Thank You to All Mothers

"Your 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: 'My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood' " Qur'an (17:23-24)

"Heaven lies under the feet of your mother." (Prophet Muhammad)

This is taught to Muslim children around the world. When I was a child, I remember revering the ground where my mother walked and looking intently at it to see how heaven looked. As I grew up, the purport of this most beautiful teaching about mothers became clearer to me. Indeed, in the obedience, reverence, love, respect, adoration and service of one's mother lies the key to attaining paradise.

To all the mothers out there - I would like to express my deepest regard and offer my sincere thanks for taking on this most noble role! You are the real heroes who nurture the young minds and make our human civilization thrive. The travails of pregnancy that you endure, the unmatched dedication in caring for the newborn, and the selfless compassion that you show; there is no equal to that. Dictionaries will beat a retreat if one were to try to find the right word to say "thank you" to you !

As a tribute to mothers, I would like to introduce some amazing Minnesota Muslim mothers.

Happy Mother's Day!

Arlene El-Amin

I am Arlene El-Amin. I have five children, 20 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren (last count).

I am grateful to have this opportunity to try to shape their lives to be in service to Allah and their fellow man and woman. My oldest will be 45, Insha'Allah, in June and my youngest just turned 35. A mother's work is NEVER done. Just because they reach the age of majority, you still give advice, asked for and not asked for. My goal has been, and continues to be, a role model for them. Not perfect but sincerely striving to keep my Islamic values as the measuring stick for myself and them, and their babies and their babies to live by. Allah has been merciful and my family blessed. My family has been intact for almost half a century. Praise be to G'd.

Krista Siddiqui

My name is Krista Siddiqui and I am a mother of four beautiful, confident, and compassionate children. I spent the majority of their lives to this point staying home with them - ensuring they would become the wonderful human beings that I know they will be. Every moment was treasured, every challenge was rewarding, every hug and kiss was priceless. Those young years wtih my children flew by, and now they are all in school, busy with sports and friends. I have also been busy with school and finally finished my Master's degree. I am now working in the field of my choice. I am thrilled to be at this point in my life where I am able to give back to others every day in the job that I perform. However, my heart still melts every time my littlest wraps her arms around me though. No matter where I am in life or what I'm doing ... I am always Mama first - and forever will giving hugs, kisses and love, be the job I perform best.

Nausheena Hussain

My children and family have always been my top priority in life. Now, did I sacrifice school and put my career on hold for that? Some would argue yes, but I would say no. I always tried to find a balance when pursing graduate school with a newborn, focusing in on my marketing career with two kids, or following my passion into the non-profit with pre-teen drama and an overactive boy!

To me, Mother's Day has always been the day my daughter was born. That's the day I became a mother. Three and a half years later, my son was born. So, do I think that's Mother's Day too? Absolutely! Surviving the first round out of motherhood is a feat in itself!

I'm just like any other mom- making it through the morning rush, chaperoning field trips, calligraphy class, karate class, Qur'an class, tennis lessons, bike rides, and bedtime stories. My kids told me I was doing a pretty good job. Tough judges, but I'll take that word of confidence any day.

Jean Nackers

I believe motherhood means love and protection. I cherish every moment I have with my children. I love to rediscover the world through their eyes. We raise caterpillars in the spring, fish in a nearby pond, and love to learn more about the world around us. I want to teach my children to care for the earth and to have love and concern for their fellow human beings. We belong to one amazing human family and we can learn so much from one another.

My name is Sarah Irshad. I was born in Karachi, Pakistan. I did my bachelors in civil engineering from NED University of Karachi. I am married to Adeel Ahmed and we have three beautiful daughters, The first thing that comes to my mind when talking about motherhood is the 'learning process' associated with this experience. For example, learning how to manage stress, how to organize time, how to bring discipline in your life so that you can serve as a role model for your children, and lastly learning how to be patient. I would also like to acknowledge the tremendous role my husband Adeel has played in the parenting of our children. I stayed home with my kids when they were young. Currently I work part time at Hennepin Technical College as a math tutor. InshaAllah (God willing) I am planning to pursue my masters in mathematics education from the University of Minnesota.

Safiya Balioglu