Someone came to the beloved Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ  and asked, "O Messenger of Allah صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ ! Who has the greatest right to my good conduct?"

He replied, "Your mother."

He inquired again, "After that, who?"

He responded, "Your mother."

He questioned, "After that, who?"

This time too, he صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ   stated, "Your mother".

He asked again, "After that, who?"

Then he صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ  replied: "Your father".^[1]

Every word uttered by the truthful tongue of the noble Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ   is full of wisdom. Ultimately, why did the noble Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ  mention the mother three times and the father once? Explaining the reason, scholars have stated that a mother has three favours upon a child: (1) The mother carries the child in her womb for nine months. (2) She endures the pain of childbirth, and (3) She nurtures the child, while the father has one favour: he nurtures the child.^[2]

Although a father has one right and a mother has three rights, this does not mean that the father should not be respected at all. Instead, scholars have written: "Serve the mother more, and honour the father more, because he is your mother's husband and the crown upon her head."^[3]

Imām Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَۃُ اللہِ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ writes:

If a dispute arises between parents, the son should neither argue