That will make you know what is a Mother.

Taken from an audio in Muslim Matters

MOTHER is the first word that we pronounced.

She is the example of mercy that moves in our midst.

But unfortunately no one looks at her with deep respect and esteem except the one that Allah has shown his mercy.

The Mother is a cluster of patience.

She is a live example of forgiveness and forbearance.

Here is a story of how a brother came to realise how important a Mother is.

He says:

The one who has seen is not the same as the one who has only heard.

I have heard so much that has been said of the great favour and kindness of the Mother.

And I was just like anyone else, I hear what I hear but it doesn’t go beyond my ears.

A beautiful phrase could move me.

I could move my head upon hearing some beautiful lines of poetry and that was it.

But Allah he willed goodness for me as I followed the stages of my wife’s pregnancy step by step.

And when the poor woman entered the 9^th month of pregnancy, I pictured myself as the foetus inside her inflated stomach.

As I watched and followed I started experiencing and feeling the significance of what I used to hear about the great kindness of the Mother.

I saw something that can make the heads turn that softens the hearts and brings tears to the eyes.

And then I became completely convinced that this noble woman that is the MOTHER, has not been treated justly and will never be.

However much they adorn words, by Allah no one will repay her except Allah.

That is why they said “The rewards of the two parents, it lies with Allah”.

He continues and says:

I wish words can come to my aid so that I could bring reality closer.

So what did I see?

O Allah have mercy on me again and again.

Can any human being withstand all that suffering and pain.

I saw her enduring all that with joy and happiness again and again.

I saw her and I heard her and she did not know that I was witnessing her, as she let out a painful scream.

And I would feel that painful scream which would tear my heart and I would struggle to hold back the tears.

And I would be surprised as I see her moments later as she smiled forgetting her pain as she stroked her stomach and she said:

“How much I love you my little one, how much I long to see you”.

Glory be to Allah who gave her the patience in the face of continuous pain.

When she moves she feels the pain.

When she sits she moans.

And when she lies down she screams.

And when she walks she becomes exhausted.

And when she tries to take a nap she becomes overcome by tiredness.

She can’t turn on her bed comfortably as she used to before she became heavy with pregnancy.

And in spite of all this, she is still required to take care of the house and all its needs, following the children, cleaning them, feeding them, putting them to sleep and all other chores enough to knock down a mountain.

In spite of all this, she smiles and says to Patience:

“Learn some lessons from me O Patience.

Try this, see if you can become a Mother.

Can one man put up staying with a two year old or a three year old child for hours before he starts cursing himself and making all kinds of comments.

It is only the mother who can put up with that - content, pleased and smiling”.

Try and picture this with me.

How beautiful is this picture.

As she sits down encircled by her young ones, like a bird surrounded by its little ones with their beaks wide open.

The mother encourages this one to eat and she plays the other one as she feeds him.

And she makes repeated attempts until she finally makes one of them drink.

And she smiles in order to bring the younger one closer to come to his food.

All of this as she sits uncomfortably every part of her body about to scream because of the pain she is enduring.

And in spite of all this she is still encouraging, she’s still feeding, she’s still giving.

When all of a sudden she makes a painful moan.

The reason why she made this painful sound is because the foetus kicked her so hard in the stomach from the inside.

As soon as she has composed herself, again she smiles like as if nothing has happened.

And once again the foetus kicks the mother harder this time from inside.

It is as if the little one is saying “I am here O Mother”.

She’s overjoyed when the baby makes movements and kicks inside her stomach and he doesn’t give her a single moment to rest.

And when the baby sits still and does not make any movements, she’s overcome by fear.

And when the foetus moves she’s overjoyed again.

Ya Allah, these are many different forms of torment .

If anyone however strong the man is, if he experiences any of this he would have been screaming

until the 40^th neighbour an hear this screams

But as for her, patience …. hoping for the reward from Allah laughing and smiling

And may the mercy of Allah be with her,

and may the mercy of Allah be with her,

and may the mercy of Allah be with her.

The brother continues and says:

I saw my wife looking at me many times.

Those looks she gave me, they carry so much pain but she kept her lips tight.

And moments later she would be smiling and then her tongue would utter the most beautiful of words with regards to the new guest that is being awaited.

How amazing you are O Mother.

Do you think the pain and suffering is over? No.

How great you are O Mother.

When 9^th month is over and it is only hours before the foetus leaves the womb to come into this world - the greatest of calamity strikes.

Neither does the baby wants to stay inside her nor does he want to come out.

And here is the unbearable suffering.

And he doesn’t come out most of the time except forcefully.

And as he comes out he tears the flesh.

Or the doctor, he cuts the flesh.

And the mid-wife pulls forcefully.

Her soul struggling to remain inside the body.

And sometimes the soul does come out and the Mother dies and the baby lives.

If Allah has given her another chance in life, she survives this intensive battle until when she sees the little one beside her and she says:

“May I sacrifice my life for you”

Ya Allah, what is this affection and what is this preference?

She suffers all that she suffers but she would rather die so that the little one can survive.