(B) Mother
InIslam,themotherisasubstituteheadofthefamily.InmanyMuslim
societies, thefatherworksoutside the house,whereas themother isin
charge inside the house.
Asmentionedearlier,itisthefather'sdutytoprovidethenecessitiesof
lifeforthechildren.Ifthefatherisdead,thenitisthedutyofthegrand-
fathertoprovideforhisgrandchildren.Onlywhenboth,thefatherand
thegrandfather,aredeadthedutyofprovidingthenecessitiesoflifefor
the children fall upon the mother.
A mother's basic duty towards her children is to love, nurture and
trainthemasbestasshecan sothat theymaygrowupashealthy and
goodMuslims.Thatiswhyitissaidthat,“Paradiseisatthe feetofthe
mothers.”
The threetypesof rights mentionedforthe father,equally applyfor
themotheralso.Ratherinsomeways,therightsofmothersaresuperior
to that of fathers.
HakimbinHizamaskedtheProphet,“OMessengerofGod,towhom
should I do good?” The Prophet said, “Your mother.” Hakim asked,
“Andthenwho?”TheProphetagainsaid,“Yourmother.”Hakimasked
the saem question forthe third time, andthe Prophet again answered
that“Yourmother.”WhenHakimaskedthefourthtime,onlythendid
the Prophet say, “Your father.”
Why is so much importance given to the rights of mothers? Imam
Zaynu 'l-`Abidin (a.s.) says:
“Itistherightofyourmotherthatyoushouldappreciatethatshecar-
riedyou[inherwomb]asnobodycarriesanybody,fedyouthefruitsof
her heart which nobody feeds anybody, protected you [during preg-
nancy]with her ears,eyes,hands, legs, hair, limbs,[inshort] with her
wholebeing,gladly,cheerfully andcarefully.Shepatiently sufferedall
the worries, pains, difficulties and sorrows, till the hands of God re-
movedyoufromherandbroughtyoutothisworld.Thenshewasmost
happyfeedingyouforgettingherownhunger;clothingyou,evenifshe
herselfhadnoclothes;givingyoumilkandwater,notcaringforherown