي الله عنه , the great grandson of Prophet ﷺ and also a renowned scholar, who used to treat his mother with so much kindness and love.
He was asked once:
"You are the kindest person to your mother, yet we have never seen you eating with her from the same dish?"
He replied:
"I fear that my hand would take what her eyes have already seen in the dish, and then I would be disobeying her."
The Prophet ﷺ instructed that sons and daughters must honour their mothers, and that the biggest debt they owe is the one to their mother for raising them. He ordered us to respect and fully accept the caretaking of our aging parents without considering it a burden. May we all be from amongst those who heed to this guidance. آمين يا رب العالمين