5- Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz said,
I read the article that was published by An-Nadwah Journal, on 30-11-1384 AH, under the title "Honoring the Mother and Honoring the Family", and felt that the writer appreciated, from many perspectives, the Western innovation of fixing a day in the year to celebrate the mother. He mentioned in his article something of which the advocates of that day were heedless. I mean the state of melancholy and grief that afflicts the motherless children when seeing their friends celebrating and honoring their mothers. He, instead, proposed to extend the celebration to include all family members, apologizing for the fact that Islam did not bring this day, because the Islamic Sharee‘ah has made honoring the mother an obligation.
The writer did well by his apology on behalf of Islam on one hand, and the mention of the evil effect of this day of which its inventors were heedless. However, at the same time, he did not refer to the disagreement of this religious innovation with the clear texts that were narrated on the authority of the Messenger of Islam and their resulting harm and the imitation they imply of the polytheists and disbelievers. By this brief word, I would like to bring to the mind of that writer and others, the evil of this religious innovation that was invented by the enemies and ignorant people of Islam to the extent that they defamed it [i.e., Islam], and caused people to have aversion to it. This normally results in confusion and division, whose harmful effects and corruption are known only to Allah The Almighty.
It is proven, in authentic Hadeeths, that the Prophet warned us about religious innovations, and imitating the enemies of Allah, namely the Jews and Christians and polytheists. A mention may be made of his statement : “Whoever introduces anything new in our matter [i.e. religion], which does not originally belong to it, it will be rejected.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] According to another version by Muslim: “Whoever does something that is not supported by our matter [religion], it will be rejected.” [Muslim]
Furthermore, the Prophet would say in his Friday Khutbah (sermon): “To proceed, the best speech is the Book of Allah; the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ; and the worst of matters are the innovations [in religion]; and every religious innovation leads to misguidance.” [Muslim]
No doubt, fixing a day in the year to celebrate and honor the mother or the family is among the innovations of matters [in religion], which was not done by the Prophet nor by his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. So, it is obligatory to leave it and warn people not to participate in it, and to be satisfied instead with what has been ordained by Allah The Almighty and His Messenger .
It has already been clarified that the writer referred to the fact that the Islamic Sharee‘ah has ordered the Muslims to honor the mother and constantly encourages dutifulness to her. Indeed, he has told the truth in this respect. It is obligatory for the Muslims to be satisfied with what has been ordained for them by Allah The Almighty, as regards dutifulness to the mother, honoring her, doing good to her and obeying her in what is good at all times. Meanwhile, they have to beware of the innovations of religious matters, of which Allah The Almighty warned them, since they lead them to imitate the enemies of Allah, follow in their footsteps and the innovations which they like.
This is not unique to the mother in particular, since Allah The Almighty ordered the Muslims to be dutiful to both parents, to honor them, do good to them, and maintain all kinship ties; He also warned them of undutifulness and severing ties. Allah The Almighty has favored the mother with more care and dutifulness because she cares for the child more, and her suffering in pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding is greater. In confirmation of this, 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? Those [who do so] are the ones that Allah has cursed, so He deafened them and blinded their vision.} [Quran 47:22-23]
It was narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that the Messenger of Allah said: “Should I not tell you about the greatest of the grave major sins?”They [the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them] said, “Yes, O Messenger of Allah.” He said:“To associate partners with Allah [in worship], to be undutiful to parents.”[When he said so] he was reclining. Then he sat up and said:“Behold! [I warn you about] giving a forged statement! Behold! [I warn you of] giving a false witness!”
Another Hadeeth states: “A man asked the Messenger of Allah saying, ‘O Messenger of Allah, who is most entitled to my best companionship?’ The Prophet said:‘Your mother.’The man said, ‘Who comes next?’ The Prophet said:‘Your mother.’The man further asked, ‘Who comes next?’ The Prophet said:‘Your mother.’The man asked [for the fourth time], ‘Who comes next?’ The Prophet said ‘Your father, and then the next of kin.’”
The Prophet further said: “No severer, i.e. one who severs kinship ties, shall enter Paradise.”
It was narrated in an authentic Hadeeth that the Prophet said: “Whoever wants his means of sustenance to be expanded for him or his lifetime to be lengthened should maintain his kinship ties.” [Muslim]
There are many famous Quranic verses and Prophetic Hadeeths that support the obligation of dutifulness to parents, maintaining kinship ties and confirming the mother's right. However, what we have mentioned is sufficient. They clearly indicate the obligation of honoring both parents, showing respect to them, doing good to them as well as to all kith and kin constantly. They also guide to the fact that undutifulness to parents and severing kinship ties are among the most odious attributes and grave major sins which bring about the fire [of Hell] and the wrath of [Allah] The Compeller; we ask Allah to save us from that.
Surely, this is more overwhelming and greater than the Western innovation of favoring the mother with only one day of honoring in the year, which leads to neglecting her all the remaining days of the year and turning away from the right of the father and all kith and kin. It is clear for those who are intelligent that this measure results in great corruption, disagrees with the law of the Wisest of all the wise, and leads to falling into evil of which His trustworthy Messenger warned.
Along with this innovation is the celebration held by a lot of people, namely, Mawlids, commemoration of national independence or accession to the throne, and so on. These all belong to the religious innovations in which a lot of Muslims imitate the enemies of Allah The Almighty, and pay no heed to the warnings and prohibitions that are mentioned in the purified Sharee‘ah.
This confirms the authentic Hadeeth where the Messenger of Allah said: “You will follow the ways of those who were before you very closely [i.e. so completely and literally] that if they should go into the hole of a lizard, you too will go there.”The Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, asked,“O Messenger of Allah! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?” He replied: “Who else?” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
According to another version: “My Ummah will copy the deeds of the previous nations, span by span and cubit by cubit [i.e., inch by inch].” They [the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them] asked, “O Messenger of Allah! Do you mean by those [nations] the Persians and the Romans?” He said: “Who can it be other than them?” [Al-Bukhari]
Indeed, what was foretold by the Prophet came true. The people of this Ummah, except whomever Allah willed not to, have imitated those who were before them, from among the Jews, Christians and Magians, and others like them of the disbelievers, in many of their morals and deeds, to the extent that Islam has become alien to them; many people regard the ways, morals and deeds of the disbelievers better than what has been brought by Islam. Good has turned into evil, and evil into good, the Sunnah into religious innovation, and the religious innovation into Sunnah, in the sight of the majority of the people, simply because of ignorance, and turning away from what has been brought by Islam in terms of noble morals and righteous deeds. We ask Allah to help Muslims understand their religion, to set right their affairs and guide their leaders, and to direct our scholars and writers to publicize the good that our religion has come with, and to warn about the religious innovations and invented heresies which defame it and cause people to have aversion to it; He has power over all things. May Allah confer blessing and peace upon His slave and Messenger - Muhammad - and upon his family and Companions, and those who follow his way and emulate the guidance of his Sunnah till the Day of Judgment.
According to some scholars, the man should do his best before Allah The Almighty when attempting to set right the affairs of his wife. The Messenger of Allah, said: "Whoever imitates a people becomes one of them."