A little Muslim kid at heart

Here's a little known fact about me: I enjoy listening to Islamic kiddie songs.

It began with Mirwana, the band founded by singer Yasin Sulaiman, who in the early 90s was a junior at Maahad Hamidiah religious school in Kajang.

Mirwana had a string of albums while Yasin was there. The first album was rather crude but I could see that their music increased in sophistication with each new album.

My favourite was Mirwana Generations, a collection of songs with beautiful harmony and backed by synthesizer-infused music which was unheard of for a nasyid album in those days.

These days, I listen a lot to I Look, I See, an album featuring the pupils of London's Islamia Primary School which is best known for its founder and chairman Yusuf Islam.

I have the album on my iPod and also listen to the songs while driving, either alone or with my kids.

I thought I was unique. Turned out I wasn't. Recently I discovered that my colleague and good friend Aswad also enjoys listening to Islamic kiddie songs!

Incidentally, he also counts I Look, I See as his favourite and we both like this particular song, Your Mother, about according respect to your mother.

Your Mother

Who should I give my love to
My respect and my honour to
Who should I pay good mind to
After Allah and Rasulullah
Comes your mother
Who next? Your mother
Who next? Your mother
And then your father

'Cos who used to hold you
And clean you and clothe you
Who used to feed you
And always be with you
When you were sick stay up all night
Holding you tight
That's right, no other
My mother

Who should I take good care of
Giving all my love
Who should I think the most of
After Allah and Rasulullah
Comes your mother
Who next? Your mother
Who next? Your mother
And then your father

'Cos who used to hear you
Before you could talk
Who used to hold you
Before you could walk
And when you fell who'd pick you up
Clean your cut
No one but your mother
My mother

Who should I stay right close to
Listen most to
Never say no to
After Allah and Rasulullah
Comes your mother
Who next? Your mother
Who next? Your mother
And then your father

'Cos who used to hug you
And buy you new clothes
Comb your hair and
Blow your nose
And when you cried who wiped your tears
Knows your fears
Who really cares
My mother

Say Alhamdulillah
Thank you Allah
Thank you Allah for my mother


Notice the repetition of "your mother" in the song. That's because in Islam, the position of the mother in the eyes of her sons and daughters should be three times higher than that of the father. In a famous incident, a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked to whom should he show kindness. The Prophet replied your mother and he repeated this another two times before saying your father.