Great Women of Islam - Islamic Network

18/10/2012 03:10Great Women of Islam - Islamic Network

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The Islamic Network - www.islaam.netThursday, 2 Dhu 'l-Hijjah 1433 AH / 18th October 2012 CE

Great Women of Islamby 'Abdul Muhsin Ibn Muhammad al-Qsim

All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household andcompanions.

Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared. Fear of Allaah is a reminder for His devoted servants and it is safetyfrom His punishment. Dear brethren! Muslim woman attains prosperity by following the path of the best women who livedin the best generation and got nurtured in the house of Prophethood. They are women of high status and outstandingestimation. Allaah praises them in the Quraan where He says,

O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If youkeep your duty (to Allaah), then be not soft in speech, lest he inwhose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery)should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner.(Al-Ahzaab 33:32)

They are blessed and great women. Foremost among them is that intelligent and wise woman, Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid,the religious and noble woman. She grew up upon virtuous characters and manners. She was chaste and gracious. Shewas known among Makkah womenfolk as the pure woman. The Messenger of Allaah married her and she became anexcellent wife for him. She supported him with her life, wealth and wisdom. During his sorrowful days, he would seekshelter with her and confide in her.

When the first revelation came to him he went to his wife frightened, and he said, O Khadeejah, I fear for myself. ButKhadeejah responded to his fear with a firm heart. She told him, By Allaah, Allaah will not disgrace you.

Islaam started in her house and she was the first person to embrace it. Ibn al-Atheer said, Khadeejah was the first personto embrace Islaam, according to the consensus of the Muslims. No man or woman ever embraced Islaam before her.

At the beginning of the Prophets mission, he was faced with many tribulations. But she stood by him compassionatelyand supported him with her outstanding intelligence. Whenever he heard any undesirable words from the people andcame to her, she would strengthen and console him. The Prophet said about her,

She believed in me when people denied me, she trusted me when people belied me; she supported mewith her wealth when people refused to support me and I was blessed with children by her when I wasdenied children by other women. (Ahmad)

Khadeejah was a great and dutiful wife to her husband and an affectionate mother to her children. She gave birth to all theProphets children except Ibraaheem. She was extremely good-mannered. She never argued with her husband and shenever bothered him. The Messenger of Allaah said,

Angel Jibreel came to me and said: Give Khadeejah the good tidings that she will have a palace made ofhollowed pearls in Paradise and there will be neither noise nor any trouble in it. (Al-Bukhaaree andMuslim)

As-Suhaylee said, She was given the glad tiding of a house in Paradise because she never raised her voice over that ofthe Prophet and she never bothered him. She was pleased with her Lord and Allaah is pleased with her.

The Prophet said, Angel Jibreel told me:

When you come to Khadeejah, convey my Lords greetings to her and mine as well. (Al-Bukhaaree andMuslim)



Ibn al-Qayyim said, Khadeejah was the only woman known to have this honour.

Allaah loved Khadeejah, so did His angels. The Messenger of Allaah also loved her so much. He said,

I am blessed with her love. (Muslim)

Whenever the Prophet remembered her, he would mention her in glowing attributes and would show gratitude for hercompanionship. Aaishah said, Whenever the Messenger of Allaah remembered Khadeejah, he would never be tired ofpraising her and invoking Allaahs forgiveness for her. He appreciated her love and sincerity and he would honour herfriends after her death. Aaishah said,

He would often slaughter a goat, cut it into parts and distribute it to Khadeejahs friends. And whenever Iasked him, Are there no other women in the world except Khadeejah? He would say, She was this andthat and she bore me children. (Al-Bukhaaree)

After her death, Allaahs Messenger heard her sisters voice. He them became sad and said, She reminded me ofKhadeejah.

Khadeejah was perfect in her religion, wisdom and conduct. The Prophet said,

Many men attained perfection, but only three women attained it: Maryam, daughter of Imraan [Jesusmother], Aasiyah, Pharaohs wife and Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid. (Ibn Mardooyah)

She preceded the women of this Ummah in righteousness, nobility and splendour. Allaahs Messenger said,

Maryam [Mary, Jesus mother] was the best woman of her time, and the best woman of this Ummah isKhadeejah. (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

Khadeejah was righteous and made her home righteous. She reaped the fruit of her labour and she and her daughterbecame the best of the women of the worlds in Paradise. The Prophet said,

The best f the women of Paradise are: Khadeejah, Faatimah, Maryam [Mary] and Aasiyah. (Ahmad andAn-Nasaaee)

She occupied a great place in the Prophets heart. He did not marry any woman before her neither did he marry anywoman or have any concubine while she was still with him until she died. He was extremely distressed with her death.Adh-Dhahabee said, Khadeejah was intelligent, gracious, religious, chaste and noble. She is one of the dwellers ofParadise.

