We believe that a true and comprehensive
understanding of Islam would not be possible without careful recognition of the
Prophetic Tradition and the Prophet's Household. And Allah is the Source of Strength.
Paradise Is Beneath A Mother's Feet
[Please recite Surah Fateha for my mother Syeda Rubina Shah (who met her creator on 5 October 2025 at time of Zuhr), who fed and clothed me when I could not myself, who taught me the Hub of Wilayat e Ali when I could have been distracted in the colors of this world and who gave me (very insignificant) opportunity to serve her in her old age when I could have been spending my time and money elsewhere.
This article is also inspired from her recent death. May the reward of sharing each Quranic Ayah and message of the Prophet (SAW) and His Ahlulbayt (AS) in this article go to Syeda Rubina Shah, all of my Marhomeens, and all of your Marhoomeens and dear ones.]
Allah is the omnipotent who is above all logic, all authority and beyond the needs of complying with anyone's moral expectations. He can forgive anyone he likes at any time.
Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be
associated with Him, and
forgives what is besides that to whomsoever He pleases; and whoever
associates anything with Allah, he devises indeed a great sin.
Quran [4:48]
Allah can forgive anyone for anything, he cannot be questioned by us as to why did He do it.
However, He chose for Himself to be Just;
Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom,
and if it is a good deed He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward.
Quran [4:40]
And Allah chose for Himself not to forgive shirk under any condition;
Surely Allah does not forgive that anything should be
associated with Him, and He forgives what is besides this to whom He pleases;
and whoever associates anything with Allah, he indeed strays off into a remote
error.
Quran [4:116]
Hence we understand the gravity of the sin Shirk, that everything other than it can be forgiven at some point in time through any of the means Allah decides, but for Shirk, it is a uncompromisable offence.
Taking care of your parents is not a moral obligation or a social responsibility but is as important as faith in Tauheed itself
Now that we understand this let us look at the beauty of the following verse;
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. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with
compassion, and say: O my Lord! have compassion on them, as they brought me up
(when I was) little. Your Lord knows best what is in your minds; if you are
good, then He is surely Forgiving to those who turn (to Him) frequently.
Quran [17:23-25]
In a single command without any gap or separation, where Allah has imposed on us our duty to Tauheed, He has imposed in the same spirit on us our duty towards our parents, to treat them with gentleness, care and take care of them in their old age.
Allah has repeatedly elevated the act of being kind to ones parents and taking care of them time and time again in the Quran next to forbiddance of Shirk;
Say: Come I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you--
(remember) that you do not associate anything with Him and show kindness to
your parents, and do not slay your children for (fear of) poverty-- We
provide for you and for them-- and do not draw nigh to indecencies, those of
them which are apparent and those which are concealed, and do not kill the
soul which Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice; this He
has enjoined you with that you may understand.
Quran [6:151]
Without a comma and a fullstop, Shirk is forbidden and duty on our parents has been obligated on us.
Despite the fact that Allah has ordered us to take a strong stance against the unbelievers with ties to be cut off;
O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends
rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a
manifest proof against yourselves?
Quran [4:144]
O you who believe! do not make friends with a people with
whom Allah is wroth; indeed they despair of the hereafter as the unbelievers
despair of those in tombs.
Quran [60:13]
Allah has given immunity to parents from this stance.
And We have enjoined on man goodness to his parents, and if
they contend with you that you should associate (others) with Me, of which
you have no knowledge, do not obey them, to Me is your return, so I will inform
you of what you did.
Quran [29:8]
Now that we have established that a man is ruined if he does not attend to his parents, their needs, their old age, lets further understand this from the three curses of Jibrail (AS) and Prophet (SAW) himself;
Ka’b ibn ‘Ujrah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) says that Rasulullah (sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam) said, “Come near the pulpit so we came close’. When He
climbed the first step of the pulpit, He said ‘Amin’, When He climbed the second
step, He said ‘Amin’, When He climbed the third step, He said ‘Amin’. When He
came down, We said ‘O Rasulullah, today we have heard from you something which
we had never heard before.’
Rasulullah said, ‘When I climbed the first step, Jibril (‘alayhis salam)
appeared before me and said, ‘Destruction to the person who found the blessed
month of Ramadan and let it pass by without gaining forgiveness’ then, I
said ‘Amin.’
When I climbed the second step, he said, ‘Destruction to the person before
whom your name is taken and he does not send durud [salutations] on you.’ I
replied ‘Amin.’
When I climbed the third step, he said “Destruction on that person in whose
lifetime both his parents or either one of them reaches old age, and he fails to
enter Jannah [due to neglecting them and not serving them].’ I said ‘Amin.’
Mustadrak Hakim, vol. 4, pg. 153/154, Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah,
Hadith: 1888 and Sahih Ibn Hibban; Al Ihsan, Hadith: 907. Also see Sunan
Tirmidhi, Hadith: 3545
Let there be no doubt in the mind of every one who believes they will be accountable in the grave and before Allah on the Day of Akhirah as well, that they will be questioned about how their parents were treated.
And as a final remark to the wonderful print my mother left on myself and all around her;
It was narrated from Mu'awiyah bin Jahimah As-Sulami, that
Jahimah came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I want to go
out and fight (in Jihad) and I have come to ask your advice." He said: "Do you
have a mother?" He said: "Yes." He said: "Then stay with her, for Paradise is
beneath her feet."
Sunan an-Nasa'i Vol. 1, Book 25, Hadith 3106
Mothers have played an important part in shaping up Islam and the will of Allah on this earth. Khadija, the mother of Fatima (AS), became the source of abundance of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Before i talk about Fatima (AS) bint Muhammad (SAW), to refresh memory, we know that the paradise of a son lies under the feet of her mother, the daughter brings mercy for her father and the wife completes the faith of her husband. Janab Fatima (AS) had such a stature that paradise of the princes of paradise, Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS) was beneath her feet, she completed the faith of Qul e Emaan Ali (AS), and she brought rehmat to the Rehmat ul Alimeen (SAW). She took the first stand against tyrany and usurping of rights after the demise of Prophet (SAW) and led the opposition of Banu Hashim. Asiya (AS) brought up Musa (AS) as her own son when all sons were being hunted by her husband, the pharoh. Maryam (AS) proved that her son Isa (AS) was not god or son of god as Isa (AS) could not eat or drink had Maryam (AS) not cared for her in his infancy, Isa was dependent on Maryam. Zainab (AS) and other mothers of Kerbala sacrificed their sons for the cause of Hussain (AS) as a testimony that nothing is important that Tauheed and wilayat e Ali is a pillar of that Tauheed as it represents the will and authority of Allah.
These are they who buy the life of this world for the
hereafter, so their chastisement shall not be lightened nor shall they be
helped.
Quran [2:86]
The life of the hereafter is much better than the life of this world. These are the last words i will remember the passing of my mother with for reasons only know to myself.
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