Mother's Day & Father's Day - An Islamic View

Honoring Parents Is a Daily Obligation in Islam

Scholars’ Objections to Mother’s Day and Father’s Day

Although honoring and respecting one’s parents is incumbent upon Muslims, most scholars object to the observance of Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This is because:Celebrating holidays other than Islamic holidays is regarded as bid’ah (innovation) and therefore forbidden. Mothers and fathers should be loved, respected, obeyed and appreciated every day, with no need to single out special days to honor them. Muslims should adhere to their own religion and avoid following non-Muslim traditions.

“And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at 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)

High Status of Mother in Islam

In Islam, a mother has especially high status. She is to be given greater respect and honor than the father due to the difficulty of pregnancy, childbirth, nursing and child rearing. This is reinforced in a well-known hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him)

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is most deserving of my good company?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Your mother.’ He asked, ‘Then who?’ He said, ‘Then your father.’” (al-Bukhaari and Muslim).

In another famous hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is quoted as having said, “Paradise lies at the feet of the mothers.”

Holidays (Eids) in Islam

Muslims already observe three established holidays (eids) in Islam: Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and the weekly Jumu’ah eid. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned Muslims not to add or remove anything from their religion, saying: “If somebody tries to introduce into this faith of ours (Islam) something which is not a part of it, it is to be rejected and that person is condemned.” (al-Bukhaari and Muslim)

Therefore, Muslims should be satisfied with their faith and avoid the traditions and holidays of non-Muslims, including Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. While the intention of honoring parents is good, Muslims should be honoring their parents each and every day, and not limiting that level of respect and affection to a single day each year.