Mother's Day: How different religions honour mothers

Mothers Day which began as a gathering of Civil War veterans bereaved mothers has evolved into a celebration of mothers contributions to society From the moment we are born we are accustomed to receiving care and nurturing from our moms Therefore we occasionally take for granted the unselfish care that our mothers provide Mothers Day is an opportunity to express our love and appreciation to them as well as to acknowledge our debt to them Mothers Day is observed every year on May 14What does Hinduism say about motherThe institution of motherhood is given a top priority in Hindu society according to the Sanaatan Dharma Contrary to other cultures Hindus offer the highest honour reverence celebration and respect to five mothers in their daily lives Mother Earth followed by the cow then religious texts then the Divine Mother and finally the biological mother These are regarded as the sources of life that sustain humanity therefore show appreciation devotion worship and to decide for their earthly progenyAccording to Hindu philosophy Saraswati Maata is referred to as the kriyaa shakti power of activity Lakshmi Maa as the gyaan shakti and Durga Maata as the ichha shakti power of will Therefore earthly moms work incredibly hard to ensure that their children receive a healthy diet have their activities controlled by them and learn the right information Because of this every mother can be viewed to have a significant influence on development of a child Hindus place a high value on worshipping the mother in all of her five incarnations since they depend on her for their continued existenceIn the Moksha dharma Parva Section CCLXVI Bhishma said The mother is the remedy for all kinds of calamities The existence of the mother provides one with protection the reverses deprivation The man who is denied of prosperity enters his house uttering the words ldquoO motherrdquo when you are with me neither grief nor weakness ever attack merdquo A person whose mother exists even if he happens to be a father of many sons and grandsons and even he himself is hundred years old in the eyes of his mother he looks like a child of two years of age Whether the mother is able or disabled weak or robust the son is always protected by the motherAlso read Motherrsquos Day 2023 We found out why mothers love watching daily soapsHindus believe that motherhood is a spiritual and emotional transformation of wifehood As a wife a woman does demand and take away some of her husbandrsquos dear time meant for his motherparents but the mother on the other hand feels that it is her privilege to let him use that time for his wife If a woman as wife is socially significant a woman as a mother is spiritually celebrated The Hindu culture teaches us to consider all women as forms of the one Divine MotherIn the celebrations of Mothersrsquo Day a special emphasis is placed on recollecting and honoring contributions of earthly mothers divine mothers Goddesses and thank them with from the bottom of our hearts for blessings and what all they do for our better life welfare success and peaceThe Bhagavad Gita says that mothers should speak gently to everyone around tell the truth always and be gentle in their behavior The Bhagavad Gita says that mothers should be careful in their conduct because their children are always watching them Mothers should serve as modelsIn Bhagavad Gita 917 Lord Krishna says ldquoI am the father of this universe the mother the support and the grandsirerdquoAlso readMotherrsquos Day 2023 Wishes messages quotes images to share with your mother on this special dayThe Yakshan asked Yudhishtir lsquoName that which is heavier than Earthrsquo Yudhishtir answered that a personrsquos mother is heavier than Earth Heavy here refers to importance or respect The Vedas also give permission to people to abandon their father if their father is immoral unfit or an alcoholic However a mother must be protected and worshipped at all times During the Gaya Shradham one Pindam is offered to a father whereas 16 Pindams are offered to a mother reflecting praise for every sacrifice she makes o raise her childrenMother as Divinity and ShaktiShakti the creative and energetic force of the Divine is described in Hindu scriptures as being a motherly Goddess whose loving nurturing and sometimes fiercely protective qualities are integral to both the material and spiritual growth of every beingWhat does Christianity say about motherChristianityrsquos holy book The Bible consistently asks followers to honor and love their mothers Examples of this can be seen in Exodus 2012 ldquoHonor your father and your motherrdquo and Leviticus 193 ldquoEvery one of you shall revere his mother and his fatherrdquoWhile Mothers Day is a relatively recent holiday in