Fataawa Regarding Mother's Day-II

5- Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Baazsaid,
I read the article that was published by An-Nadwah Journal, on
30-11-1384 AH, under the title "Honoring the Mother and Honoring the
Family", and felt that the writer appreciated, from many perspectives,
the Western innovation of fixing a day in the year to celebrate the
mother. He mentioned in his article something of which the advocates
of that day were heedless. I mean the state of melancholy and grief
that afflicts the motherless children when seeing their friends
celebrating and honoring their mothers. He, instead, proposed to
extend the celebration to include all family members, apologizing for
the fact that Islam did not bring this day, because the Islamic
Sharee'ah has made honoring the mother an obligation.
The writer did well by his apology on behalf of Islam on one hand, and
the mention of the evil effect of this day of which its inventors were
heedless. However, at the same time, he did not refer to the
disagreement of this religious innovation with the clear texts that
were narrated on the authority of the Messenger of Islamand their
resulting harm and the imitation they imply of the polytheists and
disbelievers. By this brief word, I would like to bring to the mind of
that writer and others, the evil of this religious innovation that was
invented by the enemies and ignorant people of Islam to the extent
that they defamed it ]i.e., Islam[, and caused people to have aversion
to it. This normally results in confusion and division, whose harmful
effects and corruption are known only to Allaah The Almighty.
It is proven, in authentic Hadeeths, that the Prophetwarned us about
religious innovations, and imitating the enemies of Allaah, namely the
Jews and Christians and polytheists. A mention may be made of his
statement:"Whoever introduces anything new in our matter ]i.e.
religion[, which does not originally belong to it, it will be
rejected."]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[ According to another version by
Muslim:"Whoever does something that is not supported by our matter
]religion[, it will be rejected."]Muslim[
Furthermore, the Prophetwould say in his Friday Khutbah )sermon(:"To
proceed, the best speech is the Book of Allaah; the best guidance is
the guidance of Muhammad; and the worst of matters are the innovations
]in religion[; and every religious innovation leads to
misguidance."]Muslim[
No doubt, fixing a day in the year to celebrate and honor the mother
or the family is among the innovations of matters ]in religion[, which
was not done by the Prophetnor by his Companions. So, it is obligatory
to leave it and warn people not to participate in it, and to be
satisfied instead with what has been ordained by Allaah The Almighty
and His Messenger.
It has already been clarified that the writer referred to the fact
that the Islamic Sharee'ah has ordered the Muslims to honor the mother
and constantly encourages dutifulness to her. Indeed, he has told the
truth in this respect. It is obligatory for the Muslims to be
satisfied with what has been ordained for them by Allaah The Almighty,
as regards dutifulness to the mother, honoring her, doing good to her
and obeying her in what is good at all times. Meanwhile, they have to
beware of the innovations of religious matters, of which Allaah The
Almighty warned them, since they lead them to imitate the enemies of
Allaah, follow in their footsteps and the innovations which they like.
This is not unique to the mother in particular, since Allaah The
Almighty ordered the Muslims to be dutiful to both parents, to honor
them, do good to them, and maintain all kinship ties; He also warned
them of undutifulness and severing ties. Allaah The Almighty has
favored the mother with more care and dutifulness because she cares
for the child more, and her suffering in pregnancy, birth and
breastfeeding is greater. In confirmation of this, Allaah The Almighty
Says )what means(:
·}And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to
parents, good treatment.{]Quran 17:23[
·}And We have enjoined upon man ]care[ for his parents. His mother
carried him, ]increasing her[ in weakness upon weakness, and his
weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents; to Me
is the ]final[ destination.{]Quran: 31:14[
·}So would you perhaps, if you turned away, cause corruption on earth
and sever your ]ties of[ relationship? Those ]who do so[ are the ones
that Allaah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their
vision.{]Quran 47:22-23[
It was narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that the Messenger of
Allaahsaid:"Should I not tell you about the greatest of the grave
major sins?"They ]the Companions[ said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allaah."
