Muslim Women

One of the main tasks we face as Muslims is to purify our current understanding of Islam so that it reflects the correct understanding of Islam. Unfortunately for many Muslim women 'culture' rather than Islam fundamentally influences their roles as mothers, wives and daughters. Culture and Islam have become so confused and synonymous that for many people it is difficult to distinguish between them. As Muslims it should be Islam which is the dominant, driving force in our lives, after all, we are Muslim’s first, second and last: "Say: My worship and my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah alone, the Lord of the Worlds." (6:162)

The Seerah (biography) of the Rasool-Allah (pbuh) cites many examples of where the Prophet (pbuh) encouraged the Sahaabah (ra) to teach and convey all that they had learnt to their wives. The wives of our beloved Rasool (pbuh) and the Sahabiyaat (ra) were shown to be constantly striving to learn and educate themselves about the Deen and the level of their understanding was reflected in their firm obedience to Allah and His Messenger (pbuh).

Is it not a great honor that the first person to embrace Islam was a woman, Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid (ra). She was the first woman to bear witness that there is no God worthy of worship except Allah and that her husband was the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Khadeejah (ra) was a constant source of help and comfort to Muhammad (saw) during his struggle to make the Deen prevail over all other ideologies.

'Aa-ishah (ra) being the wife of Rasool-Allah (pbuh) learnt a great deal from him. She used to sit with the women of the community and pass on any knowledge that she would receive from the Prophet (pbuh).

Long after he had died for as long as she lived, she was a source of immense knowledge and wisdom for the believing men and women, and this is not surprising because she was one of the four people who had transmitted more than two thousand ahadeeth at her time, the others being Abu Hurayrah, 'Abdullah bin 'Umar and Anas bin Maalik (may Allah be pleased with them all).

A title of great respect and honor was attributed to all the wives of the Prophet (pbuh), that of, Umm ul-Mu'mineen (the mother of the believers), which confirmed what the Qur'an clearly states, that no man may marry any of them after they had been married to the Prophet (pbuh), for Allah says: "The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are as their mothers." (3:16)

Many of the wives of the Prophet (pbuh) as well as numerous Sahabiyaat (ra) were present in the battles for Islam. For example, in the Battle of Hunayn a small group of women stood firm with the Prophet (pbuh), one of whom was Ummu Sulaym bint Milhaan, the wife of Abu Talhah (ra). Although she was heavily pregnant at the time she had armed herself with a dagger to use against the Kaafiroon Also, Nusaybah Umm Imarah was a great fighter for the Cause. She was present at the Second Pledge of al-'Aqabah and gave Rasool (pbuh) her allegiance (bay'ah). She was also present at the Battle of Uhud and actually participated in the battle physically.

These few examples clearly reveal the vibrancy of Islam and the essential spiritual equality, which exists between men and women in Islam. Muslim women were able to rise to the occasion and were the counterparts, the mirror images of their men, courageous, strong, thoughtful and ready to give all for the cause of al-Islam.

It is the Muslim woman who has been endowed, blessed with the noble and vital role of a mother as they hold the next generation of Muslims in the palm of their hands. It is our responsibility, our duty, to shape their mentality in accordance with the Islamic mentality. We must ensure that Islam is taught in its totality as a comprehensive and complete way of life. As Muslim women we are told that our Islam begins and ends in the home. That is true to a certain extent meaning we must ensure the environment of the home is purely influenced by Islam so that our children would be brought up only according to Islam.

The potential scope of da'wah possible in a Muslim woman's life is not yet realized by many. Islam places great emphasis and value on the family unit and has undoubtedly defined a Muslim women's first priority to be welfare of her family. However, it is not necessary to step outside this role or neglect any of these duties in order to carry the message of Islam. The duty of carrying the message of Islam should simultaneously be carried out as it is the core and natural part of our lives. Our weakness as Muslim women is not in creating opportunities for the da'wah of Islam, but rather recognizing and taking up these opportunities as and when they appear.

During the time of Muhammad (pbuh) not only were women a part of the struggle for the deen but once the Islamic state was established in Madeenah, Muslim women were a part of the Majlis al-Ummah (Consultative Assembly), they were judges in the Sharee'ah courts, scholars and teachers. Muslim women can take any position of authority with the exception of the Khaleef (Head of State) and Walie (Governor).

Let us not underestimate what this Ummah can achieve as we have prime examples to follow. The Sahabiyaat (ra) supported and encouraged their husbands in da'wah and Jihaad, raised their children with the correct Islamic 'Aqeedah, nursed the sick on the battlefield, carried water and food for those Mujaahideen that were fighting and when the occasion demanded, would even participate in battles.

There is no doubt that Islam will return again and victory will be granted to this Ummah as it is promised by Allah The question is not 'if' but 'when' Islam will return again, and whether we are to be 'passive speculators' or 'active participants' of this Global Revival of al-Islam: "Allah has promised those who have believed and performed the good deeds, that He will, of a surety grant them authority on Earth, as He granted it to those before them. And that He will establish in authority their Deen which He had chosen for them and that He will change their state of few into one of peace and security." (24:55)