TEHRAN – As the greatest job throughout history is the breeding of human beings, therefore, the position of mothers in the family is so important that it can be considered the basis for the formation of a better society.

After the formation of a family and the birth of a child, the family is considered a social entity, which may be smaller than other entities, but it is more important for a child because the child grows in the family. The family is one of the main factors in the transmission of culture, thought, ethics, traditions, and emotions from one generation to another. 

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei in one of his speeches considered family an essential pillar of society, saying, “From an Islamic point of view, family is an essential pillar of society. It is not possible to achieve progress in society in the absence of families. Healthy and dynamic families cannot be formed and preserved in the absence of pious and understanding women.” (January 4, 2012)

Among the family members, mothers have the most influence on children. Mother has a direct impact on all aspects of the personal and social life of other members. Kids and teenagers spend most of their time with their families and model many behaviors in the family from their parents, especially their mothers. Therefore, the role of the family in the formation of social and anti-social behaviors in children is obvious.

“It is only the delicate and gentle fingers of the mother which can separate the extremely thin nerve fibers of a child's nervous system from one another so that he will not have any emotional complexes or problems. Nobody else can do this. That is to say, nobody else except for a woman can do this. This is a feminine task. A number of tasks require such delicacy that one wonders how the divine will has bestowed such a great capability and such delicacy on women,” Ayatollah Khamenei said. (May 11, 2013)

Mothers can not only psychologically instill security and peace in their children, but they can also prepare them to live in society and accept its responsibilities.

The position of mothers in the family is so important that it can be the basis for the formation of a better society. 

In Ayatollah Khamenei's point of view, the pivotal role of women in the family, which focuses on the "upbringing and education of human beings" and the growth and prosperity of the human race, is an irreplaceable role that no one but a woman can do. Therefore, homemaking is "a sensitive job that builds the future” and nothing is as important as a mother's work.

Mothering has always been one of the key roles of women in Iranian society. However, in contemporary times, regarding changing attitudes and increasing social opportunities for women such as education and employment, motherhood has been affected by some factors. 

In the past, when some mothers gave birth to their children, they devoted all their time and life to taking care of them and upbringing them. But nowadays the number of women who are working outside the home is increasing. Therefore, when women become mothers, naturally they face the question of whether to continue their work outside the home, work remotely or stay at home.

The Leader of the Islamic Revolution in this regard said that women can work outside the home environment as long as their work does not affect their responsibility as mothers and wives and as long as Islamic rules are observed in their relationship with men. (January 4, 2012)

No woman has been far from her sense of duty at home despite all her possible responsibilities in society. Therefore, a woman should be able to establish a balance between her job and the heavy responsibility of home and family, otherwise, her little presence at home will lead to problems.

Whether the mother is working or not, what is more important than the quantity of her presence with the child is the quality of her presence.

Speaking about the main duty of women in raising children and the future generation of the country, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini [Founder of the Islamic Republic] said that the mother has the greatest responsibility and the noblest job in the world to raise a child.

Therefore, the greatest job throughout history is the breeding of human beings, and this is the responsibility of the mothers of society. 

“[A Muslim woman should] raise mentally healthy children in her loving, compassionate embrace and with her kind, thoughtful words. They should become people without complexes, people who are good-natured and mentally and emotionally healthy, and people who will become men, women, and members of society. A mother is more productive and valuable than any producer. For example, the greatest scientists may develop a very sophisticated electronic device, make intercontinental ballistic missiles, and invent devices for traveling in space, but none of them are more important than the person who builds a noble human being. And the person who does this is a mother,” said the Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Dec. 16, 1992]