Examples of the image of the mother in Arabic – Islamic heritage

Abstract

“Mother” is the core - centre represented in many international literary texts. The Russian author Gorki’s novel “Mother” took the lead among the best international literary works. He was followed by many other writers in various cultures. They took the notion “mother” as a basic topic in their works such as François Mauriac and the Czeck author Karl Capek and the German Berthold Brecht. In Islam “the mother” enjoys a magnificent status since the holy Qur’an and the prophet’s tradition urge on treating her kindly in a highly respective – humanitarian way, for her great sacrifices and her caring for her children during pregnancy, breast-feeding and bringing up. Many texts in Arabic poetry were devoted to “the mother”; glorifying her role and her position in recognition of her graces. Prominent old and modern Arab poets wrote poems expressing gratitude and high appreciation of “the mother”. Among them are Abu Firas Al-Hamdani, Al-Shareef Al-Radhi, Al-Muaari, Al-Shaaer Al-Qurawi (Rasheed Saleem Al-Khouri), Ibraheem Munther, Abdulla Al-Bardooni and many more. Arabic novels deal with “the mother” and drawn her portrait in various states that are overlapping and surpassing her traditional role as “subjugated, obedient and semi literate”. Many texts occur as a stream of consciousness that are probably the most effective literary works in reflecting “mother’s” portrait as being truthful in expressing and conveying her emotions and love towards her children and family. Among the Arab authors of such texts are Gibran Khaleel Gibran, Ameen Mushriq and Al- Mazini. Finally, the word ”mother” in Arabic was used to mean the root or origin and thus it became the nickname for many notions and names of places such as Um Al-Qura (Mecca), Um Qashaam (death), Um Al-Khabaaeth (alcohol).