إجازة الأستاذ أحمد لبن مدير المنتدى بقراءة الإمام عاصم الكوفي

Chapter 1: The Muslim Woman and Her Rabb
The Believing Woman is Alert
One of the most prominent distinguishing features of the Muslim woman is her deep faith in Allaah, and her sincere conviction that whatever happens in this universe, and whatever fate befalls human beings, only happens through the will and decree of Allaah; whatever befalls a person could not have been avoided, and whatever does not happen to a person could not have been made to happen.

A person has no choice in this life but to strive towards the right path and to do good deeds - acts of worship and other acts - by whatever means one can, putting all his trust in Allaah, submitting to His will, and believing that he is always in need of Allaah's help and support.

The story of Hajar offers the Muslim woman the most marvellous example of deep faith in Allaah and sincere trust in Him. Ibrahim, may Allaah exalt his mention, left her at the Ka`bah in Makkah, above the well of Zamzam, at a time when there were no people and no water in the place. Hajar had no-one with her except her infant son Isma`il. She asked Ibraaheem, calmly and with no trace of panic: "Has Allaah commanded you to do this, O Ibrahim?" Ibraaheem, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Yes." Her response reflected her acceptance and optimism: "Then He is not going to abandon us."

Reported by Bukhaari in Kitaab al-Anbiya1 Here was an extremely difficult situation: a man left his wife and infant son in a barren land, where there were no plants, no water, and no people, and went back to the distant land of Palestine. He left nothing with her but a sack of dates and a skin filled with water. Were it not for the deep faith and trust in Allaah that filled Hajar's heart, she would not have been able to cope with such a difficult situation; she would have collapsed straight away, and would not have become the woman whose name is forever remembered night and day by those who perform Hajj and `Umrah at the house of Allaah , every time they drink the pure water of Zamzam, and run between the mounts of Safa' and Marwah, as Hajar did on that most trying day.

This deep faith and awareness had an amazing effect on the lives of Muslim men and women: it awoke their consciences and reminded them that Allaah witnesses and knows every secret, and that He is with a person wherever he may be.

Nothing gives a clearer idea of that consciousness and fear of Allaah at all times than the story of the young Muslim girl related in Sifat al-Safwah and Wafiyat al-A'yan and cited by Ibn al-Jawzi in Ahkam al-Nisa' (pp. 441, 442): "Narrated `Abdullaah ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: `When I was accompanying `Umar ibn al-Khattaab on his patrol of Madeenah at night, he felt tired, so he leant against a wall. It was the middle of the night, and (we heard) a woman say to her daughter, "O my daughter, get up and mix that milk with some water." The girl said, "O Mother, did you not hear the decree of Amir al-Mu'minin (chief of the believers) today?" The mother said, "What was that?" The girl said, "He ordered someone to announce in a loud voice that milk should not be mixed with water."

The mother said, "Get up and mix the milk with water; you are in a place where `Umar cannot see you." The girl told her mother, "I cannot obey Him (Allaah) in public and disobey him in private." `Umar heard this, and told me: "O Aslam, go to that place and see who that girl is, and to whom she was speaking, and whether she has a husband." So I went to that place, and I saw that she was unmarried, the other woman was her mother, and neither of them had a husband. I came to `Umar and told him what I had found out. He called his sons together, and said to them: "Do any of you need a wife, so I can arrange the marriage for you? If I had the desire to get married, I would have been the first one to marry this young woman." `Abdullaah said: "I have a wife." `Abd al-Rahmaan said: "I have a wife." `Asim said: "I do not have a wife, so let me marry her." So `Umar arranged for her to be married to `Asim. She gave him a daughter, who grew up to be the mother of `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Azeez.'"

This is the deep sense of awareness that Islam had implanted in the heart of this young woman. She was righteous and upright in all her deeds, both in public and in private, because she believed that Allaah was with her at all times and saw and heard everything. This is true faith, and these are the effects of that faith, which raised her to the level of Ihsaan.

One of the immediate rewards with which Allaah honoured her was this blessed marriage, one of whose descendants was the fifth rightly-guided Khalifah, `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Azeez, may Allaah be pleased with him. The Aqeedah (faith) of the true Muslim woman is pure and clear, uncontaminated by any stain of ignorance, illusion or superstition. This Aqeeda is based on faith in Allaah, the One, the Most High, the Eternal, Who is able to do all things, Who is in control of the entire universe, and to Whom all things must return: “Say: `Who is it in Whose hands is the governance of all things - Who protects [all], but is not protected [by any]? [Say] if you know.' They will say, `[It belongs] to Allaah,' Say: `Then how are you deluded?'” [Quran 23:88-89]

This is the pure, deep faith which increases the character of the Muslim woman in strength, understanding and maturity, so that she sees life as it really is, which is a place of testing whose results will be seen on the Day which will undoubtedly come:
“Say: `It is Allaah Who gives you life, then gives you death; then He will gather you together for the Day of Judgement about which there is no doubt': but most men do not understand.” [Quran 45:26]

“Did you then think that We had created you in jest, and that you would not be brought back to Us [for account]” [Quran 23:115]

“Blessed is He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things has Power – He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.” [Quran 67:1-2]

On that Day, man will be brought to account for his deeds. If they are good, it will be good for him, and if they are bad, it will be bad for him. There will not be the slightest injustice:
“That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day, for Allaah is Swift in taking account.” [Quran 40:17]

The Balance (in which man's deeds will be weighed) will measure everything with the utmost precision, either in a person's favour or against him:
“Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.” [Quran 99:7-8]

Nothing could be hidden from the Lord of Glory on that Day, not even if it were as insignificant as a grain of mustard seed:
“We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgement, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be [no more than] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it [to account]: and enough are We to take account.” [Quran 21:47]

No doubt the true Muslim woman, when she ponders the meaning of these ayat, would think about that crucial Day and would turn to her Lord in obedience, repentance and gratitude, seeking to do as many righteous deeds as she is able, in preparation for the Hereafter. She Worships Allaah It is no surprise that the true Muslim woman enthusiastically worships her Lord, because she knows that she is obliged to observe all the commandments that Allaah has enjoined upon every Muslim, male or female. So she carries out her Islamic duties properly, without making excuses or compromises, or being negligent.

She Regularly Prays Five Times a Day
She offers each of the five daily prayers at its appointed time, and does not let domestic chores or her duties as a wife and mother prevent her from doing so.

Prayer is the pillar of the – whoever establishes prayer establishes faith, and whoever neglects prayer destroys the faith.2 Prayer is the best and most noble of deeds, as the Prophet, Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, explained in the Hadeeth narrated by `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ud, may Allaah be pleased with him: "I asked the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,: `What deed is most beloved by Allaah?' He said, `To offer each prayer as soon as it is due.' I asked him, `Then what?' He said, `Treating one's parents with mercy and respect.' I asked him, `Then what?' He said, `Jihad (fighting) for the sake of Allaah.'"3

Prayer is the link between the servant and his (Rabb). It is the rich source from which a person derives strength, steadfastness, mercy and contentment, and it is a means of cleansing the stain of his or her sins: Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah, Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, say: `What would you think if there were a river running by the door of any of you, and he bathed in it five times every day, would any trace of dirt be left on him?' The people said: `There would be no trace of dirt on him.'

He said: `This is like the five daily prayers, through which Allaah erases sins.'"4 (Sharh al- Sunnah 2/175).

Jabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: `The five daily prayers are like a deep river flowing by the door of any of you, in which he bathes five times every day.'"5

Prayer is a mercy, which Allaah has bestowed upon His slaves; they seek its shade five times a day and praise their Rabb (Lord), glorifying Him, asking for His help and seeking His mercy, guidance and forgiveness. Thus prayer becomes a means of purification for those who pray, men and women alike, cleansing them from their sins. `Uthmaan ibn `Affan, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, say: `There is no Muslim person who, when the time for prayer comes, performs Wudu' properly, concentrates on his prayer and bows correctly, but the prayer will be an expiation for the sins committed prior to it, so long as no major sin has been committed. This is the case until the end of time.'"6 [Saheeh Muslim 3/112]

There are very many Hadeeth which speak of the importance of Salah and the blessings it brings to the men and women who pray, and the rich harvest of benefits that they may reap thereby, every time they stand before Allaah in an attitude of humility and repentance.

She May Attend the Jama`ah (Congregational) Prayer in the Mosque
Islam has excused women from the obligation to attend the Jama`ah prayer in the mosque, but at the same time, they are permitted to go out of the house to attend Jama`ah on condition that they dress up well enough not to cause any temptation. Indeed, the first Muslim women did go out and pray in the mosque behind the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allaah, Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to pray Fajr, and the believing women would pray with him, wrapped up in their outer garments; then they would go back to their homes, and nobody would recognize them."7 And: "The believing women used to attend Fajr prayer with the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, wrapped up in their outer garments. Then they would go back to their homes after they had finished praying, and no one would recognize them because of the darkness."8

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to shorten his prayer if he heard a child crying, because he understood the concern the child's mother would be feeling. In a Hadeeth whose authenticity is agreed upon he , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "I begin the prayer, intending to make it lengthy, but then I hear a child crying, so I shorten my prayer because I know the stress facing the mother because of his crying."9

Allaah showed great mercy to women by sparing them the obligation to offer the five compulsory prayers in congregation in the mosque. If He had made this obligatory, it would have placed an intolerable burden on women, and they would not have been able to fulfil it, just as we see many men failing to pray regularly in the mosque and finding themselves with no other choice but to pray wherever they are, in the workplace or in the home. The woman's heavy burden of household chores and attending to the needs of her husband and children do not permit her to leave the house five times a day; it would be impossible for her to do so. Thus the wisdom behind the limiting of compulsory attendance at the mosque to men only becomes quite clear.

Her prayer at home is described as being better for her than her prayer in the mosque, but Allaah gives her the freedom of choice: she may pray at home if she wishes, or she may go out to pray in the mosque. If she asks her husband for permission to go out to the mosque, he is not allowed to stop her, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, stated in a number of Hadeeth, for example: "Do not stop your women from going to the mosque, although their houses are better for them."10 "If the wife of any of you asks for permission to go to the mosque, do not stop her."11

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The men heeded the command of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and allowed their women to go to the mosque even if this was against their own wishes. There is no clearer indication of this than the Hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Umar, in which he said: "One of `Umar's wives used to pray Fajr and `Isha' in congregation in the mosque. She was asked, `Why do you go out (to the mosque) when you know that `Umar dislikes this and is a jealous man?' She said, `What is stopping him from forbidding me (to do so)?' He said, `The words of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam: "Do not prevent the female servants of Allaah from attending the mosques of Allaah."'"12

In accordance with the Prophet's teaching which allowed women to attend the mosque, and forbade men to stop them from doing so, the mosques were full of women coming and going, both at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and whenever it was possible in the following periods. Women would come to pray, attend lectures and classes, and take part in the public life of Islam. This was the case from the time congregational prayer was prescribed for the Muslims. The Muslims used to pray in the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), before the Qiblah was changed to the Holy Ka`bah. When the command of Allaah to take the Ka`bah as their Qiblah was revealed, the men and women who were praying were facing towards Palestine, so they turned to face the direction of the Ka`bah, which meant that the men and women had to change places.13

The mosque was, and still is, the centre of light and guidance for Muslim men and women; in its pure environment acts of worship are performed and from its Minbar messages of truth and guidance are transmitted. From the dawn of Islam, the Muslim woman has had her role to play in the mosque.

There are many Sahih reports, which confirm the woman's presence and role in the mosque. They describe how women attended Salat al-Jumu`ah, the eclipse prayer, and the `Eed prayers, responding to the call of the muezzin to join the prayer. A report in Sahih Muslim tells us that Umm Hisham bint Harithah ibn al-Nu`man said: "I never learned `Qaf. Wa'l-Quran al-majid . . .', except from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, himself. He used to recite it from the minbar every Friday, when he addressed the people."14

Imam Muslim also narrates that the sister of `Amrah bint `Abd al-Rahman said: "I learned `Qaf. Wa'l-Quran al-majid . . .' from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, himself on Fridays, when he used to recite it from the minbar every Friday."15

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, taught the Muslims to prepare themselves and present a neat and clean appearance at Jumu`ah prayers by encouraging both men and women to take a shower (Ghusl): "Whoever comes to Jumu`ah, man or woman, should take a shower first."16

Hadeeth reports also tell us that Asma' bint Abi Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with her, attended the eclipse prayer (Salat al-kusuf) with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. She could not hear the Prophet's words clearly, so she asked a man who was nearby what he was saying. This Hadeeth is reported by Bukhaari from As' herself: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, stood up to address us (after the eclipse prayer), and spoke about the testing that a person will undergo in the grave. When he mentioned that, the Muslims panicked somewhat, and this prevented me from hearing the latter part of the Prophet's speech. When the hubbub died down, I asked a man who was nearby, may Allaah bless you, what did the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, say at the end of his speech?' He said, `"It has been revealed to me that you will be tested in the grave with something similar in severity to the test (Fitnah) of the Dajjal . . ."'17

Bukhaari and Muslim also narrate another report from Asma', in which she says: "There was a solar eclipse at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, . . . I finished what I was doing, then I came to the mosque. I saw the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, standing (in prayer), so I joined him. He stood for so long that I felt I needed to sit down, but I noticed a woman who looked weak and tired and said to myself: This woman is weaker than I, so I must continue to stand. Then he bowed, and remained in that position for a long time; then he raised his head and stood for such a long time that anyone who came in at this point would think that he had not yet bowed in Ruku`. He completed the prayer when the eclipse was over, then he addressed the people, praising and glorifying Allaah, and saying `Amma ba`d.'"18

During that golden era, the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, the Muslim woman knew about her religion and was keen to understand the events and affairs that concerned the Muslims in this world and the next. When she heard the call to prayer, she would rush to the mosque to hear the words of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, from the Minbar, guiding and teaching the people. Fatimah bint Qays, one of the earliest migrant women (Muhajirat), said: "The people were called to prayer, so I rushed with the others to the mosque, and prayed with the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. I was in the first row of women, which was just behind the last row of men."19

It is clear, from the Sahih reports quoted above, that Muslim women attended the mosque on various occasions and that this attendance was an approved custom at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Once, a woman was attacked on her way to the mosque, but this incident did not make the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, have any reservations about allowing women to go out to the mosque. He still allowed them to do so, and forbade men to prevent them, because there was so much benefit - spiritual, mental and otherwise - for them in attending the mosque from time to time.

Wa'il al-Kindi reported that a woman was assaulted by a man in the darkness of the early morning, whilst she was on her way to the mosque. She shouted to a passer-by for help, then a large group of people came by, and she called to them for help. They seized the man to whom she had first called for help, and her attacker ran away. They brought the (innocent) man to her, and he said, "I am the one who answered your call for help; the other man got away."

They brought him to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and told him that this man had assaulted the woman, and they had seized him whilst he was running away. The man said, "I was the one who answered her call for help against her attacker, but these people seized me and brought me here." The woman said, "He is lying; he is the one who attacked me." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Take him away and stone him."

Then a man stood up and said, "Do not stone him, stone me, for I am the one who did it." Now the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had three people before him: the one who had assaulted the woman, the one who had answered her cries for help and the woman herself. He told the attacker, "As for you, Allaah has forgiven you," and he spoke kind words to the one who had helped the woman. `Umar said, "Stone the one who has admitted to the crime of adultery." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "No, for he has repented to Allaah" – I think he said, "with an act of repentance so great that if the people of Madeenah were to repent in this way, it would be accepted from them."20

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, appreciated the circumstances of the women who attended the congregational prayers, so he used to be kind to them and would shorten the prayer if he heard a child crying, so that the mother would not become distressed - as we have seen in the Hadeeth quoted above (see p. 9). Once he delayed the `Isha' prayer, and `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, called him saying: "The woman and children have gone to sleep." The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, came out and said, "No one on earth is waiting for this prayer except you."21

Many Sahih reports describe how the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to organize women's attendance at congregational prayers, for example, the Hadeeth reported by Muslim: "The best rows for men are those at the front, and the worst are those at the back; the best rows for women are those at the back, and the worst are those at the front."22

Another Hadeeth, reported by Al-Bukhaari, deals with giving the women room to leave the mosque before the men, after the prayer is over. Hind bint al-Haarith said that Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, told her that at the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, when the obligatory prayer was over, the women would get up to leave, and the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and the men who were with him would wait as long as Allaah willed. When the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, got up to leave, then the men would get up.23

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim also report a Hadeeth concerning how women should draw the imam's attention to something during the prayer by clapping. Sahl ibn Sa'd al-Sa'idi said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, `Why do I see you clapping so much? Whoever notices any error in my prayer should say "Subhan Allaah," for by doing so he will alert me to the error. Clapping is only for women.'"24 The number of women who attended the mosque increased daily until - at the time of the Abbasids - they filled the courtyard of the mosque, and men would have no choice but to pray behind them.

