Safar 17, 1448 (July 31, 2026)
Assalaamun Alaykum Warahmatullah Taallah Wabarakatuhu
Children’s Paradise at the Feet of their Mothers: Matters Arising
The Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), said:
“Paradise lies under the feet of mothers.”
— Sunan al-Nasa’i 3104
This Hadith is among the most beautiful statements ever made about motherhood. It elevates the status of mothers and teaches children to honor, serve, and care for them. But many people misunderstand this Hadith. Some think motherhood alone guarantees righteousness, regardless of character, behavior, or obedience to Allah. Islam does not teach that.
A mother is highly honored in Islam, but no human being becomes sacred simply because of a title. A father can be oppressive. A scholar can become arrogant. A ruler can become corrupt.
Likewise, a mother can either become a means toward Paradise or a means of destruction depending on her faith, character, and actions.
The Hadith does not mean every mother automatically deserves blind obedience in wrongdoing. Rather, it means that serving a righteous mother, respecting her, caring for her, and being patient with her are among the greatest roads to Paradise.
The Qur’an itself makes this balance very clear.
Allah says:
“And We have enjoined upon man goodness to his parents. But if they strive to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them, but accompany them in this world with kindness.”
— Surah Luqman 31:14-15
Notice the balance.
Even if parents are unbelievers, Muslims must still treat them with kindness and dignity. But obedience is not absolute.
Obedience belongs first to Allah.
So how does this Hadith apply to different situations?
An unbelieving mother does not lose her rights as a mother. Her children must still honor her, feed her, speak gently to her, and care for her. Asma bint Abu Bakr once asked the Prophet about her non-Muslim mother who visited her. The Prophet instructed her to maintain ties with her mother. Islam does not permit cruelty toward parents because of religious differences.
However, being a non-believer does affect the spiritual meaning of Paradise. Paradise ultimately belongs to those who believe in Allah and obey Him. A non-believing mother may be honored in this world by her children, but salvation in the Hereafter belongs to Allah alone.
What about a hypocritical woman — a Munafiqah — who pretends righteousness while spreading corruption? Hypocrisy is one of the gravest sins in Islam. Allah warned repeatedly about the danger of hypocrisy. A mother who teaches deception, hatred, manipulation, and falsehood damages not only herself but also her children. Such behavior does not represent the spirit of motherhood honored in the Hadith.
Then there is the woman who constantly rebels against her husband without justice, humiliates him publicly, or destroys peace in the home.
Islam commands mutual rights and responsibilities between husband and wife. Marriage is not warfare.
Allah says:
“And among His signs is that He created for you spouses from among yourselves that you may find tranquility in them, and He placed between you affection and mercy.”
— Surah al-Rum 30:21
A woman who turns the home into a battlefield through constant insults, manipulation, or public disgrace contradicts the spirit of mercy that Islam wants in marriage. Yet this does not mean children are allowed to hate or abuse their mother. Her rights remain. But her actions may reduce her spiritual rank before Allah.
In the same vein, a woman who isolates her husband from his parents and relatives commits a serious injustice. Islam strongly emphasizes family ties.
A righteous wife helps strengthen kinship, not destroy it. Some women force their husbands to choose between marriage and parents. Some become jealous whenever a husband supports his aging mother or needy siblings. This behavior can become a form of oppression.
The Prophet never taught believers to cut family ties for the sake of marital control. A woman who creates hatred between a man and his parents should fear Allah.
What about blackmail and emotional manipulation? Sadly, some women poison the minds of children against their fathers.
They insult them before relatives, friends, and neighbors. They expose private marital issues publicly. Children raised in such bitterness often grow up emotionally wounded.
Islam teaches dignity, privacy, and justice. The Prophet said the best believers are those best in character. Public humiliation and manipulation are not qualities of righteousness. A mother should build emotional security for her children, not turn them into weapons against their father.
Concerning intimacy, Islam recognizes that spouses have rights over one another.
Deliberately denying intimacy as punishment, manipulation, or revenge can damage marriage deeply. Islam encourages compassion, understanding, and mutual fulfillment. Of course, there may be valid reasons such as illness, emotional distress, or harm. But using intimacy as a weapon destroys affection and opens doors to temptation and resentment.
As for adultery, it is among the gravest major sins in Islam. A mother who commits adultery betrays not only her husband but also the moral foundation of her home. Yet even here, Islam does not close the door of repentance.
