January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Mothers are especially honoured in Islam for their nurturing role
Now even more so, we have to be ever so careful in how we go about exercising our investment strategies, due to the tumultuous economic climate we are now in.
We know the importance of a good investment if we want excellent returns long term. Well, after much ado, Neil raised the question of who will invest in the Investors? I looked at him curiously and asked - "Investors - who are they?
Neil smiled and answered "Our parents, of course!" Being mildly shocked, I responded "of course". As Neil mentioned, it's our parents who plan for us when we are too young to plan for ourselves, they plan everything to ensure that we as their children have a good start in life, good nutrition, healthy and stimulating environments, and especially our education.
After we are grown, andready to commence our lives with all the strong family support we've had, we begin too to plan for our careers, the purchasing of homes, and cars, and the beat goes on. But now we must and should factor in the cost of caring for our aging parents should we be blessed to have them still living. Indeed, as Neil said 'the irony of it all!' the tables do turn and we as children should want to provide for us parents just as much as they provided for us, indeed, they should be able to reap a good return!
They invested in us and now we must invest in them. Our returns will be far superior to anything we have ever invested in before. For God commands us to honour our Fathers and our Mothers and not just on Mother's Day or Father's Day, but everyday.
Honouring our parents is an Islamic principle that is strongly encouraged, if not commanded. The Holy Quran in Sura 4:36 says "Worship and serve God, do not associate any partners with Him, and do good to your parents ..." So you see, being good to your parents is put on par with worship, they go together. So you cannot say you serve God and at the same time mistreat your parents. God has ordered that you worship and him as well and being good to your parents. And remember, we have to be good to them unconditionally, no matter what may have occurred when we could not take care of ourselves.
Doing good by our parents
God will deal with any injustices, as He is the fit and proper Judge. An example of this is found in the Quran 17:23-24 - "for thy Sustainer has ordained that you shall worship none but Him. And do good unto [thy] parents. Should one of them, or both, attain to old age in thy care, never say "ugh" to them or scold them, but [always] speak unto them with reverent speech, and spread over them humbly the wings of thy tenderness, and say: "O my Sustainer! Bestow Thy grace upon them, even as they cherished and reared me when I was a child!"
Mothers are especially honoured in Islam. A man once asked Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) "To which of my parents do I owe the most allegiance?" The Prophet replied "Your mother". The man then asked, "after that, then who?" The Prophet replied, "Your mother." The man repeated, "Then who?" The Prophet said yet again, "Your mother." The man then asked, "Then who?" The Prophet then said, "Your father."
As we reflect this Mother's Day, the saying of the Prophet rings clear loud and strong "Paradise lies beneath the foot of the Mother". This is so true, as how we turn out in life invariably is how we were raised by our mothers. Mothers teach, guide and nurture us from the day and even before we are born. Indeed, Paradise is at her feet.
This Mother's Day, as we go out to brunch and the like, let us reflect on the beautiful qualities of our Mothers; let us reflect a little more to the greatness, love and astounding beauties of our Mother. Indeed, there is no other like Ismay Ming, my Mother!
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