[Faith-talk] Mothers day in Egypt, and the role of the mother in Islam.

[Mostafa]

Dear all, peace be with you.

Today I would like to talk about the social tradition of  mothers day here in Egypt.

What is mothers day in Egypt?

Mothers day in Egypt is an annual celebration committed to honour mothers and motherhood.

It is celebrated on March the twenty first.

The reason we chose to celebrate it on that particular date, is that it is the beginning of the spring season, and that is when beautiful flowers bloom.

  The celebration usually involves socialization and buying presents for  mothers.

It has this material part which I slightly dislike.

Merchants take advantage of the occasion to instigate for commercialism.

Islam encourages the essence and the purpose of this celebration.

Honouring mothers is an Islamic disposition.

But, Islam opposes the material outlook of commercializing this gracious occasion.

Definitely, Islam recognizes the blessed role of the mother.

Her munificence and infinite passion are immense.

At its provenance, she conceives us in her womb for nine months.

During this phase, she bears painful sensations, and when she labors, her pain enormously traumatizes into a mania of hardships.

The Koran recorded that about her.

       In Koran 31 14 we can read.

“And We have enjoined upon man care for his parents. His mother carried  him, increasing her in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me is the final destination”.

The first weakness is the weakness of pregnancy, and the second weakness is the weakness of labor.

Furthermore, when a man came to prophet Muhammad and asked him; Oh messenger of Allah, who is the most worthy of the goodness of my companionship?

Your mother, said the prophet.

And then who?, the man asked.

Your mother, said the prophet.

And then who?, the man asked.

Your mother, said the prophet.

And then who?, the man asked.

And then your father, said the prophet.

This prophetic teaching emphasizes on the major role of the mother in Islam.

Prophet Muhammad stressed on the mother three times, and this was not random.

The first time is devoted to the phase of pregnancy.

The second time is devoted to confinement and its unbearable inflictions.

The third time is devoted to raising you up and looking after you.

Thus, to be righteous and dutiful to your mother is essentially a religious obligation within Islam.

Islam constantly honours the mother without the demand to specify a particular ceremony.

Islam recognizes her matchless role of being half of the society, and the fact that she take cares of the other half.

That has the most rational response to those who claim that Islam suppresses women.

Islam exults the status of women in the highest levels of favourable positions, the position of motherhood.

Islam preaches that heaven is placed beneath the feet of the mother.

Yes indeed, that is how critical it is.

That is how prominent  the mother  is within Islam.

Islam appraises the role of the mother, and it explicitly advocates that pleasing Allah is relevant to pleasing your parents, and your mother in particular.

If you please her, Allah will be pleased with you.

But if you displease her, Allah will certainly be displeased with you.

She sacrificed her wellbeing for your comfort, and thence, you owe her a grand debt. 

  That is what I have got for the time being.

Thank you for reading, and peace be with you.