Dear brethren! Another great woman of the house of Prophethood is Aaishah, daughter of Aboo Bakr. She was born inthe house of truthfulness and piety and she was nurtured in the house of eemaan. Her mother was a companion and hersister, Asmaa, Lady of the Two Girdles and her brother were also companions. Her father is the truthful man of thisUmmah. She grew up in the house of knowledge, for her father was the erudite scholar of Quraysh and the highestauthority in genealogy. Allaah endowed her with outstanding intelligence and a sharp memory. Ibn Katheer said, Nonation has produced a woman as sharp, knowledgeable, fluent and intelligent as Aaishah. She excelled the women ofher race in knowledge and wisdom. She was blessed with understanding of Islaamic jurisprudence and memorisation ofpoetry. She was in fact, a treasure of Islaamic sciences. Adh-Dhahabee said, The most knowledgeable woman of thisUmmah is Aaishah. I do not know any woman from the Ummah of Muhammad or from any other nation moreknowledgeable than her.

She excelled all women with her virtues and beautiful companionship. Allaahs Messenger said,

The superiority of Aaishah over other women is like the superiority of thareed [1] over other kinds of

food. (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)

The Messenger of Allaah loved her; and he did not love anything but that which is pleasant.

Amr ibn al-Aas once asked Allaahs Messenger,

Who is most beloved to you of all people? The Prophet answered, Aaishah. And he said, And amongmen? And he answered, Her father. (Al-Bukhaaree)



men? And he answered, Her father. (Al-Bukhaaree)

She was the only virgin the Messenger of Allah married, and the revelation did not come to him in other womans blanketbut hers. She was chaste and devoted to her Lord. She did not go out of her house except in the night so that men couldnot see her. She said of herself, We did not use to go out but only in the night. This is in line with Allaahs instruction,

And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like thatof the times of ignorance. (Al-Ahzaab 33:33)

Al-Qurtubee said, There are resplendent evidences in Islaam that require women to stay at home and not to go outexcept when necessary. And when it becomes necessary for them to go out they should do so with complete covering ofthemselves and their adornments.

Allaah puts whomever He wills to test, and the test is in accordance with ones eemaan. Aaishah was slandered while shewas only twelve. She said, narrating her ordeal in this incidence, I wept and I could not sleep and I just kept weeping untilmy parents thought that my liver would burst from weeping. She said that the trial was so severe that she would weep butcould not find any more tears to shed.

Ibn Katheer said, So Allaah decided to defend her honour, and He revealed ten verses to absolve her. This elevated herstatus and these verses were recited and they shall continue to be recited till the Day of Resurrection. Allaah testified thatshe was one of the purest women and promised her forgiveness and a generous provision.

She spent nights caring for the Prophet in his illness until he died in her apartment, on her day and in her bosom.

Sawdah bint Zamah is another of the Prophets noble wives. She was pure-hearted and the first woman he married afterthe death of Khadeejah. She was his only wife for about three years. She was gracious and noble, and the purity of herheart manifested when she gave her days with the Prophet to Aaishah out of consideration for her husbands feelings andin order to earn reward of her Lord.

Another great woman in the Prophets household is Hafsah, daughter of Umar. She was given to observing prayers in thenight and performing supererogatory fasting. She grew up in a house in which the cause of Islaam was supported andtruth was given prominence. Seven members of her family participated in the battle of Badr. Aaishah said of her, Shewas my only competitor among the Prophets wives.

There is also Zaynab bint Khuzaymah al-Hilaaliyyah who was very generous and hastened to perform righteous deeds.She lived with Allaahs Messenger for only two months and then died.

Another distinguished woman in the house of Prophethood is Umm Habeebah daughter of Aboo Sufyaan, the emigrantand the one who was given to performing meritorious deeds. She was the closest to the Prophet of his wives in terms ofblood relation. There was no one among his wives who was more generous than her as far as charity giving is concerned.She migrated to Abyssinia, escaping with her religion. The king of Abyssinia paid her bridal gift on the Prophets behalfand got her ready for him.

Another outstanding wife of the Prophet was Umm Salamah, the patient and noble woman. Her name is Hind bint AbeeUmayyah, one of the earliest emigrants. When she wanted to migrate to al-Madeenah with her husband Aboo Salamah,her clan separated between her and her husband and son. She said, Every morning I would go to Abtah [a valley inMakkah] and I would keep weeping until evening. I did so for a whole year or close to a year. They later pitied me andgave my son back to me.

Her sure faith in Allaah was firm-rooted. When her first husband died, she said the invocation that Allaahs Messengertaught her, so Allaah gave her a better husband in the person of Allaahs Messenger. Umm Salamah narrated that theMessenger of Allaah said,

If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says what Allaah has commanded him," We belong to Allaahand to Him we shall return; O Allaah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better than it inexchange," Allah will give him something better than it in exchange. When Abu Salamah died she said:Which Muslim is better than Abu Salamah whose family was the first to emigrate to the Messenger ofAllaah? I then said those words, and Allaah gave me the Prophet in exchange. (Muslim)

Make this supplication your treasure during afflictions, Allaah will provide you with what is better.



