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Womens' Rights in Islam
Mothers’ Rights in Islam
Islam honours the mother higher than any other religion on earth. The mother who is cherished that much by Islam and given all these rights has a task to perform. She has to take care of her children, raise them well, implant virtues, and make them detest evil. She has to teach them to obey Allah, encourage them to defend what is truthful, not dissuade them from fighting for the sake of Allah (one form of jihad) because of the motherly sentiments in her heart but to favour the correct way over sentiment.
In fact References to parents have been made at least 15 times in the Holy Qur'an. The Holy Qur;an states, “And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve (any) but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them (so much as) "Ugh" nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word." (AlIsraa:23)
We saw a believing mother, Al-Khansaa, in the Battle of Qadesseyah eloquently urging her four sons to be brave and steadfast. Then as soon as the battle was over and the news of their four deaths came to her, she did not wail but said with certainty and contentment, "Praise be to Allah who honoured me with their martyrdom."
Mothers’ rights in Islam is a huge issue.. we can only mention some of her rights such as:
1. Obedience and respect
In Islam, obedience, respect and love for parents is next to the worship of Allah. Allah has made honouring one's mother a virtue, and He puts forth the mother's right over that of the father for what she endures in pregnancy, delivery, nursing and raising her children.
This is stated and restated in the Qur'an, in multiple chapters, to imprint this notion in the child's mind and heart as in the following verses: "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 your parents,-unto Me is the final destination." (Surah 31:14)
and the verse "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 `jim is thirty (30) months." (Surah 46:15)
and the verse “And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but address them in terms of honour. And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: "My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small." (Surah Isra :23-24)
A man came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, asking, "Who is most deserving of my care?"
He said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?"
He said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?"
He said, Your mother." The man asked (the fourth time), "Then who?"
He said, "Your father
(Transmitted by Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Abu Huraira The Pearl and the Coral (Al-Lu'lu' wal-Marjan - 1652)
There is a famous story of a man who was circumambulating the Ka'bah carrying his mother. He asked his Mother, "Have I repaid you?". At that time Ibn Omar (a companion of the Prophet may Allah be pleased with him) was passing, he said, "No, not even for one of her moans (i.e. one of the moans of labour, delivery and so on)
A man came to the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I want to fight and I want your advice." He asked him, "Have you a mother?" The man said, "Yes." He said, "Do not leave her because Paradise is under her feet
It is amazing that Islam commanded us to be good to a mother even if she is an unbeliever! Asma'a bint Abu Bakr asked the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, about her relationship to her unbelieving mother who had come to her. He said, "Yes, be on good terms with your mother". (Transmitted on the authority of Asmaa (agreed upon), The Pearl and the Coral (Al-Lu'lu' wal-Marjan -587)
Prophet Mohammad, blessings and peace be upon him, said that serving one's parents well is an act of great virtue, he condemned disobeying them and harming them, and described such acts as the most serious and detestable sin.
When asked about the major sins, Prophet Mohammad , blessings and peace be upon him, replied." To associate another God with Allah, to disobey the parents, to kill unlawfully and to give false testimony."
The above-mentioned acts have been condemned as 'Akbarul-Kabaair' i.e. the most serious of the major sins. The order, in which Prophet Mohammad, blessings and peace be upon him, mentioned them shows that the disregard of parents' rights is next, only, to Polytheism (Shirk) and it is even more serious than murder.
Anyone who seeks Allah's satisfaction has to make sure that his parents are pleased with him. Keeping the parents well pleased is essential since their anger and displeasure will lead to Allah's anger and displeasure. Prophet Mohammad, blessings and peace be upon him, said:
"In the good pleasure of the father lies the good pleasure of the Creator and in his displeasure, lies the displeasure of the Creator."
2. Caring for Uncles and aunts both on the father and mother sides
Some religious laws before Islam neglected the mother's relations, making them insignificant. With the advent of Islam, it empathized the importance of caring for uncles and aunts, both on the father's side and the mother's. A man approached the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, and said, "I committed an offence, could I atone for it?"
He asked, "Have you got a mother?"
The man said, "No."
He asked, "Have you got a maternal aunt?"
The man said, "Yes."
The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said, "Be good to her.
(Transmitted by Termithy in "Righteousness and Relations" (1905); Ibn Hibban Charity (EI-Ehsan) (435); and Al-Hakim who amended it on the terms of the two Sheikhs, agreed upon by Al-Dhahaby, 4/155, all on the authority of Umar.)
3. The right of custody over her children
An indication that Islam admits the importance of motherhood and cares for the rights of mothers and their feelings is that a divorced mother has greater rights and is worthier of looking after her children than the father.
`Abdallah ibn `Amr ibn Al-as transmitted that a woman asked, "O Messenger of Allah, this son of mine had my womb as a container, my breasts for drinking, my lap to contain him. His father has taken him from me." The Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said, "You have more right if you do not marry".
(Transmitted by Ahmad in Al Musnad (6707). Sheikh Shaker said its authenticity is correct. Transmitted also by Abu Dawud)
Imam Al-Khataby said in Landmarks of Traditions (Maalem As-Sunna): "Container" is the name of the place that contains a thing. This means that the mother is worthier as she and the father shared in the begetting of the child, then she was singled out for such things as nursing which the father had no share in. Therefore she deserves to be the first when it comes to disputes about the child.
In Islam if the mother (who is the first choice for custody over minor children) remarries then her right of custody is thereafter passed on to her mother, children's maternal grandmother then to her mother in-law then to the husband.
4. Paying Parents Debts
Islam encourages children to pay the debts of their parents whether these debts were to Allah or to the people. For example when a woman asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, if she can fast instead of her mother who died and had a whole month to fast. The Prophet, pace and blessings be upon him asked her if her mother had to pay a certain debt would she have paid it for her. The woman said : “yes" so the prophet told her that Allah’s debt is more worthy of paying. Also the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, encouraged a woman to perform the pilgrimage instead of her dead mother.
5. Inheriting her children
The mother has the right to inherit her children according to the rules of inheritance in Islam
6. Breastfeeding
The child's right to be breastfed is affirmed by the Quaran, the source of Islamic law and morality. The Quranic verse
“Mothers shall suckle their children for two whole years; (that is) for those who wish to complete the suckling. The duty of feeding and clothing nursing mothers in a seemly manner is upon the father of the child. No-one should be charged beyond his capacity. A mother should not be made to suffer because of her child, nor should he to whom the child is born (be made to suffer) because of his child. And on the (father's) heir is incumbent the like of that (which was incumbent on the father). If they desire to wean the child by mutual consent and (after) consultation, it is no sin for them; and if ye wish to give your children out to nurse, it is no sin for you, provided that ye pay what is due from you in kindness. Observe your duty to Allah, and know that Allah is Seer of what ye do." (Surah: 2:233)
defines a 2 years period of lactation. According to Islam, if the mother is not divorced, she should breastfeed her child as a religious obligation and not because she is the natural mother. If she is divorced then nursing is dealt with as nafaqah (financial support). This is established within the Shari`ah. The nafaqah of the child is the responsibility of the father. The father has to give the mother compensation for her nursing. If she refuses to nurse, then it becomes incumbent upon the father to find and hire a wet-nurse for the child.
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