Hesaid:"To associate partners with Allaah ]in worship[, to be
undutiful to parents."]When he said so[ he was reclining. Then hesat
up and said:"Behold! ]I warn you about[ giving a forged statement!
Behold! ]I warn you of[ giving a false witness!"
Another Hadeeth states: "A man asked the Messenger of Allaahsaying, 'O
Messenger of Allaah, who is most entitled to my best companionship?'
The Prophetsaid:'Your mother.'The man said, 'Who comes next?' The
Prophetsaid:'Your mother.'The man further asked, 'Who comes next?' The
Prophetsaid:'Your mother.'The man asked ]for the fourth time[, 'Who
comes next?' The Prophetsaid'Your father, and then the next of kin.'"
The Prophetfurther said:"No severer, i.e. one who severs kinship ties,
shall enter Paradise."
It was narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that the Prophetsaid:"Whoever
wants his means of sustenance to be expanded for him or his lifetime
to be lengthened should maintain his kinship ties."]Muslim[
There are many famous Quranic verses and Prophetic Hadeeths that
support the obligation of dutifulness to parents, maintaining kinship
ties and confirming the mother's right. However, what we have
mentioned is sufficient. They clearly indicate the obligation of
honoring both parents, showing respect to them, doing good to them as
well as to all kith and kin constantly. They also guide to the fact
that undutifulness to parents and severing kinship ties are among the
most odious attributes and grave major sins which bring about the fire
]of Hell[ and the wrath of ]Allaah[ The Compeller; we ask Allaah to
save us from that.
Surely, this is more overwhelming and greater than the Western
innovation of favoring the mother with only one day of honoring in the
year, which leads to neglecting her all the remaining days of the year
and turning away from the right of the father and all kith and kin. It
is clear for those who are intelligent that this measure results in
great corruption, disagrees with the law of the Wisest of all the
wise, and leads to falling into evil of which His trustworthy
Messengerwarned.
Along with this innovation is the celebration held by a lot of people,
namely, Mawlids, commemoration of national independence or accessionto
the throne, and so on. These all belong to the religious innovations
in which a lot of Muslims imitate the enemies of Allaah The Almighty,
and pay no heed to the warnings and prohibitions that are mentioned in
the purified Sharee'ah.
This confirms the authentic Hadeeth where the Messenger of
Allaahsaid:"You will follow the ways of those who were before you very
closely ]i.e. so completely and literally[ that if they should go into
the hole of a lizard, you too will go there."The Companionsasked,"O
Messenger of Allaah! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He
replied:"Who else?"]Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
According to another version:"My Ummah will copy the deeds of the
previous nations, span by span and cubit by cubit ]i.e., inch by
inch[."They ]the Companions[ asked, "O Messenger of Allaah! Do you
mean by those ]nations[ the Persians and the Romans?" He said:"Who can
it be other than them?"]Al-Bukhaari[
Indeed, what was foretold by the Prophetcame true. The people of this
Ummah, except whomever Allaah willed not to, have imitated those who
were before them, from among the Jews, Christians and Magians, and
others like them of the disbelievers, in many of their morals and
deeds, to the extent that Islam has become alien to them; many people
regard the ways, morals and deeds of the disbelievers better than what
has been brought by Islam. Good has turned into evil, and evil into
good, the Sunnah into religious innovation, and the religious
innovation into Sunnah, in the sight of the majority of the people,
simply because of ignorance, and turning away from what has been
brought by Islam in terms of noble morals and righteous deeds. We ask
Allaah to help Muslims understand their religion, to set right their
affairs and guide their leaders, and to direct our scholars and
writers to publicize the good that our religion has come with, and to
warn about the religious innovations and invented heresies which
defame it and cause people to have aversion to it; He has power over
all things. May Allaah confer blessing and peace upon His slave and
Messenger - Muhammad- and upon his family and Companions, and those
who follow his way and emulate the guidance of his Sunnah till the Day
of Judgment.
According to some scholars, the man should do his best before Allaah
The Almighty when attempting to set right the affairs of his wife. The
Messenger of Allaah,said:"Whoever imitates a people becomes one of
them."