The last word I heard from her was 'O father!

The last word I heard from her was 'O father!' What is the ransom of that?" The Prophet (a.s.) asked him, "Is your mother alive?" The man said, "No!" "Do you have a maternal aunt alive?" the Prophet asked.

The man said, "Yes!" The Prophet (a.s.) then said, "Be dutiful to your aunt, because she is like your mother and this can ransom what you had done." 3 Allama Majlisi says, "This tradition shows the preference of the mother and her relatives to father and paternal ________________________ 1 Mustadrak A1-Wasa'il. 15/180. 2 Ibid., 15/ 18. 3 Al-Kafi, 2/ 162; Bihar al-Anwar, 74/ 58. relatives.

It also indicates the importance of dutifulness to maternal aunt among other relatives of the mother." 1 This statement of the Prophet (a.s.) shows the greatness of motherhood and the most remarkable Divine position of woman. The major sin of killing one's child, which seems too cruel and obscene to be forgiven, is forgivable only by doing good to the mother or the maternal aunt. Making them happy is the compensation of this major sin. This shows the importance of the mother and then the aunt.

if the mother is not available, the aunt replaces her, but not even the father, the paternal uncle, or any other male relative. Another worthy point is that the only reparation for such a major sin is kindness and dutifulness to the mother or the aunt, and not their prayer. In other words, only their happiness makes up for this cruel sin and brings about Allah's forgiveness.

Imam Sadiq (a.s) narrated, "One day, someone came to the Prophet (a.s.) and asked, 'O messenger of Allah, to whom should I be pious?' The Prophet (a.s.) said, 'To your mother.' The man asked, "then to whom?' The Prophet (a.s.) said, To your mother.' The man asked again, 'then to whom?' The Prophet (a.s.) said, 'to your mother.' Then the man asked, 'then to whom?' The Prophet (a.s.) said, 'To your father." 1 Allama Majlisi says, "Due to this tradition, it is derived that three fourths of kindness and piety should be for the mother.

It is also said that it is to exaggerate in being kind to the mother. The reason behind that is clear, because the ________________________ 1 Bihar al-Anwar, 74/ 58. 2 Al-Kafi, 2/ 159. mother tries and tolerates hardships for her children more than the father.