Dear Iya Bode,
When I think about you, I don’t simply think about a mother. I think about a woman whose life has been marked by strength, sacrifice, resilience, and love.
You became a widow while your children were still young. At a time when life could have broken you, you had to find the strength to keep going. You had seven children depending on you, and somehow, you became both the mother we needed and the strength our family depended upon.
You became the breadwinner.
You carried responsibilities that were not easy to carry.
You had your own pain, yet you still had to show up for us.
You had your own fears, yet you still had to reassure us.
You had your own needs, yet somehow, our needs still came first.
Perhaps as children, we did not understand the magnitude of what you were doing. Perhaps we saw only a mother doing what mothers do.
But now, as an adult and a mother myself, I understand much more.
It was not easy.
It takes an extraordinary woman to keep a family standing when life has taken something precious away.
And Mama, you did.
You kept going.
You sacrificed.
You endured.
You provided.
You prayed.
And you raised us.
There are sacrifices mothers make that their children may never fully understand until many years later. There are nights, worries, disappointments, and tears that children never see. There are dreams a mother quietly puts aside because her children need her more.
Today, I want you to know something:
We saw more than you may think.
And with the wisdom that comes with time, we understand even more.
Your life is written into ours.
Every one of your children carries a piece of your story. Every family you see today, every child and grandchild who calls you Mama or Grandma, is part of the legacy of the woman who refused to give up.
So, Mama, I don’t want you to look at your life and count only the years.
Look at what those years produced.
Look at the lives you touched.
Look at the children you raised.
Look at the family that came from you.
Look at the lessons that remain because you lived them before us.
Look at the strength you passed down without even realizing it.
Your life is a testimony.
A testimony of perseverance.
A testimony of sacrifice.
A testimony of a mother’s love.
And I pray that Allah allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor while you are still with us.
May you have many more mornings where you wake up with peace in your heart. More days surrounded by people who love you. More laughter with your children and grandchildren. More moments where you can sit back, smile, and say,
“Alhamdulillah.”
Mama, if I could give you one gift, I would give you the opportunity to see yourself through the eyes of your children.
Perhaps then you would see what we see.
A woman who endured.
A woman who sacrificed.
A woman who loved.
A woman who carried more than people knew.
A woman who kept going when life gave her every reason to stop.
A woman whose strength became part of ours.
And for all of that, I say:
Alhamdulillah for you, Mama.
I ask Allah to reward you for every sacrifice that went unseen, every tear that was shed in private, every hardship you endured, every meal you provided, every prayer you made, and every act of love you gave to your children.
May Allah forgive your shortcomings, accept your good deeds, increase you in īmān, grant you comfort and good health, and surround you with genuine love.
May He bless the years ahead with peace, dignity, happiness, and beautiful memories.
And when the time comes for us all to return to Him, may Allah make your return beautiful. May He meet you with His mercy, forgive you completely, make your grave spacious and filled with light, and grant you Jannatul-Firdaus without punishment.
But Mama, not yet.
We still want you here.
There are still stories we want to hear.
There are still memories we want to make.
There are still prayers we want you to make for us.
There are still moments we want to share.
And there is still so much love we want to give you.
Your children may never be able to repay you for everything you have done.
But we can pray.
And we will.
May Allah make every good thing that comes from your children and grandchildren a ṣadaqah jāriyah for you.
May every righteous child, every act of goodness, every prayer, and every beautiful legacy you leave behind continue to speak for you long after we are gone.
Mama, you have spent much of your life giving to others. May Allah make this season of your life a season where you are surrounded, cherished, cared for, and reminded every day of just how deeply you are loved.
We love you, Mama.
We honor you.
We appreciate you.
And we thank Allah for the blessing of having you in our lives.
Alhamdulillah for you.
May Allah preserve you, honor you, forgive you, reward you, and grant you the highest place in Jannah.
Āmīn yā Rabbal-ʿĀlamīn.
With all my love,
Your daughter
Umm Sumayyah Mai
