Put down the spatula and step away from the stove. Lets face it – we can’t all be the Gordon Ramsays of our households. So if you’re not The Next Food Network Star, don’t worry, there are a whole slew of gifts that don’t require culinary prowess. Plus in light of the recent dental movement pushing for the addition of a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a spit bowl to the breakfast tray, it seems like breakfast in bed might be getting a bit less appetizing. Here are a couple of long lasting, rewarding, and easy ways to pay off the 9 months rent and utilities you still owe your mother.
1. Recite The Supplication for Parents
Imam Zayn ul Abidin’s Sahifa Sajjadiya consists of 54 beautiful supplications that cover a myriad of topics from praying for parents and neighbors to paying back debts, dealing with sorrow, and repelling fear. A simple gesture like reciting the Dua for Parents either in front of our mothers or even quietly in our rooms serves not only to shower our parents with blessings but also to help us better ourselves as children. The dua is beautifully written so definitely give the translation a read through. If you want to take it a step further, consider framing the dua or your favorite snippet of the supplication and putting it up in your parents’ house as a sort of promise to them to be the best offspring you can be.
I for one would love to frame this just so my mum knows that my angsty teenage outbursts actually worked in her favor and all those slammed doors and cold shoulders are now washing away her sins!
“O God, and whatever harm has touched them from me, detested thing that has reached them from me, or right of theirs which has been neglected by me, allow it to alleviate their sins, raise them in their degrees, and add to their good deeds!”
2. Add a glass of Jawshan Kabeer water to the tray
We’ve all been there – 2 AM on prayer nights in the Month of Ramadan with droopy eyelids, a glass of water, and mental countdown to the 100th verse of Jawshan Kabeer. But when you read it on your own time, Dua Jawshan Kabeer is absolutely beautiful, eye opening, and rather enjoyable. Try reading the dua over a large jug of water for your mum so she can sip on the spiritual spring all day long. Plus, whilst reading the supplication you’ll be asking for protection from hellfire, which is always a bonus. Oh and don’t be shy to drop some frozen fruit into your water – who said good deeds can’t taste delicious!
Sidenote: Iran should have someone go to their large water reservoirs once a week to read Jawshan Kabeer so the whole country is drinking holy water all day every day. This just seems like such an easy thing to organize – why hasn’t this happened yet.
3. Include your Mum in your intentions
We’re constantly hearing speakers remind us that one of the most important parts of our actions is our intention. So whenever you do something good this week, make the conscious effort to say “Oh Allah, I’m doing this for the sake of my parents and from the teachings of my parents.” For example, my mother (through hours of crying fits and fatHa/kasra confusions) taught me how to read the Qur’an so every time I recite some of the Holy Book I should consciously give my mum credit for her teachings and thus part of my reward. This is also a wonderful way for those of us whose mothers have passed away to thank them and increase their rewards in the hereafter.
4. Recite 1,000 Salawaats
This one is for those of us who are always on the go and don’t have time to sit down to recite anything. When you’re driving to work, nodding profusely during meetings, removing someone’s gal bladder, or supervising your students on the playground, whisper as many salawaats as you can under your breath. There are loads of apps that can help you keep track of how many recitations you’ve completed, or go old school and employ the help of your fingers and toes. Regardless of how you do it or how long it takes, sending blessings on the Prophet and his family will come in handy for your mother in the hereafter!
5. Make it Rain
Forgo the little blue box filled with precious stones for a precious mum and invest that money in your mother’s future! Find ways to invest in projects that will continue to provide your mum with rewards in this world and the hereafter. Give a donation to a school (or orphanage, islamic center, etc.) on behalf of your mother. While this may seem like an easy cop out to a more heartfelt and thoughtful gift, your mother receives rewards for any students who are educated in that school. If you can’t find a school that appeals to you, try building a bench in you local cemetery – your mother is rewarded for anyone who sits to recite for their loved ones who have passed away.
These are just a few ideas but, if all else fails, macaroni necklaces and cheesy poems will always warm our mothers’ hearts.