This was the verdict (Fatwa) of Imam Maalik, as recorded in al-Mudawwanah al-Kubra: Ibn al-Passim said, `I asked Maalik about people who come to the mosque and find the courtyard (of the mosque) filled with women, and the mosque itself filled with men: may those men pray with the imam behind the women?" Maalik said: "Their prayer is valid; they do not have to repeat it."25

But women's going out to the mosque should not be a cause of Fitnah, and women should behave in accordance with Islamic teachings of purity of thought and behaviour. If for any reason there is the fear of Fitnah associated with women's going out to the mosque, then it is better for women to pray at home, and they should do so. This is what is indicated by the Hadeeth of Ibn `Umar, quoted above, in which the prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Do not stop your women from going to the mosque, although their houses are better for them." (See p. 10)

It appears that some men feared the possibility of Fitnah, and took this as an excuse to forbid their women to go to the mosque. This is why the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, forbade men to prevent women from attending the mosque from time to time. This is what is indicated in the first part of the Hadeeth quoted above.

Other Hadeeth confirm the Prophet's keenness for women to attend gatherings in the mosque, for example, the report of Mujahid ibn `Umar: "The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: `Do not prevent the women from going to the mosque at night' One of the sons of `Abdullaah ibn `Umar said, `We will not let them go out because it will give rise to deviation and suspicion.' Ibn `Umar rebuked him and said, `I tell you that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said such-and-such and you say, "No, we will not let them"!'"26

Bilaal ibn `Abdullaah ibn `Umar reported from his father that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Do not deny the women their share of the mosque, if they ask your permission." Bilaal said, "By Allaah, we will most certainly prevent them (from going to the mosque)!" `Abdullaah (his father) said to him: "I tell you that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said such-and-such, and you say `We will most certainly prevent them'!"27

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Do not prevent your women from attending the mosque if they seek your permission to do so."28 "Do not prevent the female servants of Allaah from attending the mosques of Allaah."29 "If your womenfolk seek your permission to go to the mosque, then let them do so."30 It is permissible for Muslim women to attend the gatherings of the Muslims in the mosque, and there is much to be gained from them doing so, but certain conditions apply to this permission, the most important of which is that the woman who goes to the mosque should not wear perfume or make-up.

Zaynab al-Thaqafiyyah reported that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "If any of you (women) wishes to attend `Isha' prayer, she should not wear perfume that night."31 Numerous other Hadeeth also forbid women to wear perfume when they go to the mosque, for example: "If any of you (women) goes to the mosque, she should not wear perfume."32 "Any women who has perfumed herself with incense should not attend `Isha' prayers with us."33

She Attends `Eed Prayers
Islam has honoured woman and made her equal with man as regards obligatory acts of worship. Women are also encouraged to attend public gatherings on `Eed Al-Fitr and `Eed Al-Adhaa, so that they may take part in these blessed occasions.

This is demonstrated in a number of Hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim, in which we see that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, commanded that all the women should come out on these occasions, including adolescent and prepubescent girls, those who usually remained in seclusion, and virgins; he even commanded that menstruating women should come out, to take part in the joyous occasion, but they were to keep away from the prayer-place itself. His concern that all women should attend the prayer on the two `Eeds was so great that he ordered the one who had more than one Jilbaab (outer garment) to give one to her sister who had none. In this way he encouraged both the attendance of all women at `Eed prayers and mutual support and help to do good and righteous deeds. Umm `Atiyyah said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to bring out to the `Eed prayers the adolescent and prepubescent girls, those who usually remained in seclusion, and virgins, and he ordered those who were menstruating to keep away from the prayer-place."34 "We (women) used to be commanded to go out on the two `Eeds, including those who usually stayed in seclusion, and virgins.

The menstruating women went out too, and stayed behind the people, joining in the takbirat."35 "The Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to take them out on `Eed al-Fitr and `Eed al-Adhaa, the adolescent and prepubescent girls, the menstruating women, and those who usually remained in seclusion, so that they could share in the festive occasions of the Muslims, but the menstruating women were not to pray. I said, `O Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, one of us does not have a Jilbab.' He said, `Let her sister dress her in one of her own jilbabs.'"36 Al-Bukhaari reports: "Muhammad ibn Sallam told us that `Abd al-Wahhab reported from Ayyub from Hafsah bint Sirin, who said: `We used to prevent our prepubescent girls from going out on the two `Eeds'".

A woman came and stayed at the castle of Banu Khalaf, and reported something from her sister. Her sister's husband had taken part in twelve military campaigns with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and her sister herself had accompanied him on six of them. She said: "We used to take care of the sick and wounded." Her sister asked the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam: "Is there anything wrong if one of us does not have a Jilbaab and never goes out for that reason?" He said: "Let her friend give her one of her Jilbaabs, so that she can come out and join the righteous gatherings of the Muslims."'

Hafsah said: `When Umm `Atiyyah arrived, I went to her and asked her, "Did you hear the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, say that?" She said, "May my father be sacrificed for him, yes I did. [She never mentioned him without saying "may my father be sacrificed for him"]. I heard him say, `Let the young girls who usually stay in seclusion, or the young girls and those who usually stay in seclusion, and the menstruating women, go out and attend the righteous gathering of the believers, but let the menstruating women keep away from the prayer-place itself.'"' Hafsah said: `I asked her, "Even the menstruating women?" She said, "Yes, are menstruating women not present at `Arafah and on other occasions?"'"37

Al-Bukhaari also narrates another report from Umm `Atiyyah, in which she says: "We used to be commanded to go out on the day of ‘Eed, and we even brought the virgins out of their seclusion, and the menstruating women, who would stay behind the people, joining in their Takbiraat and Du`a's, hoping for the blessing and purity of that day."38

These Sahih Hadeeth give a clear indication of the Prophet's concern for the intellectual and spiritual benefit of women. He ordered all the women to go out to the `Eed prayer, including those who were menstruating, even though menstruating women are excused from praying and are not allowed to enter the prayer-place itself. But his call was addressed to all women, because of his concern that they should take part in these two blessed events and attend the righteous gathering of the Muslims, joining in the Takbiraat and Du`a's, and being a part of the public life of Islam which is discussed in the Khutbah following the `Eed prayer. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was concerned with the teaching and guidance of women, and wanted them to play a part in building the Muslim society, so he devoted part of his Khutbah to women.

He would come to the place where the women were gathered, and exhort and remind them, and he made doing this a duty of the imam. We find this in a Hadeeth narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Ibn Jurayj, who said:
"`Ata' told me: "I heard Jabir ibn `Abdullaah say: `The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, stood up on the occasion of Eed al-Fitr and led the people in prayer. He began the prayer before the Khutbah.

Then he addressed the people. When the Prophet of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had finished his Khutbah, he came to the women and spoke to them, whilst leaning on Bilaal's arm, and Bilaal spread out his cloak for the women to put their Sadaqah in it.'" I [Ibn Jurayj] said to `Ata', `Was it Zakaat al-Fitr?' He said, `No, it was the Sadaqah that they gave at that time; one woman threw her ring into it, then others followed her lead.' I said to `Ata', `Is it a duty nowadays for the imam to come to the women and address them when he has finished his Khutbah?' He said, `It most certainly is. This is a duty on them (imams); what is wrong with them that they do not do that nowadays?'"39

According to this Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, exhorted and reminded the women, and accepted the Sadaqah that they themselves willingly gave. Another Hadeeth, also narrated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Ibn `Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, via Ibn Tawus adds that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, also reminded the women of their Bay`ah (oath of allegiance) and reconfirmed their adherence to it. Ibn `Abbaas said: "I attended `Eed prayers with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and (after his death) with Abu Bakr, `Umar and `Uthmaan. All of them used to perform the prayer before the Khutbah. The prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, came down (from the Minbar) - and it is as if I can see him now, gesturing to them to sit down - then he would come through the crowd, until he reached the women.

Bilal was with him, and he recited:
“O Prophet! When believing women come to you to take the oath of fealty to you, that they will not associate anything whatever with Allaah . . .” [Quran 60:12], until the end of the Ayah.

Then he said, `Are you adhering to that?' Only one woman answered, `Yes, O Prophet of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,' and he did not know at that time who she was40. He said, `Then give Sadaqah,' and Bilaal spread out his cloak. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, `Come on, may my father and my mother be sacrificed for you!' So they began to throw their rings and jewellery onto Bilaal's cloak."41

There is no doubt that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, addressed the women in the `Eed prayer-place, reminding them about their religion, and that he took charity from them, reconfirmed their adherence to their oath of allegiance, enjoined them to remember the teachings of Islam, and motivated them to do good works. All of this was achieved by calling them to attend the congregational prayer on both `Eeds.

This is indicative of the importance of congregational prayer in the life of the Muslim individual and the Islamic society. Although Islam does not oblige women to attend congregational prayer in the mosque, whenever women gather together, they are encouraged to offer the Fard prayers in congregation. In this case, the one who is leading them in prayer should stand in the middle of the (first) row, not in front, and they do not have to recite the Adhaan or Iqaamah. This is what Umm Salamah, the wife of the prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to do when she led other women in prayer.42

She Prays Sunnah and Nafil Prayers
The Muslim women does not limit herself to the five daily obligatory prayers; she also prays those sunnah prayers which the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to perform regularly (al-Rawatib), and prays as many of the Nafil (supererogatory) prayers as her time and energy allow. These prayers include Salaat al-Duha, Sunnah prayers following Maghrib, and prayers offered at night.

Nafil prayers bring a person closer to Allaah, earn him or her the love and pleasure of Allaah, and make him or her one of the victorious, obedient and righteous ones. There is no clearer indication of the great status attained by the believer who draws closer to Allaah by performing Nafil deeds than the Hadeeth Qudsi: "My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I will love him. When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it."43

Because of Allaah's love for His servant, that person will be loved by the inhabitants of heaven and earth, as is described in a report narrated by Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, in which the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "When Allaah loves one of His servants, He calls Jibreel and tells him: `I love so-and-so, so love him.' Then Jibril will love him, and will proclaim to the inhabitants of heaven: `Allaah loves so-and-so, so love him.' So the inhabitants of heaven will love him too, and he will be well accepted by the inhabitants of the earth. If Allaah hates one of His servants, He calls Jibreel and tells him: `I hate so-and-so, so hate him.' Then Jibreel will hate him and will proclaim to the inhabitants of heaven: `Allaah hates so-and-so, so hate him.' Then the inhabitants of heaven will hate him and he will also be detested by the inhabitants of earth."44

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to pray so much at night that his feet would become swollen. `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, asked him: "Why do you do this, O Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, when has forgiven all your past and future sins?" He answered, "Should I not be a grateful servant?"45

The Prophet's wife Zaynab, may Allaah be pleased with her, used to perform Nafil prayers, and make them lengthy. She put up a rope between two columns (in the mosque), so that when she felt tired and exhausted she could lean against it and restore her energy. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, entered the mosque, saw the rope, and asked, "What is this?" The people told him, "It belongs to Zaynab: she prays, and when she feels tired, she leans against it." He said, "Untie it; let any of you pray as long as he has the energy to do so, and if he feels tired, he can sit down (or: let him sit down)."46

A woman of Banu Asad, whose name was Al-Hawla' bint Tuwayt, used to pray all night, and never sleep. One day she called on `Aa'ishah when the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was present. `Aa'ishah told him, "This is Al-Hawla' bint Tuwayt. They say that she never sleeps at night." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "She never sleeps at night! Do only as much as you can, for by Allaah, Allaah never gets tired, although you do."47

The Prophet encouraged Muslim men and women to do more Nafil deeds, but at the same time he told them to be balanced in their approach to worship, and disliked exaggeration therein.

He wanted the Muslims to have a balanced personality, so that their worship would be enthusiastic, but consistent, and would not be so burdensome that people would not be able to persist in it. He also taught that the most beloved deed in the sight of Allaah is that which is done continuously, even if it is a little, as is stated in the Hadeeth in which `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: ` The most beloved deed to Allaah is that which is continuous, even if it is little.'" If `Aa'ishah started to do something, she would adhere to it.48

This attitude of keeping up the habit of doing righteous deeds was not confined to `Aa'ishah alone; it was the attitude of all members of the Prophet's household, and of those who were nearest and dearest to him. We see this in the Hadeeth reported by Muslim from `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had a mat which he used for making a compartment at night in which he would pray, and the people began to pray with him; he used to spread the mat during the day time.

The people crowded around him one night. He then said, `O people, perform only such acts as you are capable of doing, for Allaah does not grow weary but you will get tired. The acts most pleasing to Allaah are those which are done continuously, even if they are small.' And it was the habit of the family of Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, that whenever they did any deed they did it continuously."49

She Performs Her Prayers Properly
The true Muslim tries hard to perform her prayers properly, with deep concentration and precision of physical movements. She thinks about the meaning of the ayat she is reciting, and the words of praise and glorification that she is uttering. Her soul is flooded with fear of Allaah, and with gratitude to Him and sincere worship of Him. If the Titan happens to whisper some idea to her during the prayer, to distract her from concentrating properly, to keep him away she focuses on the words that she is reciting from the Quran, and the words of praise that she is uttering. The Muslim woman does not rush back to her housework and chores when she has finished her prayer.

Rather, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to do, she asks Allaah's forgiveness by saying "Astaghfir-Allaah" three times, and repeats the Du`a': "Allaahumma anta al-salam wa minka alsalam, tabaraka ya dha'l-jalali wa'l-ikram (O Allaah You are Peace and from You comes peace, Blessed are You, O Lord of majesty and honour.)"50

Then she repeats the adhkar and du`a's that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, is known to have recited after completing his prayer. There are many such adhkar51, one of the most important of which is to repeat "Subhan Allaah" thirty-three times, "La ilaha ill-Allaah" thirty-three times, "Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam" thirty-three times, then to complete one hundred with "La illaha ill-Allaah wahdahu la shaika lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd, wa huwa `ala kulli shayin qadir."

According to a Sahih Hadeeth, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever glorifies Allaah (says Subhan Allaah) after every prayer thirty three times, praises Allaah (says al-Hamdu Lillah) thirty three times, and magnifies Allaah (says Sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) thirty-three times, which adds up to ninety-nine, then completes one hundred by saying La illaha ill-Allaah wahdahu la shaika lah, lahu'l-mulk wa lahu'l-hamd, wa huwa `ala kulli shayin qadir, his sins will be forgiven, even if they were like the foam of the sea."52

Then she turns to Allaah humbly asking Him to correct all her affairs, in this world and next, and to bless her abundantly and guide her in everything. Thus the Muslim woman finishes her prayers, purified in heart and mind and reinvigorated with a dose of spiritual energy, which will help her to cope with the burdens of everyday life, knowing that she is under the protection of Allaah. She will not panic if anything bad befalls her, nor will she become miserly if she enjoys good fortune.

This is the attitude of those righteous women who pray and fear Allaah:
“Truly man was created very impatient; Fretful when evil touches him; and niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to Prayer. Those who remain steadfast to their prayer; And those in whose wealth is a recognized right For the [needy] who asks and him who is prevented [for some reason from asking]” [Quran 70:19-25]

She Pays Zakaat on Her Wealth
The Muslim women pay Zakaat on her wealth, if she is wealthy enough to be liable for Zakaat. Every year at a specified time, she calculates how much she owns and pays what she has to, because Zakaat is a pillar of Islam, and there can be no compromise or excuse when it comes to paying it every year, even if the amount comes to thousands or millions. It would never occur to the true Muslim woman to try to avoid paying some of the Zakaat that she is obliged to pay.

Zakaat is a clearly-defined financial obligation and act of worship which Allaah has enjoined upon every Muslim, man or women, who owns the minimum amount (Nisaab) or more. Withholding Zakaat, or denying that it is obligatory, is tantamount to apostasy (Riddah) and Kufr, for which a person may be fought and even killed, until or unless he pays in full as required by Islam. The words of Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) concerning the apostates who withheld their Zakaat echo down the centuries to us: "By Allaah I will fight whoever separates Salat from Zakaat."53

These immortal words demonstrate the greatness of this religion, which made the connection between "religious" and "secular" affairs, and reveal Abu Bakr's deep understanding of the nature of this integrated, holistic way of life, which combines abstract beliefs with the practical application of their principles.

