CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

THE HEART OF THE FAMILY — THE MOTHER

Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers. Today not only children but mothers themselves need to grasp this truth. For Paradise to be beneath her feet, a mother must be someone who can walk upon Paradise. A true mother is a mother who has fully understood that the highest aim in life is to bring a child into the world and to raise it. When a mother has understood the station of motherhood, she devotes herself entirely to motherhood. The station of motherhood is the highest station on earth, and there is nothing like it. A mother is not merely a target of praise and eulogies; she is a being who is chaste to her very core, sincere to her very core, and able, to her very core, to give herself up piece by piece for the perfection of her child. That is why a mother is exalted. That is also why a child can find Paradise at his mother's feet. For her child, a mother can give up her own rest, her own beauty and health, even her life, yet she demands nothing in return. From the moment a mother turns away from motherhood, she falls into the abyss of meaninglessness. After bringing the child into the world, a mother nurses it through sleepless nights, hovers over it like a moth, and burns with worry for it; the proof that her love for her child is pure and genuine is that she does not hold these deeds over anyone and demands no compensation or reward for them. The mother is the power that seats the father on the throne at home. If she wishes, she brings the father down from the throne; if she wishes, she raises his station on the throne high. The mother portrays the father to the children as an untouchable figure to whom no dust clings, prepares the most worthy place for the father, and instills the father's dignity in the children's eyes as the highest dignity. Children see the world for the first time through their mother's eyes. They think with their mother's thoughts. They speak with their mother's words. For this reason a mother always keeps herself, her thoughts and her words pure. She is aware of what trace her deeds and words leave in the heart and mind of her little one. The mother praises the father to the children and gives the father the most accurate information about the children's condition. Standing at the very center of the family, the mother, like a heart, gives peace and light to the whole family. For her, the family is a fortress. No dwelling other than the family brings her comfort. A mother knows how to soothe, feed and bathe a child. Because she is a mother, she holds herself extremely responsible before her child. A mother does not flaunt being a mother. She does not exploit the station of motherhood to use the children according to her own whims. In her son, a mother raises not a slave but a true man and a courageous person; she does not keep her son tied to her skirts all his life, lulling him. In her daughter, a mother raises not a gossiping, tale-bearing, impatient and intolerant creature, but a wise, sagacious, family-loving woman of fortitude. A mother does not keep her son tied to her skirts all his life. Wishing him fairness and piety, she entrusts him to his father's upbringing. Much of a mother's time is devoted to shaping her daughter — she teaches her daughter cooking, keeping the house clean, mending torn clothes, courtesy and beautiful character. She watches over her daughter's state. She does not allow flighty dreams and fancies to enter her heart and build a nest there. She constantly keeps her daughter busy with some definite task. Teaching her to overcome the hardships of womanhood, she sets an example of preserving the honor of womanhood. A mother shows her daughter by her own life what a true mother should be. If a mother fears God, she brings more benefit than the father fearing God. A mother's worship has stronger power than a father's worship. A mother going astray is a far greater tragedy than a father going astray. If a father goes astray, the consequences of a mother going astray are more terrible than his. The mother is the heart of the family; just as the whole body weakens when the heart falls ill, if a mother is spiritually ill, there is a high likelihood that ruin will befall the whole family. If God has spread Paradise beneath a mother's feet for her goodness, one can imagine what punishment He gives for her wickedness. If a mother keeps her station pure, she is seated in a place higher than the Throne.

Akrom MALIK