An Important Lesson
Abu Abdur Rahman Hubli narrates that they were travelling by sea and Abdullah bin Qais Fazari was appointed as their Amir and Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) was also with them. When Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) walked past the individual who was responsible for distributing the spoils of battle and was overseeing the prisoners, he noticed that a woman was crying. Upon enquiring what had happened to her, he was informed by the people that she and her son had been separated. The narrator of the tradition states that Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) took hold of the child’s hand and placed it in the hand of his mother. Subsequently, the individual who was appointed to distribute the spoils of battle went to Abdullah bin Qais and informed him of what had just happened. Abdullah bin Qais called for Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) and asked why he acted in this manner. Hazrat Abu Ayub Ansari (ra) replied, “I heard the Messenger (sa) of Allah say, ‘Allah the Almighty will cause such a person who causes a mother and son to be distanced from one another, to be distanced from his loved ones on the Day of Judgment.’”
(Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Vol. 7, Musnad Abu Ayub Ansari, Hadith 23985 [Beirut, Lebanon: ‘Alam al-Kutub, 1998], 64.)
Hence, there is an important lesson for those people who separate children from their mothers. Islam shows great compassion in such matters; however, those who level allegations against Islam ought to look at their own actions.