Heaven Under Mother’s Feet…
The question is regarding the famous saying regarding heaven being under mother's feet, I always understood this to be in regards to respecting your mother, but some times the parents do not train their children well in ways of Islam.
How is that dealt with in Islamic laws, and if there is some other meaning of the questions?
Imran Dotani, USA
Reply
Your interpretation of the saying is absolutely correct. It really implies that good behavior with parents, especially one’s mother is a great virtue and if done with the right spirit and in the right manner, it shall, insha’Allah, render one deserving of the everlasting bliss of Paradise.
Good behavior with parents is not subject to the condition that they be pious Muslims or that they should have trained their children well in the ways of Islam. The mere fact that the person I am dealing with is my father or my mother is enough to require of me the most suitable and the most gracious behavior toward him/her. The Qur’an clearly tells us that we should always be gracious in our dealings with our parents – in their life as well as after their death (by praying for them). Being gracious, however, does not mean that one cannot disagree with his/her parents. It only means that even in cases of disagreement, we should deal with them in a soft manner and never be a source of pain for them, through our words or actions. There are also a few narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh) in which one or the other of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) asked him how he should behave with his/her father/mother, if he/she had not accepted Islam and was still a polytheist. The Prophet (pbuh) invariably replied that they should be dealt with in the most suitable of manners.
It should also be interesting to note that it can safely be derived from the way the Qur’an has mentioned the right of the parents that after the rights of the Creator, the rights of the parents – especially the mother – precedes all other rights.
May Allah help us in meeting all our responsibilities.
Regards,
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