Pregnancy hurts. Looming complications inexorably hurt. Sleeplessness hurts. Antepartum hurts. Delivery time hurts. Breastfeeding hurts. She is tired but keeps going. She takes all these hardships as a boon, as a pride, as a joy. All she craves is to become a mother, to give us life with the consent and order of Almighty Allah.
And once she becomes a mother, she remains forever a mother. The only time a mother smiles when her child cries is when the latter is born, and then, till her last breath, she can shake the world to prevent her child from crying. Her whole life revolves around the well-being of her children, their development, and their welfare. That’s her lifelong commitment.
Life does not come with a manual — it comes with a mother.
Her unconditional love. Her painstaking care. Her irrepressible resilience. Her unwavering support. Her magnanimous sacrifices. Her altruistic unselfishness. Her instinctive protection. Her emotional support. Her circumspect deliberation. Her unswerving patience. Her be-all and end-all concern. Her infallible empathy. Her electrifying energy. Her unequivocal approach. Her hearkening listening. Her effective guidance. Her insightful analysis. Her constructive counseling. Her struggle for our well-being.
She is a one-woman army who manages home, family, and children with scrupulous dedication and extreme devotion. She wears many caps and lives up to several multifaceted duties impeccably.
A mother is she who delivers any role model. A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but no one can take her place. She is irreplaceable. She is indispensable. She is the anchor of our lives. She is our umbrella with no limitations. She is the basis of all matters. She is our root, our base, our foundation, and the cornerstone of any society.
Behind every civilized nation, there is the guidance of a mother. She is the origin from which society, family, the state, and the nation begin. The one who shapes and molds the future of the next generation is she — a mother.
It takes someone truly brave to love another more than herself. She is the one who gives precedence to the priorities of her children, putting hers behind. Motherhood is wanting the best for others and not expecting anything in return. She is the only person who does anything not to impress, but to express her love and care. The more she does, the less she feels she has done. No seven-star hotel can match the comfort of a mother’s hug and lap.
A mother is the only person who understands what her children do not say. She is a bank where we deposit everything — our hurts, our happiness, our worries. She is the only person who is always on the qui vive and ready to iron out any eventuality. She is the only person who masks her worries to make us feel strong. Her continuous efforts to bring progress and to sort out difficulties are unmatchable.
She takes care of every detail from every possible angle — she is so meticulous concerning the upbringing and future of her children. Even her scoldings and refusals in some circumstances are vaccinations for our future. She knows when to set boundaries and why. She is our compass, guiding us through life.
But the best justification for a mother is given in the Holy Quran: Paradise lies under the feet of a mother. Mothers are held in high esteem in Islam. The Book of Truth emphasizes the importance of honoring and respecting mothers. Looking affectionately and kindly at parents is devotion. Islam teaches us to lower to them the wing of humility and tenderness.
A mother is our sunshine, as her care and love brighten our lives. She remains awake in the pitch darkness, praying to Allah to illuminate our lives. And is there anything more sincere and powerful than the dua of a mother?
May Allah bestow Jannah to all mothers, as this is the only place where they deserve to dwell forever.
Moustaffa Mudhoo
