I said: O Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful? he said: "Your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, then the next in nearness and so on

Arabic text

عَنْ بَهْزِ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ: مَنْ أَبَرُّ؟ قَالَ: «أُمَّكَ، ثُمَّ أُمَّكَ، ثُمَّ أُمَّكَ، ثُمَّ أَبَاكَ، ثُمَّ الْأَقْرَبَ فَالْأَقْرَبَ».

Translation

Bahz ibn Hakīm reported from his father from his grandfather that he said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful? he said: "Your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, then the next in nearness and so on."

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified that the person most deserving of dutifulness, kindness, good treatment, pleasant companionship, and maintenance of ties with is the mother. He emphasized the mother’s right over others by repeating it three times to highlight her superiority over all people without exception. Then he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said, clarifying who comes next to her in terms of dutifulness: Then the father, then the next in nearness and so on from among the relatives, and the closer they are, the more deserving they are of maintaining ties than those who are farther away.

Benefits

• The Hadīth implies that the mother comes first, then the father, then the next in nearness according to their degree of nearness.
• Pointing out the parents' status, especially that of the mother.
• He repeated in the Hadīth the importance of being dutiful to the mother three times due to the great favor her children owe to her and the many hardships, fatigue, and difficulties she endures: such as pregnancy, then childbirth and nursing, which are unique to the mother. She then shares in the upbringing with the father.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Virtues
• Merits of Being Dutiful to One's Parents