An article was published by An-Nadwah newspaper on 30/11/1384 A.H. entitled Takreem Al-Umm wa Takreem Al-Usrah (Honoring The Mother and The Family). The writer appreciated some aspects of the Western innovation of allocating one day during the year to mothers. He mentioned something that was overlooked by the people who introduced this day, namely, the children who have lost their mothers become sad when they see their friends celebrating their mothers. Hence, he suggested that the celebration should be done for the entire family and provided the justification that Islam did not ordain that day on the grounds that the Islamic Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation) orders Muslims to honor their mothers and be good to them at all times. As such, there is no need to allocate one day during the year to mothers.
The writer was correct in providing that justification and mentioning the bad aspect that was overlooked by the people who introduced Mother’s Day. However, he did not mention that religious innovations counter the explicit texts that were narrated on the authority of the Messenger of Islam, , nor did he mention the danger involved in imitating the polytheists and disbelievers. Therefore, I wrote this to draw the attention of the writer and other people to what is involved in the religious innovation of Mother’s Day, as well as the other religious innovations that have been brought up by the enemies of Islam and the people who are ignorant of Islam, thus, tarnishing Islam and causing people to stay away from it. Finally, this has brought confusion and disunity and only Allah The Almighty knows how damaging and harmful they are.
It is proven from authentic Hadeeths (narrations) that the Messenger of Allah, , warned against religious innovations and imitating the enemies of Allah, namely the Jews, Christians and other polytheists. He said: “Whoever introduces something new in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not part of it will have it rejected.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Another Hadeeth states: “Whoever does anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (Islam) will have it rejected.” [Muslim] It means that the innovated matter will not be accepted from the innovator. The Messenger of Allah, , used to say in the Friday Khutbah (sermon): “The best of speech is the Book of Allah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The worst of matters are those which are newly-invented and every innovation (in religion) is an error.” [Muslim]
There is no doubt that allocating one day during the year to mothers and families is something new to Islam, as it was not done by the Messenger of Allah, , and his Companions. As such, Mother’s Day must not be celebrated and Muslims should be warned against celebrating it, for it is sufficient for them to adhere only to what is legislated by Allah The Almighty and His Messenger, .
The writer mentioned that the Islamic Sharee‘ah urges people to honor and be dutiful to their mothers at all times. He is right. Muslims, thus, must be satisfied with what Allah The Almighty legislated for them. They are required to be always good to their mothers, revere them, be kind to them and listen to them within the limits of Sharee‘ah. In addition, Muslims must be aware of the innovated matters that Allah The Almighty warned them against and which lead them to resembling the enemies of Allah The Almighty, following them and deeming as good whatever religious innovations they come up with. Muslims are required to be dutiful to, honor and maintain good relations with not only their mothers but also their fathers and kin. Allah The Almighty forbids undutifulness and severance of kinship ties. He allocated special care and dutifulness to mothers because they provide their children with the utmost care and suffer more in pregnancy, breastfeeding and raising them.
Allah 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?} [Quran 47:22]
In an authentic Hadeeth (narration), the Messenger of Allah, , said: “‘Shall I not tell you of the greatest of the grave major sins?’ They said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘Associating partners with Allah and being undutiful to one’s parents.’ He was reclining, but he sat up and said: ‘And false speech and false witness.’”
A man asked the Messenger of Allah, , saying, “‘O Messenger of Allah, who among people is the most entitled to my good companionship?’ He said: ‘Your mother.’ The man asked, ‘Then who?’ He said: ‘Your mother.’ He asked,‘Then who?’ He said: ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said: ‘Your father then the closet of your kin.’”
The Messenger of Allah, , also said that a person who severs kinship relations will not be admitted into Paradise.
In another authentic Hadeeth, the Prophet, , said: “Whoever would like to have his provision increased for him and his life span extended for him, let him maintain kinship ties.”
These Hadeeths are enough to support our argument. When contemplated, they clearly indicate the obligation of honoring, respecting, and treating one’s parents and kinfolk with kindness. They also indicate the ugliness of being undutiful to one’s parents and severing kinship ties, for by doing so a person commits a grave major sin that will definitely bring the wrath of Allah The Almighty upon himself and he will end up in Hell – may Allah save us. This is graver than the tradition that was introduced by the West to honor mothers one day during the year and neglect them all other days, along with overlooking the rights of fathers and the rest of kin.
Sensible people realize the great corruption that arises from this custom, which also opposes the Sharee‘ah of Allah The Almighty and violates the prohibitions of the Messenger of Allah, .
The same applies to birthday celebrations, national and independence day celebrations, anniversaries commemorating ascension to the throne, and the like. In this regard, Muslims followed the enemies of Allah The Almighty and overlooked the religious forbiddance of imitating them. There is a sound Hadeeth on the authority of the Messenger of Allah, , who said: “‘You will follow the ways of those who came before you step by step, to such an extent that if they were to enter a lizard’s hole, you would enter it too.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?’ He said: ‘Who else?’”
Another version of this Hadeeth states: “‘My Ummah (nation) will follow the previous nations, hand span by hand span and cubit by cubit.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, do you mean the Persians and the Romans?’ He said: ‘Who else?’”
The reality proves what was said by the most truthful one; the Messenger, . The Muslim community -- except those whom Allah The Almighty -- has willed, imitate the Jews, Christians, Magains and other disbelievers in their morals and deeds. This accentuated the alienation of Islam. Moreover, the practices, morals and lifestyle of the disbelievers became better in the eyes of many Muslims than what is enjoined by Islam.
Many Muslims have regrettably taken what is good as evil, acts of the Sunnah (tradition) as religious innovations, and vice versa, out of ignorance and because they reject the noble morals and upright deeds urged by Islam. We supplicate Allah The Almighty to help Muslims to understand their religion well, to reform their conditions, to guide their leaders and to help their scholars and writers to circulate the good aspects of Islam and warn against religious innovations that tarnish the image of Islam and cause people to avert from it. Allah The Almighty is surely capable of doing so.