Many ayat of the Quran confirm the interdependence of Salat and Zakaat in the structure of faith:
“ . . .Those who establish regular prayer and regular charity . . .” [Quran5:55]

“And be steadfast in prayer: practise regular charity.” [Quran 2:43]

“. . . [those who] . . . establish prayers and regular charity” [Quran 2:277]

It is clear to the true Muslim woman that Islam - although it has given her the right to financial independence, and has not obliged her to support herself or others, which is, rather, the duty of men - has indeed enjoined Zakaat on her, and has made Zakaat a right to which the poor are entitled. So the Muslim woman would not hesitate to pay it in the ways prescribed by Shari`ah.

She cannot claim to be excused because she is a woman and no woman is obliged to spend on others. Any woman who makes such a claim has a poor understanding of Islam, her faith is weak and there is some fault in her personality. Or else she is a woman who appears to be religious, but she is ignorant and negligent, or is stingy and loves money, and it would never occur to her to pay Zakaat even though she fasts, prays and performs Hajj, and occasionally gives a small charitable donation from her great wealth. These types of women - ignorant or stingy - are nothing like the true Muslim woman as envisaged by Islam.

She Fasts During the Day and Prays at Night in Ramadhaan
The true Muslim woman fasts the month of Ramadhaan, and her soul is filled with faith that: "Whoever fasts Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."54

She has the attitude of one who truly fasts, whose faculties keep away from all kinds of sins that may invalidate the fast or diminish its reward. If she finds herself exposed to the trials of hostility or argument, she follows the Prophet's advice to men and women who fast: "When any of you is fasting, he should not utter foul words or raise his voice in anger. If then anyone provokes or fights him, he should say, `I am observing a fast.'"55 "Whoever does not give up false speech and evil actions, Allaah has no need of his giving up his food and drink."56

During Ramadan, the true Muslim woman feels that she is immersed in the atmosphere of a month unlike any other, when good deeds should be multiplied and the gates of goodness should be opened wide. She knows that her fasting during this month should be only for Allaah, and that He will give the reward for it, for the reward of Allaah, the Bountiful and Munificent, is greater and vaster than anyone could even imagine: "The reward for every good deed of the sons of Adam will be multiplied anywhere between ten and seven hundred times.

Allaah said: `Except for fasting, because it is for Me and I Myself will give recompense for it. He gives up his food and his passion for Me.' For the one who fasts, there are two times of rejoicing, one when he breaks the fast, and one when he meets his Lord. Verily the smell that comes from the mouth of one who is fasting is more pleasing to Allaah than the scent of musk."57

Therefore the wise Muslim woman must strike a balance, during this all-too-short blessed month, between her domestic duties and the opportunity this month brings to draw closer to Allaah through worship and good deeds. She should not let her household chores distract her from performing the obligatory prayers at the appointed times, or from reading Quran or praying Nafil prayers. Nor should she let traditional late-night family gatherings keep her from praying Qiyam allay and Tahujjud, and making Du`a'. She knows the great reward and abundant forgiveness that Allaah has prepared for those who stay up to pray during the night in Ramadan: "Whoever spends the night in prayer during Ramadan out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."58

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to strive to do more good deeds during Ramadan than at other times, especially during the last ten days of it: `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to strive during Ramadan, and especially the last ten days of it, more than he used to at other times."59 `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, also said: "When the last ten days of Ramadhaan began, the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, would sty up for the whole night, wake his family up, strive extra hard, and abstain from marital relations."60

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to command the Muslims to seek Laylat al-Qadr, and encouraged them to spend that night in prayer: "Seek Laylat al-Qadr during the last ten days of Ramadhaan."61

"Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer and worship out of faith and hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven."62 This blessed month is a time that is purely for worship. The serious-minded Muslim woman has no time to spend on chatting and idle pursuits throughout the night. She should not be among those who while away the night until dawn approaches, whereupon she offers her family something to eat and they fall into a deep sleep, and may even miss the Fajr prayer!

The true Muslim woman and her family should live an Islamic life during Ramadan, striving to organize themselves in such a way that when they all come back from Taraaweeh prayers, they do not stay up for too long, because in a few short hours' time, they will get up to pray Qiyam al-Layl and then eat Suhur, for the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to eat Suhur, as there is much benefit in it: "Eat Suhur, for in Suhur there is blessing."63

The true Muslim woman helps all the members of her family to get up for Suhur, in obedience to the command of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and in the hope of obtaining the blessings of Suhur, such as the reminder to pray Qiyam al-Layl, and encouragement to go out to the mosque to pray Fajr in congregation, a well as the physical benefits of strengthening the body for the day's fast. This is what the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to do and trained his Companions to do likewise: Zayd ibn Thaabit, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "We ate Suhur with the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, then we got up to pray." Someone asked, "How much time was there between the two?" He said: "Fifty Ayat [i.e. the time it would take to recite fifty Ayat]."64

There is no doubt that Allaah will increase the reward of the Muslim woman who is the means of bringing these blessings to her family during Ramadhaan: “As to those who believe and work righteousness, verily We shall not suffer to perish the reward of any who do a [single] righteous deed.” [Quran 18:30]

She Observes Nafil Fasts
The true Muslim woman also observes Nafil fasts at times other than Ramadan, if it is not too difficult for her to do so. So she fasts the day of `Arafat, and `Ashura', and the ninth day of Muharram, because fasting on these days and others is one of the righteous deeds that may expiate sins, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, told us: Abu Qutadah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was asked about fasting on the day of `Arafat, and he said: `It is an expiation for the sins of the previous year and the current year.'"65

Ibn `Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, fasted the day of `Ashura', and commanded others to fast on this day too.66 Abu Qataadah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was asked about fasting on the day of `Ashura', and he said: "It is an expiation for the sins of
the previous year."67

Ibn `Abbaas said:

"The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: `If I am still alive next year, I will fast on the ninth day (of Muharram).'"68

Fasting six days of Shawwal is also encouraged, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever fasted Ramadan then followed it with six days of Shawwal, it will be as if he fasted for a lifetime."69 It is also recommended to fast for three days of each month, concerning which Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "My dearest friend (i.e., the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,) advised me to do three things: to fast for three days of each month, to pray two Rak`ahs of Duha prayer, and never to sleep until I pray witr."70

Abu'l-Darda', may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "My beloved friend, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, advised me to do three things that I shall never give up as long as I live: to fast three days of each month, to pray Duha, and not to sleep until I have prayed Witr."71 `Abdullaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`As, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: `Fasting for three days of each month is like fasting for an entire lifetime.'"72

Some reports describe these three days as being the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of each month, which are called al-Ayyam al-Bid (the white days); other reports state that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to fast on three unspecified days of each month. Mu`adhah Al-`Adawiyyah said: "I asked `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, `Did the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to fast three days in each month?' She said, `Yes.' I asked her, `In which part of the month did he used to fast?' She said, `He did not mind in which part of the month he would fast.'"73

She goes on Hajj to the sacred House of Allaah
The true Muslim woman intends to go on Hajj to the House of Allaah when she is able to do so and it is easy for her to travel. Before she sets out on her journey, she takes the time to study the rules (Ahkam) of Hajj in depth, so that when she begins to perform the rituals of Hajj, her actions will be based on true understanding and her Hajj will be complete according to the conditions laid down by the Shari`ah.

It will also be the equivalent of jihad for men, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, described it in a Hadeeth narrated by `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her: "I [`Aa'ishah] said: `O Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, can we (women) not go out on military expeditions and fight in Jihaad with you (men)?' He said, `You (women) have the best of jihad, and the best of it is Hajj, a blessed Hajj.'" `Aa'ishah said, "I should never stop going for Hajj after I heard this from the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam."74

She goes for `Umbra
Just as Hajj is obligatory for the Muslim woman, so also is `Umbra, if she is able to go – especially `Umbra during Ramadhaan, the reward for which is equivalent to that for performing Hajj with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. This is seen in the Hadeeth narrated by Imam Al-Bukhaari from Ibn `Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, who said: "When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, came back from Hajj, he said to Umm Sinan al-Ansariyyah, `What stopped you from going to Hajj?' She said, `Abu so-and-so - meaning her husband - has two camels; he took one to go to Hajj, and we need the other to irrigate our land.' He said, `When Ramadan comes, go for `Umbra, for `Umbra in Ramadan is a Hajj.'" According to another report also narrated by Ibn `Abbaas, the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "For `Umbra in Ramadhaan is equivalent to (performing) Hajj with me."75

She is obedient to the commands of Allaah
The true Muslim woman does not forget that she is duty bound to perform all the religious duties that Allaah has commanded her to do. In this regard her situation is the same as that of a man, and there is no difference between them except in a few regulations which apply exclusively to either men or women.

Other than that, women and men are equally responsible before Allaah.

Allaah Says:
“For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast [and deny themselves], for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in Allaah's praise - for them has Allaah prepared forgiveness and great reward.”[Quran 33:35]

“Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, and life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.”[Quran 16:97]

“And their Lord has accepted of them, and answered them: `Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: you are members, one of another; those who have left their homes and were driven out therefrom, and suffered harm in My Cause, and fought and were slain - verily, I will blot out from them their iniquities, and admit them into Gardens with rivers flowing beneath – a reward from the Presence of Allaah, and from His Presence is the best of rewards.”[Quran 3:195]

Whenever the phrase "Ya Ayyuha'l-Nas (O people or O mankind)" appears in the Quran or Hadeeth, it includes both men and women. Evidence of this may be found in the Hadeeth narrated by Imam Muslim from the Prophet's wife Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her, who said: "I used to hear the people talking about al-hawd (the cistern), and I had never heard about it from the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, One day, whilst a young girl was combing my hair, I heard the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, saying "O people!"

I said to the young girl, "Leave me alone now." She said, "That call is for men only; he is not calling the women." I said, "I am one of the people." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "I am the one who will be at the cistern (in the Hereafter) before you. So be careful, lest one of you should come to me and be driven away like a stray camel. I will ask the reason why, and I will be told, `You do not know what innovations they wrought after your death,' and I will say, `Away with them!'" According to another report also narrated by Muslim, he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: ". . . and I will say, `Away, away with the one who changed (the religion) after my death!'"76

Men and women are equal before Allaah, and both must pay heed to His commands and prohibitions. So the Muslim woman does what Allaah has commanded and keeps away from what He has forbidden, believing that she will be questioned about what she did in this life: if they are good, it will be good for her, and if they are bad, then will be bad for her. She does not transgress the limits laid down by Allaah, and does not do anything that is Haraam.

She always seeks the ruling of Allaah and His Messenger, and accepts it no matter what happens to her in her life. Islamic history is filled with the stories of great women who kept the rule of Allaah in mind at all times and did not deviate from it or look for alternatives. Among these stories is that of Khawlah bint Tha`labah and her husband Aws ibn al-Samit, narrated by Imam Ahmad and Abu Daawood, and quoted by Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir of the beginning of Surat al-Mujadilah. Khawlah said: "By Allaah, concerning me and Aws ibn al-Samit, Allaah revealed the beginning of Surat al-Mujadilah. I was married to him, and he was an old man who was bad-tempered.

One day, he came in and I raised a particular issue with him again; he became angry and said, `You are to me as the back of my mother.' Then he went out and sat for a while in the meeting-place of his people. Then he came back, and wanted to resume marital relations with me. I said, `No way! By the hand of the One in Whose hand is the soul of Khuwaylah (i.e., Khawlah), you will never get what you want from me after saying what you said, until Allaah and His Messenger decide between us.'

He tried to force himself on me, but I was able to resist because I was a young woman and he was a weak old man. I pushed him away, then I went to one of my (female) neighbours and borrowed a cloak from her and went to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. I sat before him, told him what (my husband) had done to me, and began to complain to him about my sufferings because of my husband's bad temper.

The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, `O Khuwaylah, your cousin is an old man, so fear Allaah with regard to him.' I did not leave him until Quran was revealed concerning me: he was overcome as he usually was when Quran was revealed to him, and when it was over, he said: `O Khuwaylah, Allaah has revealed Quran concerning you and your husband.'

Then he recited to me:
“Allaah has indeed heard [and accepted] the statement of the woman who pleads with you concerning her husband and carries her complaint [in prayer] to Allaah: and Allaah [always] hears the arguments between both sides among you: for Allaah hears and sees [all things]'. If any men among you divorce their wives by zihar77 [calling them mothers], they cannot be their mothers: none can be their mothers except those who gave them birth. And in fact they use words [both] iniquitous and false: but truly Allaah is One that blots out [sins], and forgives [again and again]. But those who divorce their wives by zihar, then wish to go back on the words they uttered - [it is ordained that such a one] should free a slave before they touch each other: this are you admonished to perform: and Allaah is well-acquainted with [all] that you do. And if any has not [the wherewithal], he should fast for two months consecutively before they touch each other. But if any is unable to do so, he should feed sixty indigent ones. This, that you may show your faith in Allaah and His Messenger, those are limits [set by] Allaah. For those who reject [Him], there is a grievous Penalty.” [Quran 58:1-4]

He told me, `Let him release a slave.' I said, `O Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, he does not have the means to do that.' He said, `Then let him fast for two consecutive months.' I said, `By Allaah , he is an old man, he is not able to do that.' He said, `Then let him feed sixty poor people with a wasq78 of dates.' I said, `O Messenger of Allaah , he does not have that much.' He said, `Then we will help him with a faraq79 of dates.' I said, `And I will help him with another faraq, O Messenger of Allaah .' He said, `You have done right and done well. Go and give it in charity on his behalf, then take care of your cousin properly.' And I did so."80

Khawlah bint Tha`labah could not bear to stay for one moment with her husband after he had spoken the words of zihar to her, which was a form of divorce at the time of jahiliyyah, until she had referred the matter to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, so that she might know how Allaah would judge between her and her husband. She did not even have a suitable garment with which to go out and appear before the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, so she borrowed a robe from one of her neighbours, and rushed to where the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was sitting, so that she could hear Allaah's ruling concerning her, and follow it.

It comes as no surprise that this great woman enjoyed such high standing among the Sahabah who were her contemporaries and knew her virtues, above all `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allaah be pleased with him). She met him one day outside the mosque, when Al-Jarud al-`Abdi was with him. `Umar, who was the khalifah at that time, greeted her, and she said to him, "O `Umar, I remember you when you were called `Umayr in the marketplace of `Ukaz, taking care of the sheep with your stick.

So fear Allaah in your role as khalifah taking care of the people, and know that the one who fears the threat of punishment in the Hereafter realises that it is not far away, and the one who fears death fears missing some opportunity in this life." Al-Jarud said, "You have spoken too harshly to Amir al-Mu'minin, woman!" `Umar said, "Let her be. Do you not know that this is Khawlah, to whose words Allaah listened from above the seven heavens? By Allaah , `Umar should by rights listen to her."

Ibn Kathir mentions in his Tafsir that a man said to `Umar, when he saw him welcoming her warmly and listening to her, "You left a man of Quraysh to come to this old woman?" `Umar said, "Woe to you! Do you not know who this is?" The man said, "No." `Umar said, "This is a woman whose complaint Allaah listened to from above the seven heavens: this is Khawlah bint Tha`labah. By Allaah , if she did not leave me until night fell, I would not tell her to leave until she had got what she came for, unless the time for prayer came, in which case I would pray, and then come back to her until she had got what she came for."

The true Muslim woman always bears in mind the words of Allaah:
“It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allaah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.” [Quran 33:36]

Obedience to Allaah and His Messenger is much more important than one's own whims and desires; it comes before pleasure and individual choice. Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allaah be pleased with her) set the best example of obedience to the command of Allaah and His Messenger when he asked her to agree to marry his freed slave and adopted son Zayd ibn Harithah.

This marriage achieved two legislative (tashri`i) aims:
(1) To achieve total equality among people: the beautiful woman of Quraysh, the noblewoman of the sons of `Abdu Shams, and the cousin of the Prophet, married a freed slave. Freed slaves were of a lower class than the nobility; indeed, the differences between the classes was so great and so deep that nothing could abolish it except a decisive, public act on the part of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, that the Muslim community would have to take as an example, so that these barriers might be torn down and people would not be viewed as superior except in terms of their level of taqwa.

(2) to abolish the custom of adoption which was widely spread at the time of jahiliyyah. Hence the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, married Zaynab, after she had been divorced by his adopted son Zayd, to demonstrate in practical terms that if Zayd had been his real son, Allaah would not have commanded him in the Quran to marry Zaynab. The choice fell to Zaynab, the cousin of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, to achieve these two legislative aims within the environment of the Prophet's household, so that the people could accept them in obedience to the command of Allaah and His Messenger , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. When he chose her tbe the wife of Zayd ibn Harithah, she disliked the idea, and said, "O Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, I will never marry him, for I am the noblewoman of the tribe of `Abdu Shams." The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, replied, calmly but firmly, "You have to marry him." Whilst they were discussing the matter, Allaah revealed to His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,: It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allaah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.” [Quran 33:36]

Then Zaynab accepted the command of Allaah and His Messenger, and said: "I will not disobey Allaah and His Messenger, and I will give myself in marriage to him." Subsequently, the differences between Zaynab and Zayd led to their divorce. When Zaynab had completed her `iddah, Allaah revealed the following ayah: Behold! You did say to one who had received the grace of Allaah and your favour: `Retain [in wedlock] your wife, and fear Allaah.' But you did hide in your heart that which Allaah was about to make manifest: you did fear the people, but it is more fitting that you should fear Allaah. Then when Zayd had dissolved [his marriage] with her, with the necessary [formality], We joined her in marriage to you: in order that [in future] there may be no difficulty to the Believers in [the matter of] marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved with the necessary [formality] [their marriage] with them. And Allaah's command must be fulfilled.” [Quran 33:37]

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, recited this ayah, smiling, then he said, "Who will go to Zaynab and tell her the good news that Allaah has arranged my marriage to her from heaven?" It was as if Allaah was rewarding Zaynab for her absolute obedience to Allaah and His Messenger. She had accepted their decision that she should marry Zayd, then she became the wife of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, by the command of Allaah , in ayat which the Muslims will recite when they worship Allaah by reciting the Quran, until the end of time. This honour was bestowed only on Zaynab, who was unique among the wives of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. She was proud of the favour of Allaah to her, and used to boast to the other wives of the Prophet: "Your families arranged your marriages, but Allaah arranged my marriage from above the seven heavens."81

She does not sit alone with a "stranger"
Obedience to Allaah and His Messenger can only be achieved by following their commands and keeping away from that which they have prohibited. One way in which the Muslim woman obeys Allaah and His Messenger is by not sitting alone with a "stranger" (ajnabi) i.e., a man to whom she is not related, because doing so is haram according to the consensus of the scholars, on the basis of the Hadeeth: "A man should not sit alone with a woman unless a mahram is with her, and a woman should not travel without a mahram." A man stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, my wife has set out for Hajj, and I have enlisted for such-and-such a military expedition." He said, "Go and perform Hajj with your wife."82

The mahram is a man to whom marriage is forever forbidden for a woman, such as the father, brother, paternal uncle, maternal uncle, etc. The ajnabi or "stranger" is a man to whom marriage is allowed in principle, even if he is a relative, especially the husband's brother and other similarly close relatives. It is forbidden for a woman to sit alone with all of these, because the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said : "Beware of entering upon women." A man of the Ansar asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, what about the brother-in-law?" He said, "The brother-in-law is death."83

The brother-in-law is the husband's brother or other similarly close relatives by marriage. The Prophet's words, "The brother-in-law is death" mean that evil is more likely to occur from these quarters than from elsewhere, because of the ease with which he enters his brother's house. The word "death" is used for emphasis and as a sharp warning, as if sitting alone with the brother-inlaw may lead to immorality and calamitous consequences that would be akin to the calamity of death. The true Muslim woman does not fall into such errors as are committed by so many careless people nowadays.

She wears correct hijab
The Muslim woman wears correct hijab when she goes out of her house. Hijab is the distinctive Islamic dress whose features have been clearly defined by the Quran and Sunnah. She does not go out of the house, or appear before non-mahram men, wearing perfume, make-up or other fineries, because she knows that this is haram according to the Quran: And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what [must ordinarily] appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms84 and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers! Turn all together towards Allaah, that you may attain Bliss.” [Quran 24:31]

The Muslim woman, therefore, is not one of those dressed-but-naked women who abound in societies which have deviated from the guidance of Allaah . She would tremble with fear at the terrifying picture which the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, draw of those painted and adorned temptresses who have gone astray: "There are two types of the people of Hell that I have not seen: people with whips like the tails of oxen, with which they beat the people, and women who are dressed yet still appear naked, who are inclined to evil and make their husbands incline towards it also. Their heads are like the humps of camels, leaning to one side. They will not enter Paradise, or even smell its scent, although its scent can be discerned from such-and-such a distance."85

The Muslim woman who has been truly guided by her faith and has received a sound Islamic education does not wear hijab just because it is a custom or tradition inherited from her mother or grandmother, as some foolish men and women try to describe it with no evidence or logic whatsoever. The Muslim woman wears hijab on the basis of her belief that it is a command from Allaah , revealed to protect the Muslim woman, to make her character distinct, and to keep her away from the slippery slope of immorality and error. So she accepts it willingly and with strong conviction, as the women of the Muhajirin and Ansar accepted it on the day when Allaah revealed His clear and wise command. According to a report narrated by Al-Bukhaari, `Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: "May Allaah have mercy on the Muhajir women. When Allaah revealed “. . . that they should draw their veils over their bosoms . . .” [Quran 24:31], they tore their wrappers and covered their heads and faces with them." According to another report given by Bukhaari, `Aa'ishah said: They took their wrappers and tore them at the edges, then covered their heads and faces with them."86

Safiyyah bint Shaybah said:
"When we were with `Aa'ishah (May Allaah be pleased with her), we mentioned the women of Quraysh and their virtues. `Aa'ishah (May Allaah be pleased with her) said, `The women of Quraysh are good, but by Allaah I have never seen any better or more strict in their adherence to the Book of Allaah than the women of the Ansar. When Surat al-Nur was revealed – “ . . . that they should draw their veils over their bosoms . . .” – their menfolk went to them and recited to them the words that Allaah had revealed. Each man recited it to his wife, his daughter, his sister and other female relatives. Every woman among them got up, took her wrapper, and wrapped herself up in it out of faith and belief in what Allaah had revealed. They appeared behind the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, wrapped up, as if there were crows on their heads."87

May Allaah have mercy on the women of the Muhajirin and the Ansar:
how strong their faith was, and how sincere their Islam! How beautiful was their obedience to the truth when it was revealed! Every woman who truly believes in Allaah and His Messenger cannot but follow the example of these virtuous women, so she herself must wear the distinctive Islamic dress with no regard to the nakedness and wanton display that surrounds her. I remember a young university student who wore hijab, whose attitude was no less admirable than that of the women of the Muhajirin and Ansar, may Allaah be pleased with them: when a journalist who was visiting the University of Damascus asked her about her hijab and whether it was not too hot for her in the extreme heat of summer, she responded by quoting: “Say: `The fire of Hell is fiercer in heat.” [Quran 9:81].

It is Muslim girls such as this who will build Muslim homes and families, and raise a virtuous generation which will fill society with constructive and noble elements. Today there are many such young women, al-hamdu lillah. Proper dress for women was not something novel introduced by Islam; it existed in all the laws of Allaah revealed before Islam. This can be seen in what remains of those laws in the altered books (i.e. the Bible). We also see it in the modest dress of the Christian nuns who live in the Islamic world and also in the West, and in the fact that the women of the people of the Book cover their heads when they enter their churches. The modern rejection of the idea that women should be covered and modest goes against all divine laws, from the time of Ibraaheem, Moosa and `Eesa, may Allaah exalt their mention, until the hanifi way brought by Islam. This attitude is an attempt to escape the decree of Allaah , which Allaah has sent to mankind throughout the ages, brought time after time by His Messengers to guide mankind to truth and righteousness, so that they would become one nation, worshipping and obeying one Lord: Mankind was but one nation, but differed [later]. Had it not been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, their differences would have been settled between them.” [Quran 10:19]

“O messengers! Enjoy [all] things good and pure, and work righteousness; for I am well-acquainted with [all] that you do. And verily this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood. And I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore fear Me [and no other].” [Quran 23:51-52]

“And [remember her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a Sign for all peoples. Verily, this Brotherhood of yours is a single Brotherhood, and I am your Lord and Cherisher: therefore serve Me [and no other].” [Quran 21:91-92]

The determination of many modern societies that women should be uncovered, living naked and immoral lives, is an indication of how far they have deviated from the guidance of Allaah, not only in the Muslim lands, but in all countries of the world. The Westerners may not care about this, and may go ahead and invent more means of immorality without finding any deterrent in their corrupted books, but the Muslims who worship Allaah by reciting His perfectly preserved Book night and day will never accept such deviance, no matter how negligent and weak they are in their practice of Islam, because they constantly hear the definitive words of the Quran and Sunnah warning those who disobey Allaah and His Messenger of the test in this life and the severe punishment to come in the Hereafter:
“. . . Let those beware who withstand the Messenger's order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous Penalty be inflicted on them.” [Quran 24:63]

So those men and women who have sold out to the West and called for women to uncover themselves and take off hijab, have failed miserably in the face of the determination of the men and women of the Islamic revival which is taking place throughout the world. Rightly-guided, educated Muslim women have gone back to their distinctive Islamic dress and correct, decent hijab, in many Muslim countries which had previously witnessed the call for Westernization and the abolishing of hijab and decency. For example, the followers of Ataturk in Turkey, Reza Pahlevi in Iran, Muhammad Aman in Afghanistan, Ahmed Zogo and Enver Hoxha in Albania, Marcus Fahmi, Qasim Amin and Hoda Shaarawi in Egypt. Some of those who supported women's "liberation" from hijab and modesty have now renounced their former opinions about women's showing off and mixing freely with men.

Dr Nawal al-Saadawi, who for a long time attacked hijab and those who wear it, vehemently calling for women to take off hijab, now condemns the vulgarity and scandalous nakedness of women in the West. She says: "In the streets of London . . . I see women who are nearly naked, showing off their bodies like merchandise. Clothing has a function, which is to protect the body from the natural environment, not to transmit messages of temptation. If a woman saw herself as a human being, and not as merchandise, she would not need to show her nakedness."88

It became clear to Nawal al-Saadawi after a while, that the veil should be removed from the mind, not the body, especially in the case of those men and women who are educated. Those women of lesser education, but with intelligence and openness of mind, who wear hijab, are worth tens of those foolish educated women who make a wanton display of themselves, uncovering their faces, heads and bodies whilst veiling their minds and instincts! This is why she describes her future plans as "lifting the veil from the minds of educated men and women."89 She adds: "I know many female professors, doctors and engineers who are politically, socially and culturally illiterate."90

The famous novelist Ihsan `Abd al-Quddus, who flooded the literary marketplace with his stories that called for women to go out of the house and mingle with men, dancing with them at parties and night-clubs, said in an interview with the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Anba' (18 January 1989): "I think that the basic responsibility of any woman is her house and children. This applies to me above all. If it were not for my wife, I would not have been able to enjoy success, stability and family life, because she is devoted to the house and children . . ." In the same interview, he said: "I never in all my life envisaged marrying a woman who works, and I am well-known for this, because I knew from the beginning that the house is a heavy burden or responsibility for women."

She avoids mixing freely with men
The true Muslim woman avoids mixing with men as much as possible; she does not pursue it orencourage it. Thus she follows the example of Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, the Prophet's wives, the women of the salaf (the Sahabah and Tabi`in), and those who followed their way sincerely.

The harm that may be done to both sexes as a result of free mixing, that is obvious to the Muslim woman, is now becoming clear to Westerners who have practised free mixing on the widest scale. They have seen that it leads to a fall in standards of education, so they have now begun to segregate male and female students in some universities and institutes of education. A number of the greatest Muslim educators, who have visited Europe, America and Russia have witnessed this segregation, for example, Professor Ahmad Mazhar al-`Azmah, who was sent by the Syrian Ministry of Education to Belgium, where he visited a number of schools. On a visit to a girls' elementary school, he asked the principal, "Why do you not let boys and girls mix at this level of education?" She replied, "We noticed the harm that mixing can to do children even at the elementary level."

There was news that Russia had reached a similar conclusion, and had established separate, segregated branches of universities, where male and female students did not mix. In A, there are more than 170 university branches in which male and female students do not mix. They were set up because the educators and supervisors noticed the harm that was caused by mixing, even in a society that is used to mixing in every area of social life. The evidence of the harm caused by mixing is too vast to be enumerated. All of it points to the wisdom of Islam in putting an end to mixing, and protecting the Muslim societies which adhere to Islamic guidance from its destructive, harmful effects.

She does not shake hands with a non-mahram man
It is natural that a Muslim woman who does not mix with men would not wish to shake hands with anyone who is not her mahram, in accordance with the teaching and example of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Bukhaari reports that `Aa’ishah (May Allaah be pleased with her) said: "When the believing women made hijrah to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, he would examine and test them, in accordance with the ayah: “`O you who believe! When there come to you believing women refugees, examine [and test] them'. . .” [Quran 60:10]

Whoever accepted these conditions required of the believing women has thereby accepted their bay`ah. When the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, accepted their words, he told them (the women), `You may go now, for I have accepted your bay`ah.' By Allaah, the Prophet's hand never touched the hand of a woman; he accepted their bay`ah by words only. By Allaah , he never put any conditions on women other than those that Allaah commanded him, and when he had confirmed the bay`ah he would say `I have accepted you bay`ah by your words.'"91

She does not travel except with a mahram
One of the rulings of Islam concerning women is that a woman should not travel without a mahram, because travel is full of dangers and hardships and it is not right for a woman to face all this alone, without a mahram to protect her and take care of her. So the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, forbade women to travel alone without a mahram; this is recorded in numerous Hadeeth, but it will suffice to quote just two of them here: "A woman should not travel for three days except with a mahram."92

"It is not permitted for a woman who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to travel the walking-distance of three days without a mahram."93

All the Hadeeth on this topic state that the presence of a mahram is the condition for women's travel, except in cases of utter necessity as defined by the scholars, whose points of view differ somewhat.94

In this way the Muslim woman is truly obedient to Allaah , following His commands, heeding His prohibitions, and accepting His rulings. She adheres to the teachings of Islam and bears with patience any difficulties that may be involved in obeying Allaah , even if this goes against many of the prevalent social ideas.

She is filled with hope that she will ultimately be successful and victorious, as the Quran states:
“By [the Token of] Time [through the Ages], Verily Man is in loss, Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and [join together] in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.” [Quran 103:1-3]

She accepts the will and decree of Allaah
The Muslim woman who is obedient to the command of her Lord naturally accepts His will and decree, because this is one of the greatest signs of faith, obedience, taqwa and righteousness in a person. So the Muslim woman who is guided by the teachings of Islam always accepts whatever befalls her in life, whether it is good or bad, because this attitude of acceptance is good for her in all cases, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, explained: "How amazing is the affair of the Muslim! His affairs are all good. If he experiences ease, he is grateful, and that is good for him. If he experiences hardship, he faces it with patience and perseverance, and that is also good for him."95

The Muslim woman is convinced that whatever befalls her in life could not have been avoided, and whatever does not befall her could not have been made to happen. Everything happens according to the will and decree of Allaah, so her affairs are all good. If something good happens to her, she voices her praise to Allaah , the Munificent Bestower, and she becomes one of those who are grateful, obedient and successful; if something bad happens to her, she faces it with patience and fortitude, so she becomes of those who are patient, redeemed and victorious. With this deep faith, the Muslim woman faces the upheavals and calamities of life with a calm soul that accepts the will and decree of Allaah. She seeks his help with patience and prayer, and hoping for reward from Him.

She voices her praise to Allaah for what He has willed and decreed, as al-Khansa' did on the day when she heard the news about her four sons and said: "Praise be to Allaah Who has honoured me by their martyrdom; I hope that Allaah will gather me with them under His Mercy."96

She goes to the places where she usually prays, and seeks Allaah's help with prayer and patience, as Asma' bint `Umays used to do when disasters and tragedies stuck one after the other. She lost her first husband, Ja`far ibn Abi Talib (may Allaah be pleased with him), then she was stricken by the death of her second husband, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allaah be pleased with him), and of her son, Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him). There are many other examples in history of Muslim woman who had faith, hoping for reward from Allaah and facing difficulties with patience and fortitude.

Allaah will reward them greatly:
“Those who patiently persevere will truly receive a reward without measure!” [Quran 39:10]

She turns to Allaah in repentance
The Muslim woman may find herself becoming neglectful and slipping from the Straight Path, so she may fall short in her practice of Islam in a way that does not befit the believing woman. But she will soon notice her error, seek forgiveness for her mistakes or shortcomings, and return to the protection of Allaah:
“Those who fear Allaah, when a thought of evil from Satan assaults them, Bring Allaah to remembrance When lo! They see [aright]!” [Quran 7:201]

The heart that is filled with love and fear of Allaah will not be overcome by negligence. It is those who ignore Allaah's commands and guidance who will be led astray. The heart of the sincere Muslim woman is ever eager to repent and seek forgiveness, and rejoices in obedience, guidance and the pleasure of Allaah.

