of being free from difficulties and worries. Here are some faith-inspiring incidents regarding the prayers of a mother.

The effect of a mother’s prayer

Sayyidunā Abdul Raḥmān bin Aḥmad رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه mentions that he heard his father say that an old woman went to Sayyidunā ibn Makhlad رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and say:

The Romans have imprisoned my young son. I have a small house and no wealth other than this, so I cannot sell it. Therefore, can you tell someone to pay the ransom and free my son. I no longer feel peace during the day, nor can I sleep at night.

Sayyidunā ibn Makhlad comforted her and said, “Dear lady, go! I will try to solve your issue.”

The narrator said that when the old woman left, he lowered his head, sat down and began to whisper some words. After some time, the old woman returned along with her son. She said: “اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه  My son has returned safely, and he wishes to explain his journey.”

Thus, the son came closer and said:

I was with a group of prisoners in the Roman king’s prison. The king owned many great gardens. He would send us to work in these gardens, and we returned to the prison camp in the evening. After returning from work one day, the shackles on my feet suddenly broke off.

[The narrator explains:] The day the shackles broke off was the same day the old lady went to Sayyidunā ibn Makhlad رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and asked him to supplicate for her son.

The guards asked me [i.e. the son of the old lady], “Did you break the shackles?”