Du’a of a Mother

O mother! Children are apple of your eyes, your hearts and your happiness.

They are a source of great joy and delight, hope and consolation. All these hopes rest on

the good upbringing and sound education. Future of your children is in your hand and

your du’as.

Allah mentioned the du’a of Hannah; wife of ‘Imran rahimahumallahu ta’ala:

( 37 - 36: سورة آل عمران)

When she gave birth, she (the wife of ‘Imran) said, ‚My Lord! I have given birth

to a girl, - and Allah knew very well what she had given birth to, a male and female are

not the same, - and I have named her Maryam and placed her and her children in Your

safekeeping from the accursed Shaytan.‛ Her Lord accepted her with goodly acceptance

and made her grow in health and beauty and put her under the care of Zakariyya. (Al-

Qur’an 3: 36 – 37)

The acceptance of her du’a is shown through the hadith of Rasulullah :

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah narrated that Rasulullah said, ‚No child is born but that,

Satan touches it when it is born where upon it starts crying loudly because of being

touched by Satan, except Maryam and her son.‛ Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah then said,

‚Recite if you wish: ‚And I seek Refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring from

Satan, the outcast.‛‛ (Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Du’a of mother is readily accepted in the court of the Most Merciful. Sayyiduna

Abu Hurairah narrated that Rasulullah said, ‚Three types of du’as are accepted

without doubt: (1) du’a of an oppressed person, (2) du’a of a traveler and (3) du’a of

parent for their children.‛ (Jami’u al-Tirmidhi)

Imam Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani rahimahullahu ta’ala mentioned in the biography of

Imam al-Bukhari that he loss his eyesight during his childhood. Thereafter, his mother

saw Nabi Ibrahim al-Khalil in dream. Nabi Ibrahim said to her, ‚O woman!

Verily Allah had returned the eyesight of your son because of your abundance du’as.‛

(Hady al-Sari)

The wise mother does not pray against her own children, heeding the words of

Rasulullah who forbade such prayers:

‚Do not pray against yourself, or against your children, or against your wealth,

in case you say such words at a time when Allah will answer your du’a.‛ (Sahih

Muslim)

The consequence from a du’a of a mother against her child has been warned by

Rasulullah . What is happened to Juraij; a worshipper of Bani Israil is a lesson for us.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah reported that Rasulullah said, ‚A woman called her son

while he was in his hermitage and said, ‚O Juraij‛ He said, ‚O Allah, my mother (is

calling me) and (I am offering) my prayer (what shall I do)?‛ This happened thrice. She

said, ‚O Allah! Do not let Juraij die till he sees the faces of prostitutes.” A shepherdess

used to come by his hermitage for grazing her sheep and she gave birth to a child. She

was asked whose child that was, and she replied that it was from Juraij and that he had

come out from his hermitage. Juraij said, ‚Where is that woman who claims that her

child is from me?‛ (When she was brought to him along with the child), Juraij asked the

child, ‚O Babus, who is your father?‛ The child replied, ‚The shepherd.‛‛ (Sahih al-

Bukhari)

It is narrated that Nabi Musa asked Allah to reveal his companion in the

Jannah. Allah showed to Musa a butcher who used to sell meat in the market. He

attained this high status because of his service to his old mother. His mother used to

make du’a to Allah that her son will become a companion of Musa in the Jannah. O

mother! Because of the du’a of a mother, a butcher become the companion such a noble

and high rank prophet like Musa .

O mother! Mercy, affection and kindness to children are the noble instincts that

Allah place in the heart. These sublime faculties play main role in shaping the future

of your children. Supplicate before Allah Most High and beseech His boundless mercy

in regard of your children.

Plead to Allah in utmost humility for His guidance and mercy. Pray for the

success of your child in this world and the hereafter. Make du’a with conviction

regarding its acceptance. Send salutations and blessing upon Rasulullah at the

beginning and at the end of the du’a.

By Muhammad al-Marbuqi