‘Ya Ummati! ’ Mummy Why is the Prophet ﷺ calling his Mummy ?
Shabib ibn Gharqadah narrates from Jamrah Bint Quhafab that she said;
I was with Umm Salamah (the wife of the Prophet ﷺ ) during hajjat al-wada. Then I heard the Prophet (saw) say: O my ummah (ya ummati), have I conveyed the message to you? She says: My little boy asked why is the Prophet (saw) calling to his mother? She says: I said: My son, he means his ummah. And he was saying: Listen! The property of each of you, your honour, your life is inviolable to you as this day is inviolable in this town in this month. [Marifat al-sahabah]🌹
Today this story may ring familiar except perhaps a mum listens to a talk, eager to broaden her knowledge. Then the bouncing child on her lap stops for moment. A little voice calls out to ask a question. Vaguely does the mind register the voice or maybe even replies automatically, “Hold on sweetheart Mummy’s busy right now...,” and then the moment passes. The question perhaps forgotten...
Every child is different and you never know when they’re listening (as they do!) or what might spark their interest in what we do. Whatever the reason, we should sieze the moment to respond, to explain, to encourage. If we can’t, then at least come back to answer their questions later. Never mind if they’ll fully understand or not. It’s about opening lines of communication; to keep the questions coming.
The path of Knowledge doesn’t begin just by rote learning, it begins by them asking questions; and those asked through their own initiative are truly a moment for celebration that warrants a swift, thoughtful response.
The young are a breath of fresh air for any people - they ask questions we may not have thought about ourselves. They are more capable than what we believe them to be or give credit for. So water the seedling with love and patience; let it grow along side with you. 🌱
𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 of 𝗦.𝗡.𝗝𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗶 ✍🏼 (𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗯𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, Islamic chapter books for kids📚)
