I was a very obedient child towards my mother. However, when I accepted Islam, she addressed me saying, “O Sa’d! What is this new religion which you have innovated? I command you to forsake this religion or else I will never speak to you nor will I eat or drink anything until I eventually die. Then you will have to bear the blame of my death as people will call you ‘the person who killed his own mother’.” I replied, “O my mother! Do not conduct in this way because I am not prepared to leave this religion of mine for anything in the world!”

My mother then remained hungry for three days and nights until she became extremely weak. When I saw her in this condition, I said to her, “O my mother! I wish to inform you that, by Allah, if you had a hundred lives and you were to lose them all, one by one, on account of trying to persuade me to forsake Islam, I would never leave my religion. Therefore, if you wish, you may eat and if you wish, you may remain hungry.” When the mother of Hazrat Sa’d (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) saw his unflinching determination and devotion to Islam, she realized that he would never renounce Islam for anything and thus she broke her oath and began to eat. (Siyar A’laam min Nubalaa vol.3 pg. 69, Saheeh Muslim #1748)