Have You Hugged Your Mother Lately?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Muslims know that Allah has commanded children to be kind to their parents. Honoring parents is a form of worship if the intention is to please the Almighty.

وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ فِى عَامَيْنِ أَنِ ٱشْكُرْ لِى وَلِوَٰلِدَيْكَ إِلَىَّ ٱلْمَصِيرُ ﴿١٤

And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years — give thanks to Me and to your parents, unto Me is the final destination. (14)

[Qur'an, Luqman 31:14]

وَوَصَّيْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيْهِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۖ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرْهًا وَوَضَعَتْهُ كُرْهًا ۖ وَحَمْلُهُۥ وَفِصَـٰلُهُۥ ثَلَـٰثُونَ شَهْرًا ۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرْبَعِينَ سَنَةً قَالَ رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِىٓ أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَىَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَىَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَـٰلِحًا تَرْضَىٰهُ وَأَصْلِحْ لِى فِى ذُرِّيَّتِىٓ ۖ إِنِّى تُبْتُ إِلَيْكَ وَإِنِّى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٥

And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship And she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will)." (15)

[Qur'an, Al-Ahqaf 46:15]

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّۢ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًا ﴿٢٣

And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. (23)

[Qur'an, Al-Isra' 17:23]

It is recorded on authority of Ibn Majah that a man asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), “What rights the parents had on their children.” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered, “Both are your Paradise and your Hell.” [Ibn Majah]

So we should always keep in mind that obedience to parents and their service with love, compassion and due courtesy shall be the cause of entry of the person to Paradise: and the disobedience of parents and affliction of distress on them will lead the person to Hell. May Allah protect us from Hell.

Abdullah ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased with both father and son) relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Allah’s pleasure and approval are in the pleasure and approval of the parents, and Allah’s anger lies in the displeasure of the parents”. [Tirmidhi]

The best source of earning Allah’s mercy is to seek the pleasure of one’s parents. Allah’s mercy is obviously the best blessing, and disobedience of parents and their displeasure deprives the person of earning Allah’s mercy. May Allah enable us to take care of our parents in order to earn His mercy.

Service to parents is obligatory at every age, particularly so when they grow old and become dependent for most of their normal needs. The Gracious All-Mighty is really much pleased with an individual who takes special care of his/her old parents. If however, an individual doesn’t bother to care for the old parents, he/she is certainly most unlucky to have opted for eternal condemnation in torturous Hell.

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) tells us that on one occasion the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) remarked in a trance: “He is humbled, he is humbled, he is humbled!” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked, “Who is humbled, O Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Allah?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered, “He who found his/her parents or one of them in old age, and yet did not enter Paradise (by serving them).” [Muslim]

Mother has precedence over father.

Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a man asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) “Who had the most priority to good treatment?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “Your mother.” The man asked, “And next to the mother?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Your mother.” “And next again?” asked the man. “Your mother”, replied the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) once more. “And next”, the man persisted. “Your father”, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) answered. [Agreed upon]

A study by University of North Carolina researchers found that hugs increase the "bonding" hormone oxytocin and decrease the risk of heart disease. The importance of oxytocin and its potentially cardioprotective effects is greater for women. Allah knows best.

So, have you hugged your mother today? If not, go and hug her now. If your mother is far away, call her now, and say "I love you Mom." If you haven't said this to her since grade school, it is the more reason you should revive that speech. Keep in touch with her. The technology has made it very easy to do this ... use it to earn you Paradise. She will be pleased.

If your mother is deceased, call her sister(s) and chat with her. You will make her (them) very happy. Bringing happiness to the heart of others, the angels will keep you company when you are alone in your grave.

Al-Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) saying: “A mother’s sister is equivalent to (real) mother (in status).” [At-Tirmidhi]

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with both father and son) reports that a man came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, “I have committed a very great sin and I wonder if it can be forgiven”. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) asked, “Have you a mother?” The man answered that he had lost his mother. “Then, is her sister alive?” Asked the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) “She is.” The man said. “Then go and treat her well”, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) advised. [Tirmidhi]

Respectful treatment and service to your parents shall be immediately responded by similar treatment with you by your children; and unadulterated pious personal conduct fetches faithfulness and sincerity among your family women.

Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) states that the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Serve your parents with respect; your children shall also serve you with regard. Remain pious in your conduct, your women shall remain faithful to you”.

May Allah enable us to be obedient to Him and be dutiful and good to our parents.

Our Lord, forgive me and my parents, and the believers, upon the day when the reckoning shall come to pass.

Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam