A Content Analysis of the Well-Known Phrase “Paradise Lies beneath the Feet of Mothers” (al-jannatu taḥta aqdām al-ummuhāt)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Islamic Studies - Faculty of Theology - Yazd University - Yazd - Iran

2 Associate professor, Faculty of Theology , Department of Qur’an and Hadith Sciences, Yazd University, yazd, Iran ,

10.22059/jqst.2025.402140.670528

Abstract

The dignity and elevated status of mothers is an undisputed truth widely emphasized in the Qur’an and Hadith. The attribution of the phrase “الْجَنَّةُ تَحْتَ أَقْدَامِ الْأُمَّهَات” (al-jannatu taḥta aqdām al-ummuhāt, “Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers”) to the Prophet Muḥammad (PBUH) is highly prevalent, although some hadith scholars consider its chain of transmission weak and unreliable. Nevertheless, given the widespread circulation of this saying among the general public and even within scholarly circles of both Shi‘ite and Sunni traditions—and considering the jurisprudential principle that fame (shuhra) may compensate for a weak chain—it becomes essential to focus on the content and meaning of this well-known phrase. Using a descriptive-analytical approach grounded in the methodology of fiqh al-ḥadīth (jurisprudence of hadith), this study seeks to provide a correct reading and understanding of the narration by examining interpretive possibilities through the analysis of parallel traditions, lexical features, and the discursive context of the hadith. The research ultimately addresses the question of how far this popular narration can be deemed reliable. The findings suggest that, through comparison with similar narrations and interpretive readings, four main understandings of the phrase emerge. Among them, the interpretation that “attaining Paradise depends upon the conduct of mothers” appears to be the most precise and contextually grounded reading.

Keywords

Quranic Sciences and Tradition

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 December 2025

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