[46]. Surah Al-Ahqaf [The Curved Sand Hills]: Ayat 015

১৫. আমি মানুষকে তার পিতা-মাতার সাথে সদ্ব্যবহারের আদেশ দিয়েছি।  তার জননী তাকে কষ্টসহকারে গর্ভে ধারণ করেছে এবং কষ্টসহকারে প্রসব করেছে। তাকে গর্ভে ধারণ করতে ও তার স্তন্য ছাড়তে লেগেছে ত্রিশ মাস। অবশেষে সে যখন শক্তি-তরুণ; বয়সে ও চল্লিশ বছরে পৌছেছে, তখন বলতে লাগল, হে আমার পালনকর্তা, আমাকে এরূপ ভাগ্য দান কর, যাতে আমি তোমার নেয়ামতের শোকর করি, যা তুমি দান করেছ আমাকে ও আমার পিতা-মাতাকে এবং যাতে আমি তোমার পছন্দনীয় সৎকাজ করি। আমার সন্তানদেরকে সৎকর্মপরায়ণ কর, আমি তোমার প্রতি তওবা করলাম এবং আমি আজ্ঞাবহদের অন্যতম।

Ayat 15. And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents. His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship, and the bearing of him, and the weaning of him is thirty (30) months, till when he attains full strength and reaches forty years, he says: "My Lord! Grant me the power and ability that I may be grateful for Your Favour which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and that I may do righteous good deeds, such as please You, and make my off-spring good. Truly, I have turned to You in repentance, and truly, I am one of the Muslims (submitting to Your Will)."

Tafseer of Surah Al-Ahqaf Ayat 15. We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: In pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length, when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years, he says, "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favour which Thou has bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam." Cf. 29:8 and 31:14. In 31:14 the time of weaning was stated to be at the age of two years, i.e., 24 months. See also 2:233. That leaves six months as the minimum period of human gestation after which the child is known to be viable. This is in accordance with the latest ascertained scientific facts. The average period is 280 days, or ten times the inter-menstrual period, and of course the average period of weaning is much less than 24 months. The maximum period of breast-feeding (2 years) is again in accordance with the time that the first dentition is ordinarily completed in a human child. The lower milk incisors in the center come out between the 6th and 9th months; then come out the milk teeth at intervals, until the canines appear. The second molars come out at about 24 months, and with them the child has a complete apparatus of milk teeth. Nature now expects him to chew and masticate and be independent of his mother's milk completely. On the other hand it hurts the mother to feed from the breast after the child has a complete set of milk teeth. The permanent teeth begin at the sixth year, and the second molars come at 12 years. The third molars are the wisdom teeth, which may appear at 18 to 20 years, or not at all. The age of full strength (ashudd) is held to be between 18 and 30 or 32. Between 30 and 40 the man is in his best manhood. After that he begins to look to his growing issue, and rightly commends the new generation to Allah. Perhaps his spiritual faculties also gain the upper hand after 40.16. Such are they from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds: (They shall be) among the Companions of the Garden: a promise! of truth, which was made to them (in this life). 

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: reported A person came to : The Messenger of Allah  [SAWW](PBUH) and asked, "Who among people is most deserving of my fine treatment?'' He  [SAWW](PBUH) said, "Your mother". He again asked, ``Who next?'' "Your mother", the Prophet  [SAWW](PBUH) replied again. He asked, "Who next?'' He (the Prophet  [SAWW](PBUH)) said again, "Your mother.'' He again asked, "Then who?'' Thereupon he  [SAWW](PBUH) said,'' Then your father.'' In another narration: "O Messenger of Allah! Who is most deserving of my fine treatment?'' He  [SAWW](PBUH) said, "Your mother, then your mother, then your mother, then your father, then your nearest, then nearest".  [Al-Bukhari Book 08, Chapter 73, Hadith # 02] 

Lesson: as mentioned above in Surah Al-Ahqaf Ayat 15. “mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship” This Hadith tells us that the rights of the mother are three times more important than that of the father for the reasons that:

1 She is weaker than the father.

2. The following three troubles are borne exclusively by the mother while the father does not share them with her:

a) She carries the baby in her womb for nine months,

b) The labor pain which she suffers.

c) Two years' period of suckling which disturbs her sleep at night and affects her health, She has also to be very cautious in her food for the welfare of the baby.