Does a mother’s prayer get accepted? What are our duties towards our mothers? The blessing of a mother’s prayer and the importance of obtaining her blessings…
Hakîm Tirmizî (may Allah be pleased with him) was young when he decided to leave his hometown, Tirmiz, to pursue knowledge elsewhere. He made an agreement with two friends.
When he informed his mother of this decision, she became very distressed. She said to her son:
Her words deeply affected him. He was torn between his desire for knowledge and the duty he owed to his mother. Ultimately, considering the importance of honoring his mother, he decided against going to pursue education. He informed his friends about his decision and told them that he would not be able to accompany them.
His friends left for the city to pursue their studies, and he felt very sad about being separated from them and missing out on education. Even after a considerable time passed, he couldn’t shake off his desire for knowledge. When he was alone, he would withdraw and cry for a long time due to this sadness. Seeing his condition, his mother:
One day, while sitting and crying in a graveyard, he lamented to himself:
At that moment, a noble-faced, sweet-spoken elderly man suddenly appeared before him.
Hakîm Tirmizî (may Allah be pleased with him) recounted his story to that man in detail. Finally, he said:
Hakîm Tirmizî (may Allah be pleased with him) responded joyfully:
After this incident, the noble man came every day and taught him lessons. The teaching continued for three years.
Three years later, he realized that the man was Khidr (peace be upon him). He then said:
After that, Khidr (peace be upon him) would come every Monday night to complete his spiritual shortcomings.
MOTHER’S PRAYER (Abdüllatif Uyan)
Ziyaeddin Nahşebi, a saint of his time,
Would cleanse hearts from dirt and grime.
His smiling face and sweet tongue were renowned among the people,
Working tirelessly for religion, within its scope.
He received so many prayers from his mother,
Never leaving her home without kissing her hand, no other.
One day he kissed her feet,
His mother saw this and said (What are you doing?)
And she prayed so earnestly for her son,
That is what happened to him at that moment.
He says: (Every blessing I have attained,
Has reached me through my mother’s prayer, certainly)
While conversing with his loved ones one day,
He recited the testimony of faith first.
He said: (Brothers, this word exists, you know,
We have come together thanks to it alone.
All the prophets, companions and followers
Struggled for this word, tirelessly.
Thousands of great scholars and saints who came after
Gave their lives for this word.
To enter paradise in the Hereafter,
It is possible only with this word.)
There is such a great virtue in this word,
That if it were placed on one side of the scales.
The other side, even if filled with all sins,
Would still weigh less than this word.)
One day he said: (To serve this religion,
Do not break the heart of anyone.
Even the heart of a disbeliever should not be broken in this religion,
This is a very bad deed in the sight of Allah Ta’ala.
Strive to be gentle and kind at all times
Avoid quarrels and arguments with diligence.
For their cause is pride and anger.
These are a person’s true catastrophes.)
WITH THE BLESSING OF A MOTHER’S PRAYER…
We had a neighbor in Geredeli. He was a middle-class merchant. He had two families. At night, he would drink alcohol until dawn and then pass out somewhere. He was deprived of worship such as prayer and fasting. He brought no benefit to anyone and had become hated by everyone.
His first family was a modest wife who was devout, respectable, and esteemed by all. His second wife was a crude, immodest woman who enjoyed preparing drinks for her husband’s drinking parties – a real tango.
This man would belittle and constantly demean his first virtuous wife, even sometimes beating her. He especially wanted her to bloom and flourish, and when that didn’t happen, his animosity towards her increased.
Eventually, unable to endure this torment and humiliation, the patient, immaculate woman, distinguished by Islamic qualities, whom the entire neighborhood loved and respected, left him – (I don’t know if he divorced her or if she returned to her family’s home).
This person we are talking about had a pious mother who looked at all of Allah’s creations with compassion, regardless of good or bad. She was one who believed that everything is achieved through supplication and prayer. No bad word would come out of her mouth. Her repeated prayer was:
Time came, and before this elderly woman who was in the Rabia-i Adviyye order could see her son’s future state, she passed away and met her Lord. Her death brought about such a change in her son that, in a short time, he turned from his bad ways and views to the path of truth.
LANGUAGE USED FOR THE SAKE OF ALLAH
It has been said that there is a chewing gum-like substance in the body. If it is righteous, the whole body becomes righteous. It is also gone, they say. Since the tongue is the interpreter of the heart, its duty is very important. Just as all mistakes, sins and gains are committed with it, all good deeds and rewards, and pleasing others are achieved through it.
One must be wary of the misfortunes of the tongue. If the tongue is used properly and for the sake of Allah, it is a priceless limb. Allah’s most devoted servants pay great attention to this matter.
Especially cursing should be avoided. Some women have made it a habit to put bad words in their mouths, cursing everything without reason, especially their sons and daughters. This is such an ugly habit. They do not know that those erroneous words will return and strike them, so their sorrow and distress will never end.
The honorable mother of the Yunus Bey mentioned above could not bear his bad condition and would have cursed him if she had cursed him, perhaps his bad state and views would have worsened. But because she knew that sincere prayer is accepted, she prayed for her son with insistence and sincerity and saw its results.
OUR DUTIES TOWARDS OUR MOTHERS
Ibrahim Hakkı Erzurumî (may Allah be pleased with him) has said:
O, esteemed one! They have said that the conditions of adab and sohbet for a person whose father and mother are alive is 15:
- To listen to their words.
- To fulfill their commands and requests.
- Not to sit without their permission.
- To stand up when they enter.
- Not to walk in front of them on the road.
- Not to raise one’s voice above theirs.
- Not to call them by their names.
- When called, to go and say “please.”
- To perform their services quickly.
- To be eager and insistent in seeking their approval.
- To respect them.
- Not to tell them the good deeds you do for them, not to rub it in their faces.
- Not to look at them with anger.
- Not to wrinkle your face but greet them with a smiling face and sweet words to please their hearts.
- Not to go abroad or on journeys without their permission, but to stay by their side.
Gavsulazam kutburrabbani Muhammed Bahaeddin Nakşibend (may Allah be pleased with him) had the following will. He said:
Some of our friends who went to Uzbekistan last year followed this will by first visiting the grave of this honorable mother and then going to the tomb of Bahaeddin (may Allah be pleased with him).
MOTHERHOOD (Prof. Dr. Ali Nihat Tarlan)
I read an article in a newspaper that deeply touched me:
A cat was nursing her kittens when one clung to her breast, sucking milk while the others were climbing over each other.
The cat came before my eyes. She opened her white cotton-like chest and nursed her young with pride, renunciation and nobility, a tiny mouse clinging to an empty nipple that the miniature pink nipples of her kittens had left behind…
How delightful it would be to immediately tear apart that little mouse and incorporate it into her body as fresh milk for her kittens! But no, she is not a cat now; she is a mother.
She is a source of life, blossoming in a state of gracious mercy, offering life to her young with tenderness and compassion, even showing kindness to her enemy…
I realized that motherhood begins to blossom in a state of life-giving mercy? All storms and tempests of the body subside.