Dear brethren! There is a woman among the Prophets wives known as Mother of the Poor. She is Zaynab bint Jahshwhose mother is the Prophets aunt. She enjoyed nobility of birth and character. She was described by Aboo Nuaym as,devoted and contented woman. Allaah married her to His Prophet through an explicit verse from His Book,

So when Zaid had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorcedher), We gave her to you in marriage. (Al-Ahzaab 33:37)

Her marriage to the Prophet is a blessing to the Muslim women till the day of Resurrection, for it was after her marriagethat Allaah ordained hijaab for the women so that it could serve as a symbol of protection for their honour, chastity andpurity.

Zaynab was extremely generous to the poor and the weak. She was highly charitable. In spite of her nobility and highstatus, she used to work with her hands, tanning and making beads. And she would spend the proceeds for the poor.Aaishah said, I have not seen a woman better in her adherence to religion, more pious, kinder to the kith and kin andmore generous in giving charity than Zaynab.

Juwayriyyah bint al-Haarith from the tribe of Banoo al-Mustaliq is another of the Prophets distinguished wives. Her fatherwas the influential chief of his tribe. She was in herself blessed as she was blessed to her tribe. Aaishah said, I have notseen a woman who is greater in blessing to her people more than her. She was given to performing much acts of worshipfor her Lord. She sincerely and devotedly worshiped her Lord. She would sit down in her prayer place remembering herLord after Fajr until mid-noon. She said

, The Messenger of Allaah came to me one morning while I was glorifying Allaah. He then went out forsome of his needs. When he came back just before mid-noon he said, Are you still there rememberingAllaah? And I said, Yes. (Muslim)

Another honourable wife of Allaahs Messenger is the beautiful Safiyyah bint Huyayy, a descendant of Prophet Haaroon[Aaron]. She was a noble and intelligent woman. She was highly-placed, religious, deliberate and peace-loving. TheMessenger of Allaah told her, Indeed, you are a daughter of a Prophet [meaning Aaron], your uncle is a Prophet[meaning Moses]; and you are also married to a Prophet. (At-Tirmidhee)

The feast of her marriage to the Prophet comprised only of butter, cottage cheese and dates. But the marriage wasblessed.

Maymoonah bint al-Haarith al-Hilaaliyyah, the woman who was given to being kind to the kith and kin is another eminentwife of the Prophet. She was one of the greatest women. Allaah endowed her with pure heart and performance of muchacts of worship. Aaishah said about her, She was one of the most pious and most generous to the kith and kin amongus.

Fellow Muslims! That is the history of the outstanding women of Islaam, mothers of the faithful. Their virtues are glowing.They had combination of beauties and virtues. It is therefore, incumbent upon Muslim women to make them their modelsin matters of their religion, their submission to Allaah and His Messenger, their conduct, their consciousness of Allaah,their performance of acts of worship, their truthfulness in words and their spending for the poor. They need to emulatethem in their alleviation of other peoples sufferings; and in their efforts to make their children righteous, correct them withpatience and in seeking fortification through knowledge and learning from erudite scholars.

They need to emulate them in keeping themselves properly covered, maintaining their chastity, staying at their homes andkeeping away from doubtful and lustful things. They should emulate them by avoiding pinning their hopes on this world,heedlessness and forgetfulness or being carried away by outward beauties while the inward is corrupt.

The Muslim women should avoid looking at forbidden things and engaging in amorous conversations with alien men. Theyshould beware of those who are calling to the removal of hijaab and mixing with men.

Muslim womans greatness and glory lie in her religion and her hijaab. Allaah says,

O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women ofthe believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e.screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to seethe way). That will be better, that they should be known (as freerespectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is EverOft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Israa 33:59)



Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Al-Israa 33:59)

Dear Muslims! The Prophets wives lived with him humbly in apartments built of brick and palm leaves, but full of eemaanand piety. They showed patience with the Messenger of Allaah over poverty and hunger. Sometimes, a month or twowould pass with no cooking fire kindled in their homes. They would spend days with nothing to eat but only dates andwater. Sometimes they would make do with water only. Yet they lived in contentedness and patience upon Allaahspromise that,

The Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of thisworld). (Ad-Duhaa 93:4)

And His promise,

And whosoever of you is obedient to Allaah and His Messengerand does righteous good deeds, We shall give her, her rewardtwice over, and We have prepared for her a noble provision. (Al-Ahzaab 33:31)

Brethren in Islaam! The Prophet married five of his wives with their ages ranging between forty and sixty. By that he wasable to lay an example in taking care of the widow and their orphaned children. He married Khadeejah while she was fortyyears old, with three children from the previous marriage, while he was unmarried before. He married Zaynab bintKhuzaymah who was an almost sixty-year-old widow. He married Umm Salamah who was a widow with six children. Hemarried Sawdah who was a fifty-five years old widow.

He married some relatives from among his cousins. And he married some women who were not his relatives.

He was a compassionate, dutiful and honourable husband to them all. He lived with them in the most beautiful way. Hewas always cheerful and kind to them.

Therefore, let those who want to prosper emulate the Messenger of Allaah, who is the best of all creatures. Let theMuslim women follow the path of the righteous wives of the Prophet. For, there is no success for any woman except byfollowing the path of these pious ladies in their righteousness and God-consciousness and in their dutifulness to theirhusband and children.

[1] Thareed is a dish of sopped bread, meat and broth.

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