She feels a sense of responsibility for the members of her family
The responsibility of the Muslim woman for the members of her family is no less, in the sight of Allaah, than that of the man. Her responsibility is in fact even greater than a man's, because of what she knows of the secret life of her children who live with her most of the time: they may tell her things that they do not tell their father. The Muslim woman feels this responsibility every time she hears the words of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,: "Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The leader is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock; a man is the shepherd of his family and is responsible for his flock; a woman is the shepherd in the house of her husband and is responsible for her flock; the servant is the shepherd of his master's wealth and is responsible for it. Each of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock."97

This sense of responsibility constantly motivates her to put right any faults or shortcomings she finds in her family's behaviour. A woman does not keep quiet about any deviance, weakness or negligence in her family or home, unless she is lacking in religion, her character is weak, and her understanding is incomplete.

Her main concern is the pleasure of Allaah
The true Muslim woman always seeks to earn the pleasure of Allaah in everything she does. So she measures everything against this precise standard, and will retain or discard any practice accordingly. Whenever there is a conflict between what pleases Allaah , and what pleases other people, she chooses what pleases Allaah , with no hesitation or argument, even if it will angeother people.

She does this because she knows, with her deep understanding of Islam and her own common sense, that pleasing the people is a goal that can never be achieved, and it will only bring about the wrath of Allaah. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allaah at the risk of displeasing the people, Allaah will take care of him and protect him from them. But whoever seeks the pleasure of the people at the risk of displeasing Allaah, Allaah will abandon him to the care of the people."98

By weighing up her deeds in this precise fashion, the Straight Path will be clearly signposted for the Muslim woman. She will know what she is allowed to do and what she should avoid; her unfailing standard is the pleasure of Allaah . Thus the life of the Muslim women will be free from ridiculous contradiction which have ensnared so many of those who have deviated from the guidance of Allaah.

There are women whom one sees praying perfectly, but in many instances they follow their own desires and deviate from the right path. In social gatherings they involve themselves in gossip and backbiting, criticising people, plotting against anybody they dislike, and putting words in their mouths so as to discredit them. These people are suffering from weakness of faith and a failure to understand the true reality of this holistic religion which Allaah revealed to guide mankind in all aspects of life, both public and private, so that people might seek the pleasure of Allaah by obeying His commands and emulating the behaviour of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam.

There are also women who obey Allaah in some matters, but disobey Him in others, acting according to their own whims and desires. Such people are, as it were, half-Muslims, and the split personality of those who have deviated from the guidance of Islam is one of the most dangerous psychological and spiritual disorders facing modern man.

She understands the true meaning of being a servant of Allaah
The true Muslim woman has the firm belief that she has been created to serve an important purpose in life, which Allaah has defined in the Quran: “I have only created jinns and men, that they may serve Me.” [Quran 51:56]

Life, for the true Muslim woman, is not to be spent solely on daily chores or enjoyment of the good things of this world; life is an important mission, in which every believer must take on the responsibility of living in such a way that he or she will be a true and sincere worshipper of Allaah. This can only be achieved by checking one's intention, in all one's deeds, to ensure that they are done for the sake of Allaah and to please Him. According to Islam, all deeds are tied to the intentions behind them, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Actions are but by intention, and every man shall have but that which he intended. Thus he whose migration was for Allaah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allaah and His Messenger; and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that which he intended."99

Hence the Muslim woman may be in a continuous state of worship, which may encompass all of her deeds, so long as she checks her intentions and ensures that she is carrying out her mission in life, as Allaah wants her to do. So she may be in a state of worship when she treats her parents with kindness and respect, when she is a good wife to her husband, when she takes care of her children's upbringing and education, when she goes about her domestic chores, when she upholds the ties of kinship, etc., so long as she does all this in obedience to the commands of Allaah, and with the intention of serving and worshipping Him.

She works to support the religion of Allaah
The most important act of worship that the Muslim woman can do is to strive to establish the rule of Allaah on earth, and to follow the way of life that He has prescribed, so that Islam will govern the life of the individual, the family, the community and the nation. The sincere Muslim woman will feel that her worship is lacking if she does not strive to achieve the purpose for which Allaah created jinn and men, namely promoting the supremacy of the authority of Allaah on earth, which is the only way in which mankind can truly worship Allaah: “I have only created jinns and men, that they may worship Me.” [Quran 51:56]

This is the only way in which the true meaning of the words "la ilaha ill-Allaah" will be realized in our own lives. The first Muslim women had a sound grasp of this meaning, which penetrated deep into their souls. They were no less enthusiastic than the men when it came to sacrifice and courage for the sake of Allaah . Some of the women of the early generations of this ummah excelled many of the men in this regard. Asma' bint `Umays, the wife of Ja`far ibn Abi Talib, hastened to embrace Islam along with her husband in the earliest days of Islam, the days of hardship and suffering. She migrated with him to Abyssinia, in spite of the risks and hardships involved, for the sake of Allaah and to support His religion. When `Umar ibn al-Khattab joked with her and said, "O Habashiyyah (Abyssinian woman)!

We beat you to Madeenah," she said, "You have most certainly spoken the truth. You were with the Messenger of Allaah, feeding the hungry and teaching the ignorant, whilst we were far away in exile. By Allaah , I shall go to the Messenger of Allaah and tell him that." She came to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and said, "O Messenger of Allaah, some men are criticizing us and claiming that we were not among the early muhajirin." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "But you have two hijrahs; you migrated to the land of Abyssinia, whilst we were detained in Makkah, then you migrated to me afterwards."100

Asma' bint `Umays was successful in establishing the virtue of those who had migrated to Abyssinia in the early days of Islam, and she understood from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, that this distinguished group would have the reward of two hijrahs. This was a great honour which was theirs because they had not hesitated to support the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, even though it meant leaving behind their families and homeland for the sake of Allaah. Muslim women were also present at the Treaty of `Aqabah, which took place in secret, under cover of darkness, and which played such an important role in supporting the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Among the delegation of Ansar were two women of status and virtue: Nasibah bint Ka`b al-Maziniyyah, and Umm Mani` Asma' bint `Amr al-Sulamiyyah, the mother of Mu`adh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him); the latter was present with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, at Khaybar, where she performed extremely well.

When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, began his Mission, calling for pure Tawhid and the abandonment of idol worship, the mushrikin were very angry with him, and plotted to break into his house at night and kill him. The conspirators kept quiet and vowed to let their plot to kill the Prophet remain a secret amongst themselves. Nobody even sensed that there was a plot, apart from one Muslim woman, who was over one hundred years old. Her name was Ruqayqah bint Sayfi, and she did not let the weakness of old age stop her from hastening to save the Prophet's life. She made her way to him, and told him what the people were planning to do. He embarked upon his hijrah straight away, leaving the land that was the most beloved to him on earth, and leaving his cousin `Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) sleeping in his bed, so that the conspirators surrounding his house would think that he was there, and this would keep them from following him and killing him on the road.101

What a tremendous service this great woman did for Islam and the Muslims! How great was her jihad to save the life of the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, at the most dangerous time he ever faced.

When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his companion left Makkah, and stayed out of sight in the cave of Hira' at the top of Mount Thawr, it was a young girl who brought them food and water, and news of the people who were lying in wait for . Her name was Asma' bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allaah be pleased with her).

This brave young girl used to cover the great distance between Makkah and Mount Thawr at night; the difficulty and isolation of this journey, and the presence of watchful enemies, did not deter her. She knew that by saving the life of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his companion, helping them to reach their goal of going to Madinah, she was supporting the religion of Allaah , and working towards making His word supreme on earth. So she undertook her difficult mission every day, ever alert and striving to conceal herself as she walked and climbed up the mountain, until she had brought whatever supplies and news she was carrying to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his companion. Then she would go back down to Makkah under cover of darkness.102

This mission, which even the strongest of men could have failed to achieve, is not all that Asma' did to support the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and Islam. She was tested severely, and proved to be as solid as a rock, on the day when the mushrikin surrounded her and asked about her father. She denied knowing anything, and they placed severe pressure on her, so much so that Abu Jahl struck her a blow that sent her earring flying from her ear. But this did not weaken her resolve or her determination to keep her secret hidden.

She kept up her mission of taking food and news to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his companion, until the time came for them to leave the cave and head for Madeenah. She had already brought them provisions for the journey, but when she checked the cloth in which they were wrapped, she found that she had nothing with which to tie it apart from her own girdle. She told her father, who told her to tear it in two and use one piece to tie the water skins and the other to tie the cloth holding the food. Hence Asma' became known as Dhat al-Nitaqayn (she of the two girdles).103

It was the attitude of the early Muslim women to support the religion of Allaah and join the forces of da`wah, because their hearts were filled with strong, vibrant faith. They could not bear to stay in the land of kufr, far from the centre of Islam, so they migrated - with their husbands, if they were married - and their hijrah, like that of the men, was in obedience to Allaah and in support of His religion. Their faith was like that of the men, and they made sacrifices just as the men did.

This deep faith is what motivated Umm Kalthum bint `Uqbah ibn Abi Mu`ayt to migrate to Madeenah alone, at the time of the Treaty of al-Hudaybiyah, where the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had promised to return to the mushrikin anyone who came to him to embrace Islam. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had already kept his promise and sent two men back. When Umm Kalthum reached Madinah, she said to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam,: "I have fled to you with my religion, so protect me and do not send me back to them, for they will punish me and torture me, and I do not have the patience and fortitude to endure that. I am a mere woman, and you know the weakness of women. I see that you have already sent two men back." The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: "Allaah has cancelled this treaty with regard to women."104

Allaah knew the faith of Umm Kalthum bint `Uqbah ibn Abi Mu`ayt, and other muhajir women who had migrated solely out of love for Allaah and His Messenger and Islam.

He revealed Quran concerning them, abolishing the treaty between the Prophet and the mushrikin in the case of women only, and forbidding their being sent back to the mushrikin once the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had tested them and ensured that they had not migrated for the sake of a husband or wealth or some other worldly purpose, and that they had indeed migrated for the sake of Allaah and His Messenger: “O you who believe! When there come to you believing women refugees, examine [and test] them: Allaah knows best as to their Faith: if you ascertain that they are Believers, then send them not back to the Unbelievers. They are not lawful [wives] for the Unbelievers, nor are the [Unbelievers] lawful [husbands] for them. .” [Quran 60:10]

One of those virtuous women who were among the first people to support Islam and the Prophet was Umm al-Fadl bint al-Harith, Lubabah, the full-sister of the Prophet's wife Maymunah. She was the second woman to embrace Islam: she became Muslim after Khadijah (May Allaah be pleased with her). She was a source of great support and consolation for the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Lubabah was the wife of the Prophet's paternal uncle al-`Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib, and was diametrically opposed to Umm Jamil bint Harb, the wife of his other paternal uncle Abu Lahab, whom the Quran described as the carrier of firewood who would have a twisted rope of palm-leaf fibre around her neck (see Quran 111:4-5), because of her determination to harm the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, whilst Lubabah was the first to come to his support and to make sacrifices to support his religion during the most testing days that the early Muslims faced. Lubabah, her husband al-`Abbas and their sons used to conceal their Islam, in obedience to the Prophet's command and in accordance with a well-thought-out plan.

Thus they were able to learn the secrets of the mushrikin and pass them on to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. When the battle of Badr was waged between the Muslims and the mushrikin, and news came of the defeat of Quraysh, Umm Fadl urged her sons and her freed slave Abu Rafi` to conceal their joy at this defeat, because she feared that the mushrikin, especially Abu Lahab who was filled with hatred towards Muhammad , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, his companions and his message, might do them some harm.

But her freed slave Abu Rafi` was not safe from the wrath of Abu Lahab; when he expressed his joy at the Muslims' victory, Abu Lahab was enraged and vented his fury on the poor man, beating him in the presence of Umm Fadl. At this point, Umm Fadl became like a fierce lioness, and attacked him shouting, "You pick on him when his master is absent!" She struck him with one of the (wooden) pillars of the house and dealt him a fatal blow to the head. Abu Lahab did not live more than seven days after that.

Umm Fadl bore her separation from her husband al-`Abbas with patience, for the sake of Allaah and in support of His religion, when the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, issued a command that al-`Abbas should stay in Makkah, and she should migrate to Madinah. Their separation was a lengthy and difficult one, but Umm Fadl bore it patiently, hoping for reward and seeking help from Allaah through prayer and fasting, waiting for her beloved husband to finish what he had to do in Makkah and come to Madinah. As it turned out, he was one of the last to migrate to Madinah.

The only thing that helped to ease the pain of this separation was seeing her eldest son `Abdullaah, accompanying the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, daily and drinking deeply from the pure wellspring of Islam. It never occurred to her that history was preparing her to enter its widest gate, for she was to be the great mother of the great authority on Islamic teaching and the interpretation of the Quran: `Abdullaah ibn al-`Abbas (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Another one of the early Muslim women who thought little of the sufferings and torture they endured for the sake of Islam was Sumayyah, the mother of `Ammar ibn Yasir. When the mid-day heat was at its most intense, and the desert sands were boiling, Banu Makhzum would drag her and her son and husband out to an exposed area, where they would pour burning sand over them, place heated shields on them, and throw heavy rocks at them, until her son and husband sought to protect themselves from this appalling torture by saying some words to agree with the mushrikin, although they hated to do so.

Concerning them and others in similar situations, Allaah revealed the ayah: “Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allaah, utters Unbelief, except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith . . .” [Quran 16:106]

But Sumayyah remained steadfast and patient, and refused to say what the mushrikin wanted to hear. The despicable Abu Jahl stabbed her with a spear, killing her, and thus she had the honour of being recorded as the first martyr in Islam.

The history of Islam is filled with other women who endured even worse torture for the sake of Islam. This suffering did not weaken their resolve or exhaust their patience; rather they willingly accepted whatever befell them, hoping for reward from Allaah. They never said anything that would undermine their religion, and they never humiliated themselves by begging for mercy.

Historians record that many of the men who were oppressed - apart from Bilal, may Allaah have mercy on him - were forced to say something that would please their oppressors, in order to save their lives, but not one of the women who were similarly oppressed was reported to have given in.

These brilliant Muslim women welcomed the oppression they suffered for the sake of Allaah and making His word supreme on earth. They never stopped preaching the word of Islam, no matter what trials and suffering came their way. In the story of Umm Sharik al-Qurashiyyah al-`Amiriyyah, Ibn `Abbas gives an eye-witness account of the depth of the women's faith and how they rushed to devote themselves to Allaah's cause, patiently enduring whatever trials this entailed. Ibn `Abbas said: "Umm Sharik began to think about Islam whilst she was in Makkah. She embraced Islam, then began to mix with the women of Quraysh in secret, calling them to Islam, until this became known to the people of Makkah. They seized her and said, `If it were not for your people, we would have done what we wanted to you, but we will send you back to them.'

She said, `So they seated me on a camel with no saddle or cushion beneath me, and left me for three days without giving me anything to eat or drink. After three days I began to lose consciousness. Whenever they stopped, they would leave me out in the sun whilst they sought shade, and keep food and drink away from me until they resumed their journey . . .'"

This was not all that Muslim women did in support of Islam; they also went out on military expeditions with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions where, when the forces of iman and the forces of kufr met in armed combat, they performed the important duty of preparing the waterskins and bringing water to the fighters, and tending the wounded, and carrying the dead away from the battlefield.

At the most critical moments, they never shrank from taking up weapons and entering the fray alongside the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions. Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrate many Hadeeth which illustrate the brilliance of the Muslim women during that golden age, when hearts were filled with vibrant faith, deep love for Allaah and His Messenger, and the desire to make Islam victorious. One of these reports is the account given by Imam Muslim of Umm `Atiyyah al-Ansariyyah, who said: "I went out on seven military campaigns with the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. I stayed behind in the camp, making food for them and tending to the sick and wounded."105

Anas ibn Malik said:
"The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to go out on military campaigns accompanied by Umm Sulaym and some of the Ansar women; they would bring water and tend the wounded."106

Imam Al-Bukhaari reported that al-Rubayyi` bint Mu`awwidh said: "We were with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, bringing water, tending the wounded, and bringing the dead back to Madinah."107

Al-Bukhaari and Muslim report that Anas said: "On the day of Uhud, when some of the people ran away from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, Abu Talhah stood before the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, defending him with a shield. Abu Talhah was a highly-skilled archer, and on that day he broke two or three bows. Whenever a man passed by who had a quiver full of arrows, he would say, `Give it to Abu Talhah.' Whenever the Prophet of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, raised his head to see what was happening, Abu Talhah told him, `O Prophet of Allaah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you! Do not raise your head, lest an arrow strike you. May it hit my chest rather than yours.'

