A mother's love.
How wonderful it is to be blessed with such unconditional love, a love that knows no bounds.
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As many of us have been blessed with such love, we have to remember that there are people who haven't not to compare ourselves to them but to realize the worth of such blessing.
We all have to remember that The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam was an orphan child, his father died before his birth and his mother died when he was very young.
Yet, there were people who fulfilled such places, and one of them was Fatimah Bint Asad, the wife of Abu Talib, the mother of Ali Ibn Abu Talib, the grandmother of Hussain and Hassan Radiyallahu Anhum.
Fatimah Bint Asad Radiyallahu Anha looked after the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam as if he was her own child, she protected him with all her heart.
She was known for her good nature, intelligence and beautiful capabilities.
When The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam grew up and was given the message of Prophethood and was told by Allah Azza Wa Jall to spread the message of Islam among his kith and kin, it was Fatimah bint Asad who immediately accepted this invitation and swore allegiance and entered the fold of Islam.
The love of Fatimah for The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam was exceptional that she would go hungry just so she could feed The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam.
She accompanied The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam with trust and love for she was a mother so pure and simple that the well being and safety of her beloved Prophet was her main concern.
The Prophet loved her and respected her so much in return that whenever she visited him he would stand up and receive her addressing her as 'Mother'.
She was there when the horrors of the Qura'ish fell upon the Muslims, she was there along with the caravan that migrated to Abyssinia and then to Al Madinah, she was there when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam lost his beloved wife Khadijah Radiyallahu Anha and his best ally, Abu Talib who was her husband. She was with the Prophet and never left his side during those years of hardships. She never left him until the time for her death came.
When she passed away and the Prophet receive the news, he immediately went to her house and sat beside her and prayed for her and said:
"My dear mother, may Allah keep you under His Protection. Many times you went hungry in order to feed me well. You fed me and clothed me on delicacies that you denied yourself. Allah will surely be happy with these actions of yours. And your intentions were surely meant to win the goodwill and pleasure of Allah and success in the Hereafter."
Then he gave his shirt to be used as part of her shroud, saying he prayed to Allah to forgive her and give her the dress of Paradise.
When the grave was prepared The Prophet himself examined it and with his very own hands placed her into the grave, and indeed, she was, for all her love for the Prophet, amongst those few blessed people in whose graves the Prophet himself examined and placed therein.
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How many of us have parted ways from our own mothers? Look at the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam and her love for his aunt and the one she regarded as mother, isn't that making you think of how you are doing with your own mother?
How many of us, when we arrive at home, give her a kiss or a smile or a hug just because we were happy to see her? Or how many of us truly give time to spend with our mothers?
My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, today, with the presence and dangers of the society and social media, our mothers are starting to be forgotten! Reflect from these and ask yourselves such queries:
How can you forget the one who bore you for 9 months, who bore the pain of delivering you to this world? How can you forget the very hands that fed you? How can you forget the very person who looked after you and would give her life just so you are safe and nothing could harm you? How can you have the heart of exchanging time to spend with your own mother with the time to spend with your besties or your buddies doing nothing but talking about boys or girls or whatever wasteful thing there is?
O youth of Islam, remember your duties upon your parents! Remember the worth of your parents, I'm telling you once they are gone, and you're wasting your time just like that, you'll regret every second.
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May Allah Azza Wa Jall make us realize the worth and the beautiful blessing that there is at home, sitting waiting for us everyday. And He guide our sisters in Islam of becoming the likes of Fatimah Bint Asad and our brothers the likes of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam on showing love for their mothers! Amin
Zohayma
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Excerpt was taken from Great Women of Islam, pp. 158-162
Note: Story has been paraphrased.