On reaching the height of his career a man felt a duty to repay his mother for all she had done for him. He asked, ‘Mother, what can I give you to repay the sacrifices you made for me?’ Mother looked surprised and said, ‘Why think about it? It was my duty so I did it, you don't have to repay me. Even if you want to, there is no way a man can repay his mother.’
The son persisted and she said, ‘All right. If you must, then tonight sleep on my bed, with me, just as you used to when you were a baby.’ He said, ‘That's a strange thing to ask for, but if it pleases you, I will.’ As soon as he fell asleep, the mother got up and poured a mug of water on his side. Disturbed by the wetness under him, in his sleep he moved to the other side of the bed. As he settled down, his mother poured another mug of water on that side. In his slumber he tried to find space towards the foot of the bed.
Sometime later he woke up feeling that this part of the bed too was damp. He got up and saw his mother, with mug in her hand. He asked angrily, ‘What are you doing mother? Why don't you let me sleep? How do you expect me to sleep on a wet bed?’ Mother said, ‘I slept with you when you wet the bed in the night. I would change your nappy and move you to the dry part of the bed, while I slept on the wet side. You wanted to repay me. Can you sleep for one night with me on a damp bed? If you can, I'll take it you’ve repaid me.’
And We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents. (Qur'an 29:8)
Ibn Umar radhiallahu anhu said, ‘The pleasure of the Lord lies in the pleasure of the parent. The anger of the Lord lies in the anger of the parent.’ (Al-Adab al-Mufrad)
