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مسند اسحاق بن راهويه
Musnad Ishaq
كتاب البر و الصلةBook of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties
Who deserves the best treatment from a Muslim
Hadith 764
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْحَفَرِيُّ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي زُرْعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَحْوَهُ.
Hazrat Abu Zar’ah narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) a narration similar to the previous hadith.
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Abdush Shakoor Tirmidhi
Benefits:
From the aforementioned hadith, it is understood that in terms of good conduct, the mother is more deserving than the father. This is because the mother endures the greatest hardship in serving the child, and due to her weakness, she is even more deserving of good treatment. Furthermore, compared to the father, she is more tender-hearted and sensitive. Allah the Exalted says:
﴿وَ وَصَّیْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَیْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ اُمُّهٗ وَهْنًا عَلٰی وَهْنٍ وَّ فِصٰلُهٗ فِیْ عَامَیْنِ اَنِ اشْکُرْلِیْ وَ لِوَالِدَیْكَ﴾ (Luqman: 14)
“And We have enjoined upon man concerning his parents—his mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years—[saying], ‘Give thanks to Me and to your parents.’”
It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((إِنَّ اللّٰهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ عُقُوقَ الْأُمَّهَاتِ)) (Bukhari, Book of Manners, No: 5975).... “Allah has made disobedience to mothers unlawful for you.”
Here too, the mother is mentioned specifically, that hurting her heart is unlawful, even though hurting the father’s heart is also unlawful. But the mother’s right is greater, which is why the Prophet alayhis-salam mentioned the mother specifically, emphasized good conduct towards her three times, and for the father, emphasized it once.
The scholars say that for the children, the mother endures three hardships:
(1) The hardship of pregnancy, (2) the hardship of childbirth, and (3) the hardship of breastfeeding. For this reason, the jurists (fuqaha) have explained that in kindness and good conduct, the mother’s right takes precedence over the father’s. If a person, due to his poverty, is unable to show good conduct to both, then showing good conduct to the mother takes precedence. However, in honor, respect, and reverence, the father’s right takes precedence over the mother’s.
In another hadith, after the father, the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((ثُمَّ الْأَقْرَبُ فَالْأَقْرَبُ)) “Then the next closest relative, then the next closest after them.” (Adab al-Mufrad, No: 3)
Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has graded this as hasan.
It is thus understood that after the father, good conduct towards other relatives is also enjoined. And in this, the degree of kinship is made the criterion: the closer the kinship, the greater the emphasis on good conduct towards that relative.
From the aforementioned hadith, it is understood that in terms of good conduct, the mother is more deserving than the father. This is because the mother endures the greatest hardship in serving the child, and due to her weakness, she is even more deserving of good treatment. Furthermore, compared to the father, she is more tender-hearted and sensitive. Allah the Exalted says:
﴿وَ وَصَّیْنَا الْاِنْسَانَ بِوَالِدَیْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ اُمُّهٗ وَهْنًا عَلٰی وَهْنٍ وَّ فِصٰلُهٗ فِیْ عَامَیْنِ اَنِ اشْکُرْلِیْ وَ لِوَالِدَیْكَ﴾ (Luqman: 14)
“And We have enjoined upon man concerning his parents—his mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years—[saying], ‘Give thanks to Me and to your parents.’”
It is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((إِنَّ اللّٰهَ حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ عُقُوقَ الْأُمَّهَاتِ)) (Bukhari, Book of Manners, No: 5975).... “Allah has made disobedience to mothers unlawful for you.”
Here too, the mother is mentioned specifically, that hurting her heart is unlawful, even though hurting the father’s heart is also unlawful. But the mother’s right is greater, which is why the Prophet alayhis-salam mentioned the mother specifically, emphasized good conduct towards her three times, and for the father, emphasized it once.
The scholars say that for the children, the mother endures three hardships:
(1) The hardship of pregnancy, (2) the hardship of childbirth, and (3) the hardship of breastfeeding. For this reason, the jurists (fuqaha) have explained that in kindness and good conduct, the mother’s right takes precedence over the father’s. If a person, due to his poverty, is unable to show good conduct to both, then showing good conduct to the mother takes precedence. However, in honor, respect, and reverence, the father’s right takes precedence over the mother’s.
In another hadith, after the father, the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: ((ثُمَّ الْأَقْرَبُ فَالْأَقْرَبُ)) “Then the next closest relative, then the next closest after them.” (Adab al-Mufrad, No: 3)
Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has graded this as hasan.
It is thus understood that after the father, good conduct towards other relatives is also enjoined. And in this, the degree of kinship is made the criterion: the closer the kinship, the greater the emphasis on good conduct towards that relative.
Source: Musnad Ishaq bin Rahwayh, Page: 764
