Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume I — Page 375
! ! 375 A Child’s Upbringing is Depen d ent upon the Mother’s Moral State Delivered by Hazrat Mirza Bashir - ud - D in Mahmood Ahmad, Khalifat - ul - Masih II ra At a Nikah sermon, Haz rat Khalifat - ul - Masih II ra said: The Holy Prophet Muhammad sa said, Paradise lies under the feet of mothers. This does not literally mean that paradise lies under the feet of mothers, but that paradise can be attained by a mothe r’s good training. Paradise can never be found und er the feet of a mother who does not provide good training, does not correct a child’s morals, and does not familiarize a child with the ir religion. In that case, the child is ruined. Without a doubt, the father is the caregiver , head of the family , and the one in charge. Due to financial reasons , h e often stays outside the home and spends very little time at home. In that little time at home , he cannot fully oversee the training of his children. A t the age of five or six children are more likely to imitate and learn habits. At that time , the father can neither correct them nor watch over them , nor can he send the children to a teacher who could teach the children proper etiquette. Only a mother, with wh om a child spends all their time, can supervise him. If a mother lies in front of the child, t he child will also learn to lie. If a mother steals, the child will also learn to steal. I f a mother is careless and negligent towards her faith , then the child will also be careless and heedless of their faith. If a mother speaks the truth in front of the child , the n the child will also adopt the habit of speaking the truth. If the mother greets others with good manners and love, the child will also learn those good manners. If the mother shows mercy to the poor and needy, then the child will also develop the inclination to be merciful. I f a mother is religious and fear s God, then the child will also grow to be religious and God fearing. Thus, a child’s future depends on the moral training of mothers , and this i s the true meaning behind the Holy Prophet