He [Anas] said: I saw `Aa’ishah bint Abi Bakr and Umm Sulaym, both of whom had tucked up their garments so that their anklets were visible. They were carrying water skins on their backs and were pouring water into the mouths of the people. They would go back and fill the water skins again, then come and pour water into the mouths of the people again. Abu Talhah's sword fell from his hands two or three times because of exhaustion."108

What a noble deed these two great women did in quenching the thirst of the mujahidin in the midst of a raging battle and in the intense heat of the Hijaz climate. They were moving about the battlefield, not caring about the falling arrows and clashing swords that surrounded them.

For this reason, the Rightly-Guided khalifah `Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allaah be pleased with him) preferred Umm Salit over his own wife Umm Kalthum bint `Ali when he was sharing out some garments among the women of Madeenah.

Because she had sewn waterskins on the day of Uhud, and this had played an important role in helping the mujahidin and renewing their energy. Bukhaari reports from Tha`labah ibn Abi Malik: "Umar ibn Al-Khattab shared out some garments among the women of Madinah. There was one good garment left, and some of the people with him said, `O Amir al-Mu'minin, give this to your wife, the grand-daughter of the Messenger of Allaah,' meaning Umm Kalthum bint `Ali. `Umar said, `Umm Salit has more right to it.' Umm Salit was one of the Ansari women who had pledged their allegiance to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam.

`Umar said, `She carried the water skins to us on the day of Uhud.'"109
At Uhud, the Prophet's cheek and upper lip were wounded and his tooth was broken. His daughter Fatimah (may Allaah be pleased with her) washed his wounds, whilst `Ali poured the water. When Fatimah saw that the water only made the bleeding worse, she took a piece of matting, burned it, and applied it to the wound to stop the bleeding.110

Among the women who stood firm at the most intense moments of the battle of Uhud was Safiyyah bint `Abd al-Muttalib, the (paternal) aunt of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. She stood with a spear in her hand, striking the faces of the people and saying, "Are you running away from the Messenger of Allaah?!" When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, saw her, he gestured to her son al-Zubayr ibn al-`Awwam that he should bring her back so that she would not see what had happened to her brother Hamzah (may Allaah be pleased with him). She said, "Why? I have heard that my brother has been mutilated, but that is nothing for the sake of Allaah . We accept what has happened, and I shall hope for reward and be patient, in sha Allaah."

Safiyyah was also present at the battle of al-Khandaq (the trench). When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, set out from Madeenah to fight his enemies, he put his wives and womenfolk in the fortress of the poet Hassan ibn Thabit, which was the most secure fortress in Madeenah. A Jewish man came by, and began to walk around the fortress. Safiyyah said, "O Hassan, this Jew is walking around the fortress, and by Allaah I fear that he will go and tell the other Jews out there where we are. The Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions are too busy to come and help us, so go down and kill him."

Hassan said,
"May Allaah forgive you, O daughter of `Abd al-Muttalib. By Allaah , you know that I am not like that." When Safiyyah heard this, she stood up, took hold of a wooden post, and went down from the fortress herself. She struck the Jew with the wooden post and killed him, then went back to the fortress and said, "O Hassan, go down and strip him of his arms and armour; the only thing that is preventing me from doing so is that he is a man." Hassan said, "I have no need of this booty, O daughter of Abd al-Muttalib." Safiyyah was also present at the battle of Khaybar. One of the most distinguished women who took part in the battle of Uhud, if not the most distinguished of them, was Nasibah bint Ka`ab al-Maziniyyah, Umm `Umarah (may Allaah be pleased with her). At the beginning of the battle, she was bringing water and tending the wounded, as the other women were doing. When the battle was going in the favour of the Muslims, the archers disobeyed command of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and this turned the victory into defeat, as the Quran described it: “Behold! You were climbing up the high ground, without even casting a side glance at anyone, and the Messenger in your rear was calling you back . . .” [Quran 3:153]

At this point, Nasibah went forward, with her sword unsheathed and her bow in her hand, to join the small group who were standing firm with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, acting as a human shield to protect him from the arrows of the mushrikin. Every time danger approached the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, she hastened to protect him. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, noticed this, and later said, "Wherever I turned, to the left or the right, I saw her fighting for me." Her son `Umarah also described what happened on that tremendous day: "On that day, I was wounded in my left hand. A man who seemed to be as tall as a palm-tree struck me, then went away without pursuing me to finish me off.

The blood began to flow copiously, so the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, told me, `Bind up your wound.' My mother came to me, and she was wearing a waist-wrapper, which she had brought, for the purpose of wrapping wounds. She dressed my wound, whilst the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, was looking on. Then she told me, `Get up, my son, and fight the people.' The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, `Who could bear what you are putting up with, O Umm `Umarah?' She said: The man who had struck my son came by, and the Messenger of Allaah said, `This is the one who struck your son.' I intercepted him and hit him in the thigh, and he collapsed. I saw the Messenger of Allaah smiling so broadly that I could see his back teeth. He said, `You have taken your revenge, O Umm `Umarah!'

Then we struck him with our weapons until we killed him, and the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: `Praise be to Allaah , who granted you victory over him, gave you the satisfaction of taking revenge on your enemy, and let you see the vengeance for yourself." On this day, Nasibah herself received many wounds whilst she was fighting the people and striking their chests. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, saw her, and called to her son, "Your mother! Your mother! See to her wounds, may Allaah bless you and your household!

Your mother has fought better than so-and-so." When his mother heard what the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, she said, "Pray to Allaah that we may accompany you in Paradise." He said, "O Allaah , make them my companions in Paradise." She said, "I do not care what befalls me in this world."111

Umm `Umarah's jihad was not confined to the battle of Uhud. She was also present on a number of other occasions, namely the treaty of `Aqabah, al-Hudaybiyah, Khaybar and Hunayn. Her heroic conduct at Hunayn was no less marvellous than her heroic conduct at Uhud. At the time of Abu Bakr's khilafah, she was present at al-Yamamah where she fought brilliantly and received eleven wounds as well as losing her hand. It is no surprise that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, gave her the good news that she would enter Paradise, and that she was later held in high esteem by the khalifah Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allaah be pleased with him) and his commander Khalid ibn al-Walid (may Allaah be pleased with him), and subsequently by `Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allaah be pleased with him).112

During this golden age of the Muslim woman's history there was another woman who was no less great than Nasibah bint Ka`b: Umm Sulaym bint Milhan. Like Umm `Umarah, `Aa’ishah, Fatimah and the other women, she also brought water and tended the wounded, but here we will tell another story. When the Muslims were preparing to go out with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, to conquer Makkah, her husband Abu Talhah was among them. Umm Sulaym was in the later stages of pregnancy, but this did not stop her from wanting to accompany her husband Abu Talhah and to earn alongside him the reward for jihad for the sake of Allaah. She did not care about the hardships and difficulties that lay ahead on the journey. Her husband felt sorry for her and did not want to expose her to all that, but he had no choice but to ask the Prophet's permission.

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, gave his permission, and Umm Sulaym was delighted to accompany her beloved husband and witness the conquest of Makkah with him, on that great day when the hills of Makkah echoed with the cries of the believers and mujahidin: "There is no god but Allaah alone. He has kept His promise, granted victory to His servant, and alone has defeated the confederates. There is nothing before Him or after Him. There is no god but Allaah , and we worship Him alone, adhering faithfully to His religion although the disbelievers may hate this." This was the day when the bastions of idolatry and shirk in the Arabian Peninsula were forever destroyed, and the idols were thrown down by the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, as he declared, “Truth has [now] arrived, and Falsehood perished: for Falsehood is [by its nature] bound to perish.” [Quran 17:81]

These events filled Umm Sulaym's soul with faith, and increased her courage and her desire to strive for the sake of Allaah. Only a few days later came the battle of Hunayn, which was such a severe test for the Muslims. Some of the people ran away from the battle, not caring about anything. The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, stood to the right and said, "Where are you going, O people? Come to me! I am the Messenger of Allaah, I am Muhammad ibn Abdullah." Nobody stayed with him except for a group of Muhajirin and Ansar, and members of his household, and Umm Sulaym and her husband Abu Talhah were among this group. The Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, saw Umm Sulaym wrapping a garment around her waist; she was pregnant with `Abdullaah ibn Abi Talhah, and she was trying to control Abu Talhah's camel, which she was afraid would get away from her, so she pulled its head down towards her and took hold of its nose-ring. The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, called her, "O Umm Sulaym!" and she replied, "Yes, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allaah."

A report in Sahih Muslim states: "On the day of Hunayn, Umm Sulaym took hold of a dagger and kept it with her. Abu Talhah saw her, and said, `O Messenger of Allaah, Umm Sulaym has a dagger.' The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, asked her, `What is this dagger?' She said, `I took it so that if any one of the mushrikin comes near me, I will rip his belly open with it.' The Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, began to laugh. She said, `O Messenger of Allaah, kill all of the tulaqa113 who have run away and left you.' The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, `Allaah is sufficient for us and He has taken care of us.'"114

Umm Sulaym stood firm with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, when the battle intensified and even the bravest of men were put to the test. She could not bear even to see those who had run away and left the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, so she told him, "Kill those who ran away and left you . . ." It comes as no surprise that the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, gave her the glad tidings that she would enter Paradise. In a Hadeeth reported by Bukhaari, Muslim and others from Jabir ibn `Abdullaah (may allaah be pleased with him), he, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, told her: "I saw myself in Paradise, and suddenly I saw al-Rumaysa'115

bint Milhan, the wife of Abu Talhah . . ."116 The Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, used to visit Umm Sulaym, and her sister Umm Haram bint Milhan. Just as he gave glad tidings to Umm Sulaym that she would enter Paradise, so he also gave good news to Umm Haram that she would ride the waves of the sea with those who went out to fight for the sake of Allaah.

Bukhaari reports that Anas ibn Malik may Allaah be pleased with him said: "The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, visited the daughter of Milhan, and rested there for a while. Then he smiled, and she asked him, `Why are you smiling, O Messenger of Allaah?' He said, `Some people of my ummah will cross the green sea for the sake of Allaah, and they will look like kings on thrones.' She said, `O Messenger of Allaah, pray to Allaah that I will be one of them.' He said, `O Allaah, make her one of them.' Then he smiled again, and she asked him again why he was smiling. He gave a similar answer, and she said, `Pray to Allaah that I will be one of them.' He said, `You will be one of the first ones, not one of the last ones.'"

The Prophet's words came true, as Anas, may Allaah have be pleased with him, reported: "She married `Ubadah ibn al-Samit, and went out for jihad with him, and she travelled across the sea with the daughter of Qarazah.117 When she came back, her riding-beast threw her, and she fell and died."118 Her grave in Cyprus remains to this day as a memorial to a Muslim woman who fought in jihad for the sake of Allaah. When people visit the grave they say, "This is the grave of a righteous woman, may Allaah have mercy on her."119 Another of the women who took part in military campaigns and jihad with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, helping to defend Islam, was Umm Ayman, the nurse of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. She was present at Uhud, Khaybar, Mu'tah and Hunayn, where she worked hard, tending the wounded and bringing water to the thirsty.120

There was also Kabshah bint Rafi` al-Ansariyyah, the mother of Sa`d ibn Mu`adh, may Allaah be pleased with him. During the campaign of Uhud, she came running towards the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, who was on his horse, and Sa`d ibn Mu`adh, may Allaah be pleased with him, was holding onto its reins. Sa`d said, "O Messenger of Allaah, this is my mother." The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "She is most welcome."

He stopped for her, and she came closer; he offered his condolences for the death of her son `Amr ibn Mu`adh, told her and her family the glad tidings of the martyrs in Paradise, and prayed for them.121 Among these great women are al-Furay`ah bint Malik, and Umm Hisham bint Harithah ibn al-Nu`man, may Allaah be pleased with him. They were among those who gave their oath of allegiance to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, under the tree at Hudaybiyah.

This was Bay`at al-Ridwan, which the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, called for when the mushrikin prevented the believers from entering Makkah; the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, had sent `Uthman ibn `Affan to Quraysh, and they detained him for so long that the Muslims though Quraysh had betrayed their trust and killed him. Allaah honoured His Messenger and those who were present on this blessed occasion, and He bestowed upon them His pleasure which many die before they can attain it, and beside which all other hopes and aspirations pale into insignificance. Allaah revealed ayat of the Quran on this occasion, which will be recited until heaven and earth pass away: “Allaah’s Good Pleasure was on the Believers when they swore Fealty to you under the Tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down Tranquillity to them; and He rewarded them with speedy Victory.” Quran 48:18]

Umm al-Mundhir Salma bint Qays was present at Bay`at al-Ridwan, and had previously been present at Bay`ah al-Mu'minat, hence she was known as Mubaya`at al-Bay`atayn (the one who gave two oaths of allegiance). When the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions went out to besiege Banu Qurayzah, this great Sahabiyyah went with them, and earned the reward for jihad for the sake of Allaah.

Asma' bint Yazid ibn al-Sakan al-Ansariyyah took part in the battle of al-Khandaq with the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. She was also present at al-Hudaybiyah and Bay`at al-Ridwan and at the battle of Khaybar. She continued her worthy efforts for the sake of Islam until the Prophet's death, and he died pleased with her. After his death, she never stopped working in support of Islam. In 13 AH, she travelled to Syria and was present at the battle of Yarmuk, when she brought water to the thirsty, tended the wounded and encouraged the fighters to stand firm. Yarmuk is one of the most famous battles in which the Muslim women took part alongside the fighting men. The Muslim army was sorely tested, and some of them retreated. The mujahid women were fighting a rear-guard action, rushing towards those who were running away with pieces of wood and stones, urging them to go back and stand firm. Ibn Kathir noted the courage of the Muslim women and the important role they played in this battle: "The Muslim women fought on this day, and killed a large number of Romans. They struck whoever among the Muslims ran away, and said, `Where are you going, to leave us at the mercy of these infidels?!' When they told them off in this manner, they had not choice but to return to the fight."122

The Muslim woman's stance and encouragement played a major role in making the mujahidin stand firm until Allaah decreed that they would be victorious over the Romans. On this tremendous day, Asma' bint Yazid did extremely well, and demonstrated a type of courage that was unknown among many of the men. She went forth into the battle lines, and struck down a number of the mushrikin. Ibn Hijr also noted her bravery: "Umm Salamah al-Ansariyyah, i.e., Asma' bint Yazid ibn Sakan, was present at al-Yarmuk. On that day she killed nine Romans with her tent-pole. She lived for a while after that."123

It seems that this great heroine spent the rest of her life in Syria, where the battle of Yarmuk took place, as she went with those of the Sahabah who went there. She lived until the time of Yazid ibn Mu`awiyah, and when she passed away, she was buried in the cemetery of al-Bab al-Saghir. Her grave is still there, bearing proud testimony to the jihad of Muslim women for the sake of Allaah.124

These golden pages of Muslim women's history were written by those virtuous women themselves, through the depth of their faith and the completeness of their understanding of the Muslim's woman's mission in life and her duty towards her Lord and her religion. What I have cited represents only a small part of a vast and noble record of rare sacrifice, proud determination, unique talents and deep faith. Undoubtedly Muslim women today may find in these accounts an example worthy of following as they seek to form their own modern Islamic character and identity.

She is distinguished by her Islamic character and true religion
No doubt the true Muslim woman is distinguished by her Islamic character, and she is proud of the high status which Islam gave her at a very early stage, before women in other nations attained anything like it. Fifteen centuries ago, Islam proclaimed the full rights of women for the first time in history, and Muslim women enjoyed human rights centuries before the world had ever heard of human rights organizations or witnessed any "Declaration of Human Rights."

At that early stage, Islam declared that women were the twin halves of men, as stated in the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, al-Darimi and Ahmad. At a time when the Christian world doubted the humanity of woman and the nature of her soul, the Quran declared: “And their Lord has accepted of them, and answered them: `Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: you are members, one of another'” [Quran 3:195]

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, accepted women's oath of Islam and obedience, just as he accepted that of men. The women's bay`ah was independent of and separate from that of their menfolk, and was not done as an act of blind obedience. This is a confirmation of the independence of the Muslim woman's identity, and of their competence to bear the responsibility of giving the oath of allegiance and making the commitment to obey Allaah and be loyal to Him and His Messenger. All of this happened centuries before the modern world recognized woman's right to freedom of expression and the right to vote independently. This is in addition to other important rights, such as her independent right to own wealth and her freedom from the responsibility to spend on others, even if she is rich, and her equality with men in human worth, education, and general religious and legal duties. A full discussion of the rights which Islam has given to women, and the respect which it has bestowed upon them, is not possible here.

The level of respect, rights and competence attained by the Muslim woman is astonishing for Western women. I remember the comment of an American woman at a lecture given in the U.S. by the Syrian scholar Shaykh Bahjat al-Bitar on the rights of women in Islam. This lady was amazed at the rights which the Muslim woman had gained fifteen hundred years ago; she stood up and asked, "Is what you say about the Muslim woman and her rights true or is it just propagan? If it is true then take me to live with you for a while, then let me die!"

