In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The end of Ramadhan is fast approaching. Have you reached the goals and objectives you set at the beginning of Ramadhan? If you didn't have one set, it is not too late to do so now. How about the purpose of Ramadhan...so you may become Godfearing (taqwa)?
... يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ ﴿١٨٣﴾ أَيَّامًا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍ ۚ فَمَن كَانَ مِنكُم مَّرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍ فَعِدَّةٌ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ[Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:183-184]
O you who have believed, decreed upon you is fasting as it as decreed upon those before you that you may become Godfearing - (183) [Fasting for] a limited number of days. ...
Are we miserably falling short?
One of the best ways to gain taqwa and one of the quickest ways to gain closeness to Allah and to please Allah and His Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is to seek to please your mother.
Uways Al-Qarni lived in Yemen. Some of the children used to think he was a crazy person because he was so poor and his clothing was so old. He didn’t have much social status. But the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “لو أقسم على الله لأبره” - that that person if he takes an oath upon Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, Allah will surely honor that oath. Although he lived during the time of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace), he never saw the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) because he was taking care of his mother. He was praised by the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) for this.
In a hadith, the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) that the best of the followers (tabi'in) was a man by the name of Uways Ibn 'Aamir from the tribe of Qarn, a part of the tribe of Muraad. He had been inflicted with leprosy from which he was cured--except for a small spot on his shoulder. He was known for his kindness and obedience to his mother. He said, if he took an oath upon Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, Allah will surely honor his oath. The Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) told the companions, should they meet Uways al-Qarni, to ask him to make supplication to Allah to forgive them.
So when ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) became khalifah, every single year he would go out and ask the different tribes that came from Yemen if Uwais Al-Qarani is amongst them. Finally after ten years, when 'Umar inquired about Uways again, the people of Yemen who came from hajj pointed him out.
'Umar went to him and asked if he is Uwais ibn ‘Aamir, from Muraad, from Qarn. His answers were "yes." 'Umar asked again, "Did you have leprosy and you were cured from your leprosy except for a dirham on your shoulder?" He said yes. And 'Umar asked to see it and he saw it. And then he asked, “And do you still have a mother who you are kind and obedient to?" And he said yes. 'Umar said, “Then you are the one that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) spoke about. So he said, “Seek forgiveness for me”. Uways said, “You’re a sahabi, you’re ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, the Khalifah, and if there was to be a prophet after this it would have been you." And 'Umar said that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) said if he was to meet this person then he should ask him to ask forgiveness for him. So Uways did so.
Then 'Umar said to him, “Are there any favors I can do for you? Where are you headed to next?” He said, “I’m going to Kufa in Iraq”. He said, “Let me write a letter to the governor of Kufa so he can honor you, so that you can be taken care of.” Uways said, “I don’t have any need for that. I like to live amongst the poor and the simple.” He said, “The only favor I ask of you is that you don’t tell anybody about me."
But people noticed 'Umar was going to him and that 'Umar was asking about him. A man came to Uways and said, “Seek forgiveness for me.” He said, “You just performed hajj, you should seek forgiveness for me.” So when he recognized that the people were recognizing who he was, he finished his hajj and he immediately left and the end of the narration was that he had a mantle, had a burdah that if anyone saw it they would say “Where did he get that from?” He had a unique dress, a very unique appearance and obviously he’s someone who is very special that the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) even recognized him without ever having seen him.
And so this teaches us a very, very important lesson. How did Uways attain this status that he attained? That even the sahaba were told, “Go ask him to seek forgiveness for you.” Uways was dutiful to his mother, he was obedient to his mother. And so when you excel in your treatment of your mother, when you are dutiful to your mother, then you can reach that reward of closeness to Allah and your supplications are answered inshaa Allah.
We should all strive to please our mothers and treat them with excellence. In so doing we will also develop the best character, which weighs heavy on the Scale in the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “The closest to me on the Day of Judgment and the most beloved to me are those who have the best character.”
May Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala grant us taqwa and noble character. May Allah forgive us and help us be dutiful to our mother and father. May Allah have mercy on our parents and forgive them. May Allah resurrect us with the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam) and enter us into the highest Paradise with him without reckoning. May Allah join us with the companions and the “صديقون”[siddeeqoon]– the truthful ones and the شهداء [shuhadaa]- and the martyrs.
Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and He alone grants success.
Wassalaam
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