Who among the people is most deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he said: Then it is your father. In the hadith transmitted on the authority of Qutalba, there is no mention of the word" the people".
Hadith Text
A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Who among the people is most deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he said: Then it is your father.
Scholarly Commentary
This profound hadith establishes the unparalleled status of the mother in Islam, emphasizing her right to kindness, respect, and service three times before mentioning the father once. This repetition is not merely rhetorical but serves to establish a legal and spiritual hierarchy of rights.
The mother's precedence is rooted in the immense hardships she alone endures: the strains of pregnancy, the pains of childbirth, and the prolonged period of nursing and nurturing. These are sacrifices that the father, despite his crucial role, does not bear to the same degree. The Prophet (ﷺ), through divine wisdom, quantified this inherent right, making it unmistakably clear.
When the questioner persisted, expecting another category of people after the third mention of the mother, the final answer, "your father," comes as a powerful conclusion. It teaches that after fulfilling the extensive rights of the mother, one's dutifulness must then be directed to the father. This hadith is a cornerstone for the Islamic ethics of family, making "Birr al-Walidayn" (dutifulness to parents) second only to the duty towards Allah Himself.
Source & Significance
This narration is recorded in the authoritative collection of Sahih Muslim, specifically in "The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship" under the reference Sahih Muslim 2548 a.
Its significance lies in its unambiguous legal and moral ruling. It is a definitive text that scholars use to establish the mother's right to the best companionship and financial support over all other relatives, including the father. It calls for a reflection on the debt of gratitude that can never be fully repaid, urging believers to actively honor their mothers throughout their lives.