Allah’s mercy remains open for anyone who sincerely repents.
The same applies to jealousy and selfishness toward other children or relatives. Some mothers want success only for their own children and resent the progress of others. Islam condemns envy and selfishness. A righteous mother teaches generosity, not hatred.
Then there is the painful issue of polygamy.
Some women declare war on their husbands simply because he married another wife lawfully. It is understandable that emotions, jealousy, and pain may arise. Islam recognizes human feelings. Even the wives of the Prophet experienced jealousy.
But there is a difference between emotional pain and rebellion against Allah’s law.
A woman may dislike polygamy emotionally, but turning the home into endless warfare, poisoning children against their father, spreading slander, or seeking destruction is not righteousness.
Patience, wisdom, and fear of Allah are still required.
Furthermore, a woman who abandons her child and completely neglects her responsibilities commits a serious moral and spiritual failure in Islam.
Motherhood in Islam is not merely a biological title; it is a trust (amanah) from Allah.
Children are among the greatest trusts given to parents.
Allah says:
“O you who believe, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones…”
— Surah al-Tahrim 66:6
Both father and mother are responsible before Allah for the upbringing, protection, emotional care, and moral development of their children.
The Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad, said:
“Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock.”
A mother who abandons her child emotionally, physically, or morally without valid reason violates this trust.
This includes:
Leaving the child completely to the father out of selfishness or irresponsibility.
Refusing emotional care, affection, or nurturing.
Disappearing from the child’s life without necessity.
Treating motherhood as a burden while pursuing only personal desires.
Islam does not accept such behavior. The Hadith about Paradise under the feet of mothers is not a blanket approval for every action done by every mother. It honors mothers who sacrifice, nurture, protect, teach, and struggle for their children.
At the same time, Islam is fair and balanced.
Sometimes a woman may be overwhelmed, abused, mentally exhausted, abandoned herself, or placed under unbearable hardship. In such cases, people should not rush to condemn her without knowing her situation.
Some mothers carry silent pain nobody sees.
Justice requires wisdom before judgment.
But where abandonment is deliberate and unjustified, it harms the child deeply. A child abandoned by a mother may grow up struggling with emotional wounds, insecurity, anger, or loneliness. Islam strongly condemns causing such harm.
Even then, children are not encouraged to respond with cruelty or hatred. Islam teaches justice with mercy. If the mother later regrets, repents, and tries sincerely to reconnect, the door of forgiveness remains open. Allah’s mercy is greater than human failure.
So, can such women still be a source of Paradise for their children?
The answer is nuanced.
Motherhood itself remains honorable. Children must still respect their mothers, avoid abuse, and fulfill their duties toward them. A sinful mother does not lose the biological and emotional rights of motherhood entirely.
But the deeper meaning of the Hadith refers to righteous motherhood — motherhood rooted in faith, sacrifice, mercy, truth, patience, and obedience to Allah.
A mother becomes a road to Paradise for her children when she nurtures faith, teaches good character, protects her family from corruption, and fears Allah in her conduct.
A corrupt mother may still receive kindness from her children, but she cannot guide others toward Paradise while walking away from Allah’s injunctions.
However, in the event that she repents sincerely, changes her conduct, seeks Allah’s forgiveness, and fulfills her duties afterward. Islam never closes the door of redemption.
But a mother who knowingly abandons her responsibilities, harms her children, refuses repentance, and persists in oppression should realise that motherhood title alone does not automatically make her a guaranteed path to Paradise.
In Islam, honor is tied to righteousness and accountability before Allah. Titles alone are not enough. A righteous mother is elevated because of her faith, sacrifice, mercy, patience, and care — not simply because she gave birth.
The lesson here is not to encourage hatred toward mothers. Rather, it is to remind everyone — mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, and children — that Islam honors righteousness above titles.
Thus, children’s Paradise lying at the feet of mother’s a honor bestowed on women but like every other noble act, it has to be worked for by Mothers.
A righteous mother is among the greatest treasures on earth. Her prayers lift generations. Her patience builds civilizations. Her tears soften hearts. Her sincerity raises righteous children.
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May Allah bless righteous mothers, guide struggling mothers, forgive sinful mothers, and make our homes places of mercy, faith, and tranquility. Ameen.
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Endeavour to recite Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18: Verses 1-110).
Juma’ah Mabrouq
