The Status of Mothers in Islam

Mother's Wrath

In Islam a mother's anger and dissatisfaction with an offspring are regarded as the means of his misfortune and destruction.

In some Islamic narrations, it has been explicitly said that those who maltreat their parents, will never even smell the perfume of heaven, nor attain happiness.

A young companion of the prophet had fallen ill and was confined to bed. The Prophet went to visit him and found him seriously ill and approaching the last moments of life. The prophet said to him: "Confess to the uniqueness of God and say 'there is no God but Allah'."

The young man stammered and could not utter the sacred phrase. The prophet asked a woman who was present: "Has this young man a mother?" She said: "Yes, I am his mother." The Prophet asked: "Are you dissatisfied with him?" She said: "Yes, but I have not been on speaking terms with him for six years." The Prophet requested her to forgive the son's errors. She said: "O prophet of God! I will do so for your sake." Then the Prophet turned to the young man and said: "Now utter the phrase 'there is no God but Allah." The young man now gave a free tongue to the rightful words and uttered them.[^1]

Imam Sadiq says: "He who wishes to pass easily through the agony of death, should act benevolently towards her kinsmen, and treat his mother kindly. Then the agony of death will become easy for him to bear, and in life he will not suffer from indigence."[^2]

A man asked the Prophet a point about goodness to one's parents. The prophet repeated his recommendation three times for kindness to parents but made a mother's right prior to a father's.[^3]

[^1]: Amali Al-Tousi,Vol. I,P. 62 .

[^2]: Amali Al-Saduq, P. 234.

[^3]: Al-Kafi, Vol.2,P. 162.