Mother

This humble servant addresses you every month on a different topic. In today's sitting I would like to say something about the mental worries, feelings of insecurity, fear, and despair about the future that are faced by the Muslim population.

 Seeing the sad, sorrowful, and lifeless faces, it appears as if we are travellers who have no destination. But if we adopt the beautiful ways of the Islamic lifestyle, we can bring an extraordinary power of attraction to our faces. Not only the Muslims, but other nations as well have been attracted to the enlightening ways of Islam and have been pulled towards this religion that manifests truth. Just as surely, as air, water, and light, the faith of Islam is the common inheritance of all people. But it is not enough to verbally declare this. A show of selflessness and other actions consistent with such a declaration must also follow.

 In today’s modern and technological age, reverence and respect for parents and elders is decreasing every day. This is the first in a series of steps which leads to the deterioration and loss of Islamic moral values. According to God's command, the Holy Prophet (saw) has composed, for his followers in particular and for humanity in general, principles that are clear and illuminating. The practice of these principles will shield us from mental chaos, nervous tension, confusion and worry.

 Once, while the Holy prophet (saw) was distributing meat, a woman arrived. The Holy Prophet (saw) left his task and spread his mantle [or 'un-sewn outer covering'] on the ground, and, with immense respect and reverence, asked the honourable lady to sit on that mantle. Hadhrat Abu Tufail (r.a) says that he asked people [regarding the lady], "Who is this honorable personality?" Those present there told him that, "this revered woman is the 'mother' who nursed the Holy Prophets'" on her milk, as an infant."

 In regards to the kind treatment of parents, in chapter Bani Israeel, Allah says,

"And your Lord has commanded that,

'worship none but Him, and show kindness to parents."

[The Holy Quran, chapter 17: verse 23]

 Show of gratitude towards one's benefactor is the first requirement of decency, and the truth is that the tangible cause of our existence is our mother and father, under whose supervision and with whose upbringing we grow and reach mental maturity. Considering the extraordinary sacrifice, unparalleled effort, and the exceptional love and selflessness they display in the upbringing and the training of their children, justice demands that our hearts be filled with reverence, gratitude, and love towards them, and every fibre of our being be thankful to them. This is the reason why, along with the command to show thankfulness towards Him, God has instructed that we be thankful towards our parents.

 We are also commanded to show kindness and respect towards our parents' friends. We are instructed to acknowledge their advice with respect. The Prophet" of Allah has said:

 'The highest virtue is that a person should be benevolent towards his father's friends.' [Muslim]

 When we make a garment, regardless of whether it is constructed of a cotton fabric, wool, or nylon, its purpose is to cover ourselves. Similarly, in order to keep itself hidden, the spirit [‘rooh’] has made up a garment, and this garment is our body, which is composed of flesh and bones. Just as, without a body, a garment has neither significance nor its own movement, in the same way, the garment of the spirit has significance only as long as the spirit gives it significance. When we wear a jacket or a coat, it is not possible that while that coat is on our body, we can move our arm without the sleeve moving along with it. It is also not possible for us to hang that coat on a peg or put it down on a bed, and for it to move of its own accord. A garment's significance remains only as long as it adorns a body. Just like a woollen or cotton garment, all the movements of a garment composed of flesh [which is our body] are dependant on the spirit. As long as the spirit remains in the body, the body moves about and shows sign of life as soon as the spirit breaks its relationship with the body, the body becomes no more significant than a coat hanging on a peg.

If an intelligent, mentally competent, adult does not know who his parents are, then regardless of how capable and intelligent he is, a feeling of loss and deprivation surrounds him. And feelings of loss and deprivation create such a huge vacuum in a person’s life that eventually such a person becomes mentally ill. Whether insanity is on a small scale or large, such a person would still be called insane.

Although we are aware of the fact that we exist, but we are unaware of the reality of who created us. Suppose we say that, 'our creator is Allah,' then that would be just like saying that the body of flesh and bones is the real person, whereas that person has no significance of his own. This person is under the control of the spirit, whereas the spirit is hidden from our worldly eyes. Merely offering lip service that, 'our creator is Allah,' does not fulfill the requirements of acceptance of one's Creator. That person who has no idea of who his parents are will similarly say that, his parents gave birth to him ' If we are not familiar with our spirit, then declarations of Allah as the Creator and the Lord would be based merely on our speculation. How tragic is the fact that in society, a person whose parents are not known is not given any status. Yet, at the same time, the best that many of us are able to do is to offer lip service when remembering Allah, the Exalted, while we consider ourselves Ashraf-ul-Makhlooqat ['best of the creation']. Allah is He whose hearing we listen with, whose vision we see with, and whose heart [favvad] we think with. Yet we consider it unnecessary to recognize the God who gives us birth, who raises us with his special favour and blessings, and who protects us, while He himself has announced:

 "And those people who strive in Our path--We surely

guide them in Our ways." [The Holy Quran, chapter 29: Verse 69]

 It has been the mission of all prophets, on whom be peace, and all Godly men that, just as people have familiarity with their parents, they should gain an understanding of their Creator.