human history there have always been variations of related holidays Although the Bible does not specifically mention Mothers Day in its verses it frequently discusses the celebration of motherhood and mothers like in the passages belowldquoHer children rise up and call her blessed her husband also and he praises her lsquoMany women have done excellently but you surpass them allrsquordquo ndash Proverbs 312831Also readFrom Kareena Kapoor in Good Newwz to Sridevi in Mom heres looking at 21st century mothers of Hindi cinemaldquoThe man called his wifersquos name Eve because she was the mother of all livingrdquo ndash Genesis 320ldquoStrength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the time to come She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idlenessrdquo ndash Proverbs 312528ldquoAs one whom his mother comforts so I will comfort you you shall be comforted in Jerusalemrdquo ndash Isaiah 6613ldquoAnd Mary said lsquoMy soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant For behold from now on all generations will call me blessedrsquordquo ndash Luke 14648What does Islam say about motherIslam places a great deal of value on mothers The foundation of all life is without a doubt the relationship a mother has with her kid A mother gives birth to a kid after carrying it inside her for nine months cares for it and frequently puts the needs of the child above her own ldquoHeaven lies beneath the feet of your motherrdquo is an Islamic saying by the Prophet Muhammad This hadith is prominent in Muslim culture emphasising that a child must respect their mother to gain passage into heaven There are various passages in the Quran and Hadith that stress the value of parents especially mothersAllah has enjoined on man kindness to his parents in pain did his mother bear him and in pain did she give him birthrdquo Quran4615ldquoThy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him and that ye be kind to parents Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life say not to them a word of contempt nor repel them but address them in terms of honor And out of kindness lower to them the wing of humility and say lsquoMyLord bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhoodrsquordquo 172324ldquoWe have enjoined on man and woman to be good to hisher parents show gratitude to Me and to thy parents to Me is thy final Goal If they parents strive to make thee join in worship with Me things of which thou hast no knowledge obey them not yet bear them company in this life with justice and consideration and follow the way of those who turn to Me in loverdquo 311415Also readMothers Day 2023 Major issues that mothers around the world faceA man came to the Prophet and said rsquoO Messenger of God Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship The Prophet said Your mother The man said lsquoThen whorsquo The Prophet said Then your mother The man further asked lsquoThen whorsquo The Prophet said Then your mother The man asked again lsquoThen whorsquo The Prophet said Then your father Bukhari MuslimAbu Usaid Saidi said We were once sitting with Rasulullah when a man from the tribe of Salmah came and said to him O Messenger of Allah do my parents have rights over me even after they have died And Rasulullah said ldquoYes You must pray to Allah to bless them with His Forgiveness and Mercy fulfill the promises they made to anyone and respect their relations and their friendsrdquo Abu Dawud and Ibn MajahWhat does Sikhism say about motherThere is no special Mothers Day in the Sikh faith and Mothers Day is not a religious holiday Love and respect for mothers should be there at all times But American Sikhs have eagerly participated in this yearly recognition of the significance of mothers in our livesMothers hold a very unique place in the Sikh religion God is frequently referred to as a parent in the Sikh scripture most frequently as mother and father with the two parents being equally significant For instance For example You are the mother and the father we are Your children In Your mercy we find profound happiness Similarly God is my mother God is my father God nurtures me God takes care of me I am the child of God Patiently He feeds me He never fails He does not remind me of my faults He hugs me close in His embraceAlso readJanhvi Kapoor pens emotional note for late actor Sridevi on Mothers DayA mother is forgiving A verse in Siri Guru Granth Sahib reads A mother does not keep note of the transgressions of her son O God I am Your son Why dont You destroy my sinsA mother is also a spiritual guide A verse in Siri Guru Granth Sahib includes Always remember the boundless limitless God remembering whom all our sins are destroyed My son this is a mothers prayer for you May you always remember God and never even for a moment forget Him