This entry is a first in a three-part series on the campaign to honor and value motherhood.
Often parenting columns and blogs deal with the children. How to raise them, nurture them, etc. But there also needs to be focus on nurturing the parents, and especially mothers. After all, mothers are the primary caretakers of their little ones. But what about their physical and emotional needs? Are they being spiritually nourished? Are they being reminded of the huge impact they have on our societies?
Recently there was a campaign in Iran dealing with motherhood. It was titled, “The sweet taste of motherhood: Be a mother, become happier!” This campaign, featured in Farsi, offered wise words from the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei on the topic of motherhood and family life.
Society today really does not value the role of a mother in our homes, and more importantly, among our communities. We often compare being a mother to being an engineer or a doctor. It’s just another job that a woman takes on. And when we think of motherhood as a “job” we give it unrealistic expectations. We think of our kids like employees, we think of the “return,” and sadly, we think we can clock in and clock out.
But what we fail to realize is that once we appreciate and nurture our mothers, they will be happier in the home and stronger caregivers. Once we understand the very important job that our mothers are doing, then we can help our mothers find their balance in caring for their families and caring for their themselves.
And, a happy mother really does help create a happy home.
These snippets from the campaign were taken from thekhamenei_reyhaneh Instagram account.
1) Be a mother, become happier!
“Mothers through the way they live, raise their children. She will be able to raise them better, if the woman is more pious, more wise and more intelligent.”
As mothers, we should focus on ourselves and try to become better for the sake of raising better children. More than doing what we say, kids do as we do.
2) Your lap is the most safest place for your children!
“Mothers leave an impression on everything. Those who want to become heavenly, the foundation of becoming heavenly is from a mother.”
We shouldn’t take lightly the peace and safety that our presence brings for our children. A warm embrace and an understanding smile all go a long way in making our children feel that they are indeed in a loving home. With the hustle and bustle of life today, sometimes we forget about taking a break and giving our kids our undivided attention.
3) The child that comes brings sustenance!
“The women that because of work outside of the home, refuse to have children, are doing something against human nature, and women are taking these steps themselves. God is not pleased with this.”
While some women have to take on work outside the home, we shouldn’t make it an obstacle in our path of having children and raising a family. A woman’s nature is made to nurture and create a loving home environment. No matter what other tasks we carry out in our daily lives, we should not forsake this very important one. Neglecting our homes and children for work or entertainment only breaks the peace and stability of our home environment.
Editor’s note: Islamic Insights is honored to host the “Raising Faith” column by esteemed guest contributor and student from Qum, Sister Samira Rizvi. Besides being a former newspaper copy editor, Rizvi is a mother of three, an author who writes for Little Muslim Books, and maintains a personal blog. Her column will focus on her experiences in tarbiyat—the upbringing of children based on Islamic values. For past articles in the column see here.
