By: Ali Akbar Alvi (Minhajian)

The Holy Prophet (SAW) said " Paradise lies under the feet of mother" In this statement the holy Prophet (SAW) magnifies the status of mother and makes us understand that mothers are so exalted that even the highest place like paradise or heaven lies under her feet.

Today we are celebrating the mother's day that is really a good practice to observe and promote round the globe because it is the mother who brings us up and sets us slowly on the way to life after facing thousands of hardships and troubles.

Women form more than half of our population in Pakistan. But majority of them are passive member of society because they had been confined to the four walls of their house and do not know what is happening round the globe. They are leading a mechanical life and are deprived of very basics rights .They have been put in darkness and not let them out of the so-called men driven society. Especially the condition of women in rural areas is more than pathetic.

Although Islam grants them the highest position but unfortunately we have failed to grant them their due position they deserve. There is an immediate need to associate our women with all the major development activities in our society commensurate with their ability and capacity. The Qur'an says:

"Your Lord has decreed that you should worship nothing except Him, and (show) kindness to your parents, whether one or both of them attain old age (while they are) still with you, never say to them a word of contempt nor scold them. Address them in a generous fashion. And out of kindness, stay before them with humility and say: 'My Lord, show them mercy, just as they cared for me in my childhood" (17:23-24). Again Allah says:

"We have enjoined man to respect his parents; his mother bears him with fainting after fainting, while his weaning takes two years. Thank Me as well as your parents; towards Me lies the goal" (The Qur'an 31:14)

There is no obvious reason to keep them in darkness. The Holy Prophet (SAW) said " schooling has been made obligatory for both men and women".

What noteworthy here is that female education is as important as male education. Without proper education, our mothers can not play their important role in the construction of world peace and harmony. If the mothers can not move with the world how they can prepare their children for better future and global challenges. We should inspire the young female children for schooling because they are the future mothers. Education of man is only for him but education for a girl means education of a nation because a girl after marriage is raised to the status of mother and it is the mother who educates her children on the very first but the most important stage of life.

The great Psychologists like Freud believe that the psyche of child is built within the first three years of life after that we can mould and model it but can not change .So these first three years are the most important years in child's life when the building of his future life is to be built .The stronger is the foundation, the stronger is the building. If the foundation of a building is strong, we can build many storeys over it but if it is weaker then there is overwhelming danger that the whole building will collapse after a minute shake.

When the mothers are educated, they become more useful for the society because they understand their rights and duties. They can draw a difference between right and wrong. They are well- aware to settle the dispute within and outside of their homes.

They are the first institution for a child. A child learns many things from his home. If his mother is good in nature, well mannered, and well educated, she will train her child properly. She will teach him noble values of morality. She would teach how to talk and how to behave in gathering and different ceremonies. She will model her child keeping in view the global demands.

No one can deny the role of mother in character building of a child. If mother is God fearing and God-drunk then she would teach the purpose of life. She will teach that the main object is not to run after materialistic pursuits from dawn to dusk but to obey Allah Almighty in all the circumstances and tread the footsteps of the holy Prophet (SAW).

I do not say that uneducated mothers are worthless and they can not train their children and do not tell them better ways of life. We find thousands of great heroes whose mothers had not been educated but my view point is that educated mothers can train their children better than the other ones. Their ability to observe, to compromise, and understand their children is far better than the later.

The question arises that for such wonderful services a mother rendered to a society, how she should be repaid. We can not repay, no one can repay. It is reported that here was a young guy who helped his mother to perform pilgrimage hundred times riding her on his shoulder. He asked Allah Almighty, has he done his duty well and now free? He was replied you have not done enough even for the single night when you wetted your bed and your mother placed you on the dry part driving her to the wet in the cold nights of winter. We should assure our mothers a great feeling of security about the type of care and consideration that she expects from her children when she reaches old age. As the verse of the Qur'an quoted above indicates, thankfulness to parents is linked with thankfulness to Allah, and a failure in either of these respects is indeed a major failure in one's religious duties.