Mother

Narrated by the grandfather of Bahz ibn Hakim; the same incident has also been reported by Abu Huraira: I asked, "Messenger of Allah, to whom should I be dutiful?" He replied, "your mother." I asked, "then whom?" He replied, "your mother." I asked, "then whom?" He replied, "your mother." I asked, "then to whom should I .. be dutiful?" He replied, "your father; and then the next closest relative and then the next."

" M " is for the million things she gave me,
" O " means only that she's growing old,
" T " is for the tears she shed to save me,
" H " is for her heart of purest gold;
" E " is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
" R " means right, and right she'll always be,

- Put them all together, they spell
" MOTHER, "

A Word That Means the World to Me
- Howard Johnson (c. 1915) 
pic courtesy from Flickr