Edward Onoja's Story Should Inspire Every Child »

The story of Edward Onoja and his mom is one that should inspire every child. And if it doesn’t, I doubt if anything else will.

Its reminds me of our parent (most especially our mothers) selfless service and unending sleepless nights that they had to go through just to make sure that we had the best while growing up.

A mother gives up a great deal for the sake of the child. She gives up her time, her sleep, her pleasures etc. to ensure that the child is all right. As Imam Zaynul ‘Abidin(a) says in one of his books “nobody comes even close to doing what a mother does for her child. That is why he says that it is only with help of the Almighty that one can thank the mother for all her sacrifice and efforts.”

According to scripture, one of the important commandments in the Quran is to appreciate the blessings God bestows upon us and our parents (Quran 27:19). With God’s help, our parents, like our children, are a reason to appreciate God more.

Let’s me quote one of the Hadith of our beloved Prophet (A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).

In one of the hadiths, Prophet is once again quoted as saying “Jannat lies under the feet of the mothers.”

My mom Hajiya Keuta Abdullahi, together with my Late Grandma “Hajiya Halima Iya Madaki” of a blessed memory, played a huge role in my life both as a child and also an adult who’s thriving hard to make a living in Society that barely provides conducive atmosphere for young people to grow and aspire to become a better member of the society.

My mom who at young age started as a teacher provides the “Monitoring and evaluation” skills needed to see that we (myself and my sister) thrive and succeeded in whatever we do. My late Grandma who at that time was a God mother, Prayer warrior, community Leader/teacher, and very Discipline woman whom her immediately community rely on for advice and suggestion when it comes to family matters and other related community issues. Provided my mom with the necessary elderly guidance and support for her to succeeds as a young woman.

Our mothers are rare jewels 💎 that walk through this earth and hereafter and should be respected, adore, cherish and love at all cost. Holy Quran expresses that mother has more important position in the family; as a result, she must be respected much more as compared to the others. It is because of such pains that mothers endure during their lifetimes whereas it seems impossible the others could stand such pains.

Abdulslimzy Maiyaki
Wazirin Talakawa