Many other Western women have also expressed their astonishment at the status and respect given to women in Islam. The modern Muslim woman, if she understands all this, is also filled with admiration for her true religion; her faith deepens and her conviction of the greatness and perfection of this divine program for human happiness, the well-being of men and women alike - grows ever stronger. It is sufficient for her to know that fifteen hundred years ago Islam achieved more for women in one blow than any other nation has achieved in the twentieth century. It is sufficient to know that the French Revolution of the late eighteenth century produced a human-rights document entitled "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizens" The first clause of this document states: "Men are born free and equal under the laws." There was an attempt to add the words "and woman," but this was rejected, and the statement remained confined to men only: "Man is born free, and he should not be enslaved."

A century later, the great French scholar Gustave le Bon, in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, stated in his book "The Psychology of Peoples" that woman had never been equal to man except in periods of decline; this comment came in his refutation of demands that women should be made equal with men by giving them the same right to vote. This is how the situation remained until the advent of the League of Nations, following the First World War, and the United Nations Organization following the Second World War.

Women's-rights advocates succeeded in stating the equality of women with men only after a great deal of hard work, because they were faced with the obstacle of quasi-religious traditions and customs; they did not have access to any text of national or international law that treated women with any measure of justice, which they could have used to overturn these obstacles and free women from the oppressive legacy of the past. Meanwhile, fifteen hundred years ago, Islam had definitively shown, in the Quran and Sunnah, that men and women were equal in terms of reward, punishment, responsibility, worship, human worth and human rights.

When Islam made men and women equal in terms of human rights, it also made them equal in terms of human duties, as they were both charged with the role of khalifah (vicegerent) on earth and were commanded to populate and cultivate it, and to worship Allaah therein. Islam gave each of them his or her unique role to play in establishing a righteous human society; these roles are complementary, not opposite, and they apply to every man and woman. Each sex must play the role for which it is better suited and qualified, in order to build solid individuals, families and societies and achieve solidarity, mutual assistance and co-operation between the two sexes, without preventing anyone from doing any permitted deed which he or she wishes to do.

Men and women are equally governed by whatever is in the interests of humanity, and both will be rewarded in accordance with their deeds in this life, as Allaah Says (which means): “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has Faith, verily, to him will We give a new Life, and life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions.” [Quran 16:97]

Both men and women are regarded as "shepherds" who are responsible for their "flocks," as is stated in the well-known Hadeeth of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. The Muslim woman who understands the high status which Islam gave her fifteen centuries ago knows full well that the position of women in every nation governed by ancient laws was appalling, especially in India and Rome, in the Middle Ages in Europe, and in Arabia prior to the advent of Islam.

So her pride in her Islamic identity, true religion and high human status increases. The position of women under ancient laws may be summed up in the comment of the Indian leader Jawarharlal Nehru in his book "The Discovery of India": "The legal position of women, according to Manu, was undoubtedly very bad. They were always dependent on either a father or a husband or a son." It is known that inheritance in India always passed from male to male, and excluded females completely.

Nehru commented on this: "In any case, the position of women in ancient India was better than that in ancient Greece or Rome, or during the early Christian period." The position of woman in ancient Roman law was based on a complete denial of her civic rights, and on requiring her to be constantly under the tutelage of a guardian, whether she was a minor or had reached the age of majority, simply because she was female. So she was always under her father's or husband's tutelage, and had no freedom whatsoever to do as she wished. In general, she could be inherited, but she had no rights of inheritance.

Under Roman law, a woman was simply one of the possessions of her husband, deprived of her own identity and freedom of conduct. The effects of this law are still visible in the twentieth century, in most of the modern states whose laws are still influenced by Roman law.

As a result of the influences of Roman law, women's position during the early Christian period was as appalling as Nehru suggests. Some religious councils shed doubts on the humanity of woman and the nature of her soul; conferences were held in Rome to debate these matters, and to discuss whether woman possessed souls like men, or were their souls like those of animals such as snakes and dogs? One of these gatherings in Rome even decided that women did not possess a soul at all, and that they would never be resurrected in the afterlife.

In the Arabian Peninsula, most tribes prior to the advent of Islam regarded women as something to be despised and abhorred. They were seen as a source of shame, which many would try to avoid by burying infant girls alive as soon as they were born.

Islam condemned this appalling situation of women in more than one place in the Quran. Referring to the low esteem in which women were held at the time of jahiliyyah, Allaah said: “When news is brought to one of them, of [the birth of] a female [child], his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on [sufferance and] contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! What an evil [choice] they decide on!”[Quran 16:58-59]

Explaining the enormity of the crime of burying alive an innocent infant who has never committed any sin, Allaah Says (which means):
“When the female [infant], buried alive, is questioned - For what crime she was killed . . .” [Quran 81:8-9]

Women were in the most appalling and humiliating situations, in which their very humanity was in doubt - especially in the Arab world before the advent of Islam, and in most of the civilized world at that time, in Rome, and during the early Christian period. Most of the modern nation-states are still influenced by Roman law, as is well-known to scholars of law.125

The Muslim woman understands the great blessing, which Allaah bestowed upon her the day when the brilliant light of Islam shone upon the Arab world: "This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” [Quran 5:3]

The Muslim woman's soul is filled with happiness, contentment and pride, and her status and position are raised by the fact that Islam gives the mother a higher status than the father. A man came to the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and asked him: "O Messenger of Allaah, who among people is most deserving of my good company?" He said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said, "Then your father."126

Because of the way she is created, the woman is unique in her ability to bear a child then breast feed and nurture him, a role that is difficult and involves much hardwork, as the Quran noted: “And We have enjoined on man [to be good] to his parents: in travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years Twain was his weaning: [hear the command], `Show gratitude to Me and to your parents: to Me is [your final] Goal.” [Quran31:14]

Just as this heavy burden is placed on women's shoulders, men are given the role of maintaining and protecting the family (qawwamun); they have the duty of earning money and spending on the family. However, many men still do not understand the status of the mother in Islam, as is reflected in the Hadeeth quoted above, in which a man asked the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, who was most deserving of his good company.

Islam raised the status of women by placing the status of the mother above that of the father, and it has also given women the right to keep their own family names after marriage. The Muslim woman keeps her own surname and identity after marriage, and does not take her husband's name, as happens in the West where the married women is known by her husband's name as "Mrs. So-and-so," and her maiden name is cancelled from civic records. Thus Islam preserves the woman's identity after marriage: although the Muslim woman is strongly urged to be a good wife, obeying and respecting her husband, her identity is not to be swallowed up in his.

If we add to this the fact that Islam has given women the right to complete freedom in how they dispose of their own wealth, and that they are not expected to spend on anyone else's upkeep, the high status to which Islam has raised women becomes crystal-clear. Hence we can understand how much Islam wants women to be free, proud, respected, and able to fulfil their tremendous mission in life.

Her loyalty is to Allaah alone
One of the results of the Muslim woman's pride in her Islamic identity is that she will never be loyal to anything or anyone other than Allaah , not even her husband or her father, who are among the closest people to her. We see the epitome of this loyalty (wala') in the life of the Prophet's wife Umm Habibah (May Allaah be pleased with her), Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan, the chief of Makkah and leader of the mushrikin. She was married to the Prophet's cousin (son of his paternal aunt) `Ubaydullah ibn Jahsh al-Asadi, the brother of the Prophet's wife Zaynab. Her husband `Ubaydullah embraced Islam, and she entered Islam with him, whilst her father Abu Sufyan was still a kafir.

She and her husband migrated to Abyssinia with the first Muslims who went there, and left her father in Makkah, boiling with rage because his daughter had embraced Islam and there was no way he could get at her. But the life of this patient Muslim woman was not free from problems. Sadly, her husband `Ubaydullah left Islam and became a Christian, joining the religion of the Abyssinians. He tried to make her join him in his apostasy, but she refused and remained steadfast in her faith. She had given birth to her daughter Habibah, and was now known as Umm Habibah.

She withdraw from people, and felt as if she would die of grief and sorrow because of all the disasters that had befallen her. She and her daughter were alone in a strange land, and all the ties between her and her father and husband had been cut. The father of her small daughter was now a Christian, and the child's grandfather at that time was a mushrik and an enemy of Islam who had declared all-out war on the Prophet in whom she believed and the religion that she followed.

Nothing could save her from this distress and grief except the care of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, who was losing sleep over the believers who had migrated, concerned for their welfare and checking on them. He sent word to the Negus to request him to arrange his marriage to Umm Habibah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan, one of the immigrants to his country, as is explained in the books of sirah and history. Thus Umm Habibah, the daughter of Abu Sufyan, became one of the "Mothers of the Believers."

Time passed, and as the conquest of Makkah drew closer, the threat to Quraysh, who had broken the treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah, became ever more apparent.

Their leaders met and realized that Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, would never keep quiet about their betrayal or accept the humiliation they had inflicted on him. So they agreed to send and envoy to Madinah, to negotiate a renewal and extension of the treaty with Muhammad , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. The man chosen for this task was Abu Sufyan ibn Harb.

Abu Sufyan came to Madinah, and was nervous about meeting Muhammad , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Then he remembered that he had a daughter in the Prophet's household, so he sneaked into her house and asked her to help him achieve what he had come for. Umm Habibah (May Allaah be pleased with her) was surprised to see him in her house, as she had not seen him since she had left for Abyssinia. She stood up, filled with confusion, not knowing what to do or say.

Abu Sufyan realised that his daughter was overwhelmed with the shock of his sudden arrival, so he asked for her permission to sit down, and went over to sit on the bed. He was stunned when his daughter Ramlah rushed to grab the mattress and roll it up. He said, "O my daughter, I do not understand.

Is this mattress not good enough for me or am I not good enough for it?" She said, "It belongs to the Messenger of Allaah , sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and you are a mushrik, so I do not want you to sit on it."

Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan affirmed her loyalty (wala') to Allaah. She had no regrets about her worthless husband, who had sold his religion for this world. She remained steadfast in her faith, bearing the pain of grief and loneliness in a strange land, where she was most in need of a husband to protect her and take care of her daughter. Allaah, the Munificent Bestower, compensated her with the best that any woman could have hoped for at that time, and made her the wife of the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, and so her status was raised to that of one of the "Mothers of the Believers."

The shock of seeing her father so suddenly after many years did not make her forget her loyalty to Allaah and His Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam.

She pulled the Prophet's mattress away from her father because he was a kafir, and she did not want to let him contaminate it by sitting on it. This is the attitude of a Muslim woman who is proud of her religion: her soul is filled with faith and there is no room for tribalism or loyalty to any other than Allaah and His religion. Throughout history, Muslim women's pride in their Islamic identity gave them the strength and determination to resist temptations and threats, and protected them from being overwhelmed by the forces of kufr and falsehood, no matter how powerful these were. The Muslim women's souls were filled with the unquenchable fire of faith, as we see in the steadfastness of Pharaoh's wife, who challenged the entire Pharaonic world with all its temptations and pleasures, caring little about the punishments heaped upon her by her husband because of her faith, and repeating her prayer: “O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to You, a mansion in the Garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong.” [Quran 66:11]

Seeking the pleasure of Allaah and striving to make His word supreme on earth come above any other goals or ambitions. The true Muslim woman never forgets this truth, and as time passes her pride in her Islamic identity, her devotion to this unique, divinely-ordained way of life, and her loyalty to Allaah go from strength to strength.

She enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil
The Muslim woman who understands her religion reads the ayah: “The Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allaah and His Messenger. On them will Allaah pour His Mercy: for Allaah is Exalted in Power, Wise.” ch Allaah revealed fifteen hundred years ago, and she finds herself on the highest level of intellectual and social status that any woman of any nation or race has ever known. Islam has stated that women are fully human,and are legally competent and independent. There is no difference between women and men when it comes to owning property, buying or selling, or arranging a marriage.

This is something which had never previously been the case in any nation, where women were seen as possessions of men, under their tutelage and command. This ayah, “The Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another . . .” raises women to the level of loyalty and friendship with men, and makes them partners in the work of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. Women are responsible for fulfilling this duty on equal terms with men, as both are charged with the duty of populating and cultivating the earth, and worshipping Allaah therein. Thus Islam rescued women from their position of being mere chattels of men, which in most cases had given men control over life and death., and raised them to the level of equality and humanity. When Islam gave women the duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, it gave her the status of a human being who, for the first time in history, was giving orders whereas under other systems she was the one to whom orders were always given. Islam declared that in the sight of Allaah , both sexes were equally qualified to worship Him, and were equally deserving of His mercy. There is a great deal of proof of this in the Quran and Sunnah.

Our history is filled with women whose words and deeds reflect their noble Islamic character. They spoke the truth, and felt that they had a responsibility before Allaah to do so, and were never afraid to do so. One example of the strength and maturity of Muslim women's character, and the freedom that they had to express their opinions, is the criticism voiced by a woman who was listening to the khalifah `Umar ibn al-Khattab forbidding excessive dowries and advocating that they should be limited to a certain amount. This woman stood up and said, "You have no right to do that, O `Umar!" He asked, "Why not?"

[color=#009966]She said, "because Allaah Says (which means):
“But if you decide to take one wife in place of another, even if you had given the latter a whole treasure for dower, take not the least bit of it back; would you take it by slander and a manifest wrong?.” [Quran 4:20] `Umar said, "The woman is right, and the man is mistaken."127

The khalifah `Umar listened to this woman, and when it became apparent that she was right, he admitted that she was right, and he was mistaken. Thus a Muslim woman set the earliest historic precedent of criticizing the head of state, and what a head of state! This was the rightly-guided khalifah, the greatest ruler of his age, a man who was feared, the conqueror of Persia and Byzantium. This woman could not have criticized and opposed him if it were not for her deep understanding of the religion that had given her the right to freedom of expression, and commanded her to enjoin that which was good and forbid that which was evil.

She reads Quran often
In order to reach this high level of obedience, righteousness and taqwa, the Muslim woman has no choice but to seek guidance in the blessed Book of Allaah , sheltering herself in its shade every day. She should read Quran regularly, reciting it carefully and thinking about the meaning of the ayat. Then its meaning may penetrate her mind and emotions, and her heart and soul will be filled with the light of its pure guidance.It is enough for the Muslim woman to know the status of the one who reads Quran in the sight of Allaah , as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, described it in a number of Hadeeth. So she should read Quran whenever she has the opportunity, and her days and nights should be filled with recitation of its ayat and reflection upon its meaning.

The Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said:"The likeness of a believer who reads the Quran is like a citron, whose smell is pleasant and whose taste is pleasant; the likeness of a believer who does not read the Quran is like a date, which has no smell, but its taste is sweet; the likeness of the hypocrite who reads the Quran is like a fragrant flower which has a pleasant smell but whose taste is bitter; and the likeness of a hypocrite who does not read the Quran is like a colocynth (bitter-apple), which has no smell and its taste is bitter."128"Read the Quran, for it will come forward on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its readers."129

"The one who reads the Quran fluently is with the honourable pious scribes130, and the one who reads the Quran and struggles to read it even though it is difficult for him, will receive a double reward."131

Knowing this, how can any Muslim woman fail to read the Quran, no matter how busy she is with household duties and the role of wife and mother? Can she neglect the Quran and deprive herself of its great blessing and the reward which Allaah has prepared for those who read it? In conclusion, this is the attitude of the true Muslim woman towards her Lord: she has deep faith in Allaah (and willingly submits to His will and decree; she worships Him sincerely, obeying all His commands and heeding all His prohibitions; she understands what it means to be a true servant of Allaah ; she constantly strives to support His religion and to make His word supreme on earth; she is proud of her Muslim identity, which draws its strength from her understanding of the purpose of human existence in this life, as defined by Allaah in the Quran: “I have only created jinns and men, that they may serve Me.” [Quran 51:56]

Footnotes:
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1. Bab Yaziffun. See Ibn Hijr, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih Bukhaari, published by Dar al-Ma'rifah, vol. 6, p. 396.
2. See Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din, 1/147.
3. See Imam al-Baghawi, Sharh al-Sunnah, 2/176 (Kitab al-salah, bab fadl al-salawat alkhams); published by al-Maktab al-Islami.
4. See Kitab al-salah, bab fadl al-salawat al-khams.
5. See Sahih Muslim bi sharh al-Nawawi, Kitab al-masajid, bab fadl al-salah al-maktubah fi jama'ah, 5/170, published by the Head Office of Academic Research, Ifta and Da'wah, Saudi Arabia.
6. Kitab al-taharah, bab fadl al-wudu' wa'l-salah 'aqabahu.
7. Fath al-Bari, 1/482, bab fi kam tualli al-mar'ah fi'l-t hiyab.
8. (Bukhaari and Muslim) See Sharh al-Sunnah, 2/195, Kitab al-salah, bab ta'jil Salat al-Fajr.
9. (Bukhaari and Muslim) See Sharh al-Sunnah, 3/410, Kitab al-salah, bab takhfif fi amrin yahdath.
10. Abu Dawud, 1/221, Kitab al-salah, bab ma ja'a fi khuruj al-nisa' ila al-masjid; Ahmad, 2/76; it is hasan li ghayrihi.
11. Fat al-Bari, 2/351, Kitab al-adhan, bab isti'dhan al-mar'ah zawjaha bi'l-khuruj ila'l-masjid; Sahih Muslim, 4/161, Kitab al-salah, bab khuruj al-nisa' ila'l-masajid.
12. Fatal-Bari, 2/382, kitab al-jumu'ah, bab al-idhn li'l-nisa' bi'l-khuruj ila'l-masajid.
13. See Fath al-Bari, commentary on Sahih Bukhaari, 1/506, Kitab al-salah, bab ma ja'a fi'lQiblah; Sahih Muslim, 5/10, Kitab al-salah, bab tahwil al-Qiblah min al-quds ila'l-ka'bah.
14. Sahih Muslim, 6/162, Kitab al-jumu'ah, Bab tahiyyah al-masjid wa'l-imam yukhtub.
15. Sahih Muslim, 6/160, Kitab al-jumu'ah, Bab khutbah al-hajah.
16. This Hadeeth, narrated by 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar, is recorded by Abu 'Awanah, Ibn Khazimah and Ibn Hibban in their Sahihs; see also Fath al-Bari, 2/357, Kitab al-jumu'ah, bab fadl al-ghusl yawm al-jumu'ah.
17. See Fath al-Bari, 3/236, 237, Kitab al-jana'iz, bab ma ja'a fi 'adhab al-qabar.
18. See Fath al-Bari, 2/529, Kitab al-kusuf, bab al-sadaqah fi'l-kusuf; Sahih Muslim, 6/212, Kitab al-kusuf, bab ma 'arada 'ala al-Nabi (SAAS) fi Salat al-kusuf min al-jannah wa'l-nar.
19. See Sahih Muslim, 18/84, Kitab al-fitan wa ashrat al-sa'ah, bab qadiyyah al-jasasah.
20. Reported by Ahmad, see silsilah al-Hadeeth al-sahihah, no. 900, 2/601.
21. See Fath al-Bari, 2/347, Kitab al-adhan, bab khuruj al-nisa' ila'l-masajid; Sahih Muslim, 5/137, Kitab al-masajid, bab waqt al-'isha' wa ta'khiriha.
22. Sahih Muslim, 4/159, Kitab al-salah, bab tawiyyah al-sufuf wa iqamatiha.
23. See Fath al-Bari, 2/349, Kitab al-adhan, bab intidar al-nas Qiyam al-imam al-'alim.
24. (Bukhaari and Muslim) See Sharh al-Sunnah, 3/273, Kitab al-salah, bab al-tasbih idha nabaha shay' fi'l-salah.
25. Al-Mudawwanah, 1/106.
26. See Sahih Muslim, 4/161, 162, Kitab al-salah, bab khuruj al-nisa' ila'l-masajid.
27. Ibid., 4/162, 163.
28. Ibid., 4/161
29. Fath al-Bari, 2/382, Kitab al-jumu'ah, bab al-idhn li'l-nisa' bi'l-khuruj ila'l-masajid; Sahih Muslim, 4/161, Kitab al-salah, bab khuruj al-nisa' ila'l-masajid.
30. Sahih Muslim, 4/161, kitab al-salah, bab khuruj al-nisa' ila'l-masajid.
31. Ibid., 4/163
32. Ibid., 4/163
33. Ibid., 4/163
34. Ibid., 6/178, 179, Kitab Salat al-'idayn, bab ibahah khuruj al-nisa' fi'l-'idayn ila'l-musalla.
35. Ibid., 6/179, Kitab Salat al-'idayn, bab ibahah khuruj al-nisa' fi'l-'idayn ila'l-musalla.
36. Ibid., 6/180, Kitab Salat al-'idayn, bab ibahah khuruj al-nisa' fi'l-'idayn ila'l-musalla.
37. Fath al-Bari, 2/469, Kitab al-'idayn, bab idha lam yukun laha jilbab fi'l-'id.
38. Fath al-Bari, 2/469, Kitab al-'idayn, bab idha lam yukun laha jilbab fi'l-'id.
39. Fath al-Bari, 2/466, Kitab al-'idayn, bab maw'izah al-imam al-nisa'a yawm al-'id; Sahih Muslim, 6/174, Kitab Salat al-'idayn.
40. Ibn Hijr mentioned in Fath al-Bari, 2/468, that she was Asma' bint Yazid ibn al-Sakan, who was known as the spokeswoman for the women, and was a very confident woman.
41. Fath al-Bari, 2/466, Kitab al-'idayn, bab maw'izat al-imam al-nisa'a yawn al-'id; Sahih Muslim, 6/171, Kitab Salat al-'idayn.
42. See Ibn al-Jawzi, Ahkam al-nisa', 186, 204 (Beirut edition); Ibn Qudamah, al-Mughni, 2/202 (Riyadh edition).
43. Fath al-Bari, 11/341, Kitab al-riqaq, bab al-tawadu'
44. Sahih Muslim, 16/184, Kitab al-birr wa'l-adab wa'l-silah, bab idha ahabba Allaahu 'abdan.
45. (Bukhaari and Muslim) See Sharh al-Sunnah 4/45, Kitab al-Salat, bab al-ijtihad fi Qiyam alLayl.
46. See Sahih Muslim, 6/72, 73, Kitab Salat al-musafirin, bab fadilat al-'aml al-da'im.
47. Ibid., 6/73.
48. Ibid., 6/72.
49. See Sahih Muslim, 6/70-72, Kitab salah al-musafirin, bab fadilah al-'aml al-da'im.
50. Ibid., 5/89, 90, Kitab al-masajid, bab istihbab al-dhikr ba'd al-salah.
51. See Imam al-Nawawi, Riyadh al-Salihin, p. 621, Kitab al-adhkar, bab fadl al-dhikr wa'l-hathth 'alayhi; Sahih Muslim, 5/83-95, Kitab al-masajid, bab al-dhikr ba'd al-Salat.
52. See Sahih Muslim, 5/95, Kitab al-masajid, bab al-dhikr ba'd al-salah.
53. See Sahih Muslim, 1/207, Kitab al-iman, bab wujub qital tarik ahad arkan al-Islam.
54. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/217, Kitab al-siyam, bab thawab man sama Ramadan.
55. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Riyad al-Salihin, p. 570, Kitab al-fada'il, bab fi amr al-sa'im bi hifz lisanihi wa jawarihihi 'an al-mukhalifat.
56. Fath al-Bari, 4/116, Kitab al-sawm, bab man lam yada' qawl al-zur wa'l-'aml bihi fi'l-sawm.
57. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/221, Kitab al-sawm, bab fadl al-sawm.
58. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 4/116, Abwab al-nawafil, bab Qiyam shahr Ramadan wa fadluhu.
59. Sahih Muslim, 8/70, Kitab al-sawm, bab al-ijtihad fi'l-'ashar al-awakhir min shahr Ramadan.
60. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/389, Kitab al-siyam, bab al-ijtihad fi'l-'ashar al-awakhir.
61. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/380, Kitab al-siyam, bab ma ja'a fi Laylat aladr.
62. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/379, Kitab al-siyam, bab ma ja'a fi Laylat alqadr.
63. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/251, Kitab al-siyam, bab fadl al-Suhur.
64. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/253, Kitab al-siyam, bab fadl al-Suhur.
65. Sahih Muslim, 8/51, Kitab al-siyam, bab istihbab siyam yawm 'Arafat.
66. Sahih Muslim, 8/12, Kitab al-siyam, bab sawm yawm 'ashura'.
67. Sahih Muslim, 8/51, Kitab al-siyam, bab istihbab siyam yawm 'ashura'.
68. Sahih Muslim, 8/13, Kitab al-siyam, bab sawm yawm 'ashura'.
69. Sahih Muslim, 8/56, Kitab al-siyam: bab istahbab siyam sittat ayam min shawwal.
70. Fath al-Bari, 4/226, Kitab al-sawm, bab siyam ayam al-bid; Sahih Muslim, 5/234, Kitab Salat al-musafirin, bab istihbab Salat al-duha.
71. Sahih Muslim, 5/235, Kitab Salat al-musafirin, bab istihbab Salat al-duha.
72. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 6/362, Kitab al-siyam, bab sawm al-dahr.
73. Sahih Muslim, 8/48, Kitab al-siyam, bab istihbab siyam thalathat ayyam min kulli shahr.
74. Fath al-Bari, 4/72, Kitab jaza' al-sayd, bab hajj al-nisa'.
75. Fath al-Bari, 4/72, Kitab jaza' al-sayd, bab hajj al-nisa'
76. Sahih Muslim, 15/56, 54, Kitab al-fada'il, bab hawd nabiyyina (SAAS) wa siffatuhu.
77. A jahili form of divorce where the husband told his wife "You are to me like the back of my mother." According to pre-Islamic Arabian custom, this freed the husband from marital duties, but effectively imprisoned the woman as she was not free to leave her husband's home or enter into another marriage; the husband was also not obliged to provide for the children of the marriage.The Quran clearly abolished this cruel and oppressive practice. See Yusuf Ali's Note Number 5330. [Translator]
78. Wasq: the amount of fruit a date-palm would bear in one season. [Author]
79. Faraq: a measurement of weight approximately equivalent to 60 kilograms. [Author]
80. See Mukhtasar Tafsir Ibn Kathir, 3/459, Surat al-Mujadilah 58:1-4 (published by Dar al- Quran al-Karim, Beirut.)
81. See Fath al-Bari, 13/402, Kitab al-Tawhid, bab wa kana 'arshuhu 'ala'l-ma'.
82. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 7/18, Kitab al-Hajj, bab al-mar'ah la takhruj illa ma'a mahram.
83. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 9/26, Kitab al-nikah, bab al-nahy 'an an yakhlu al-rajul bi'l-mar'ah al-ajnabiyyah.
84. Juyubihinna includes the face and neck as well as the bosom. [Translator]
85. Sahih Muslim, 14/109, Kitab al-libas wa'l-zinah, bab al-nisa' al-kasiyat al-'ariyat.
86. Fath al-Bari, 8/489, Kitab al-tafsir, bab walyadribna bi khumurihinna 'ala juyubihinna.
87. See Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih Bukhaari, 8/489, 490, Kitab al-tafsir, bab walyadribna bi khumurihinna 'ala juyubihinna.
88. Al-Mujtama' magazine, Kuwait, issue no. 932.
89. Al-Mujtama' magazine, Kuwait, issue no. 931.
90. Ibid.
91. Fath al-Bari, 9/420, Kitab al-talaq, bab idha aslamat al-mushrikah aw al-nasraniyyah taht aldhimmi aw al-harbi.
92. Sahih Bukhaari; see Fath al-Bari, 2/566, Kitab taqsir al-Salat, bab fi kam yaqsur al-Salat.
93. Sahih Muslim, 9/103, Kitab al-Hajj, bab safar al-mar'ah ma'a mahram.
94. See: Sharh Sahih Muslim, 9/102-109, Kitab al-Hajj, bab safar al-mar'ah ma'a mahram.
95. Sahih Muslim, 18/25, Kitab al-zuhd, bab fi Hadeeth mutafarriqah,
96. al-Isabah, 8/66,67
97. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 10/61, Kitab al-imarah wa'l-qada', bab al-ra'I mas'ul 'an ra'iyatihi
98. Reported by Tirmidhi, 4/34, at the end of the section on zuhd; it is a hasan Hadeeth.
99. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 1/401, Kitab al-taharah, bab al-niyyah fi'l-wudu' wa ghayrihi min al-'ibadat.
100. Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, 8/280 (Beirut edition).
101. See Tabaqat Ibn Sa'd, 7/35 and al-Isabah, 8/83.
102. See Sirat Ibn Hisham: al-hijrah ila'l-Madinah.
103. See Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih Bukhaari, 7/233, 240, Kitab manaqib al-Ansar, bab hijrat al-Nabi wa ashabihi ila'l-Madinah, and 6/129, Kitab al-jihad, bab haml al-zad fi'l-ghazw.
104. Ibn al-Jawzi, Ahkam al-Nisa', 439.
105. See Sahih Muslim, 12/194, Kitab al-jihad wa'l-siyar, bab al-nisa' al-ghaziyat.
106. See Sahih Muslim, 12/188, Kitab al-jihad wa'l-siyar, bab ghazwat al-nisa'.
107. See Fath al-bari, 6/80, Kitab al-jihad, bab mudawamat al-nisa' al-jarha fi'l-ghazw.
108. Fath al-Bari, 7/361, Kitab al-maghazi, bab idh hammat ta'ifatan minkum an tufshila; Sahih Muslim, 12/189, Kitab al-jihad wa'l-siyar, bab ghazwat al-nisa' ma'a al-rijal.
109. Fath al-Bari, 6/79, Kitab al-jihad, bab haml al-nisa' al-qurab ila'l-nas fi'l-ghazw and 7/366, Kitab al-maghazi, bab dhikr Umm Salit.
110. See Fath al-Bari, 7/372, Kitab al-maghazi, bab ma asaba al-Nabi (r) min al-jirah yawma Uhud.
111. See the reports on the Battle of Uhud in the Sirah of Ibn Hisham, and in Insan al-'Uyun, al-Athar al-Muhammadiyyah, the Tabaqat of Ibn Sa'd, al-Isabah, and Asad al-Ghabah.
112. See Siyar a'lam al-nubala', 2/281.
113. Those who entered Islam on the day of the Conquest of Makkah. [Author]
114. Sahih Muslim, 12/187, 188, Kitab al-jihad wa'l-siyar, bab ghazwat al-nisa' ma'a al-rijal.
115. Al-Rumaysa': a nickname of Umm Sulaym, on account of a ramas (white secretion) in her eye. [Author]
116. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 14/86, Kitab fada'il al-sahabah, bab fada'il 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.
117. i.e., the wife of Mu'awiyah. [Author]
118. Fath al-Bari 6/76, Kitab al-jihad, bab ghazw al-mar'ah fi'l-bahr.
119. Al-Hilyah, 2/62; Siffat al-safwah, 2/70.
120. See al-Maghazi, 1/278; Ansab al-Ashraf, 1/326; al-Bayhaqi, Dala'il al-Nubuwwah, 3/311.
121. Sal-Maghazi, 2/301, 310, 316; al-Dhahabi, Tarikh al-Islam, 2/201; al-Sirah al-Halabiyyah, 2/545, 546.
122. Al-bidayah wa'l-nihayah, 7/13; see also al-Tabari, al-Tarikh, 2/335ff (published by Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyyah).
123. Al-Isabah, 4/229; see also Majma' al-Zawa'id by al-Haythami, who quotes this story, stating that it was narrated by al-Tabarani and that the men of its isnad are thiqat. See also Siyar a'lam al-nubala', 2/297.
124. See Siyar a'lam al-nubala', 2/297.
125. See Dr. Ma'ruf al-Dawalibi, Al-mar'ah fi'l-Islam, p. 23.
126. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 13/4, Kitab al-isti'dhan, bab birr al-walidayn.
127. See Fath al-Bari, Kitab al-nikah; also Shaykh 'Ali al-Tantawi, Akhbar 'Umar, p 393.
128. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah 4/431, Kitab fada'il al-Quran: bab fadl tilawat al-Quran.
129. Sahih Muslim, 6/90, Kitab Salat al-musafirin, bab fadl qira'at al-Quran.
130. i.e., the angels who record the deeds of man. The meaning is that one who is well-versed in Quran will enjoy such a high status in the Hereafter that he will be in the exalted company of these pious scribes. [Translator]
131. (Bukhaari and Muslim), See Sharh al-Sunnah, 4/429, 430, Kitab fada'il al-Quran, bab fadl tilawat al-Quran.

» Chapter 2: The Muslim Woman and Her Own Self
» Chapter 7: The Muslim Woman and Her Relatives
» Chapter 8: The Muslim Woman And Her Neighbours
» Chapter 3: The Muslim Woman and Her Parents
» Chapter 5: The Muslim Woman and Her Children

IZHAR UL-HAQ

إجازة الأستاذ أحمد لبن مدير المنتدى بقراءة الإمام عاصم الكوفي

Chapter 1: The Muslim Woman and Her Rabb