Women and Society

Monday, February 19, 2007

The Women Blessed With Jannah

The Twenty Blessed Women Who Were Given Glad Tidings of Jannah Before They Parted From This World...

01- Umm-Al-Momineen Khadija bint Khuwailid RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

02- Fatima Bint Asd RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

03- Umm Haraam Bint MelHaan RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

04- UmmAmmara Naseebat bint Ka'ab RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

05- UmmRomman Bint Aamir RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

06 - UmmAyman Barakata bint Tha'laba RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

07- Ar-Rabee' Bint Mu'awwith RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

08- Sumayyah Bint KhabaaT RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

09- Kabsha Bint Raafi' RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

10- Umm-Al-Momineen Zaynab bint JaHsh RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

11- Umm-Al-Momineen Ayisha bint Abi Bakr RadiyaAllah Ta3ala 3anha

12- Fatima bint Muhammad (Sallah Allahu' 3alayhi wa-sallam)

13- Al-Faree'a Bint Malik

14- Umm-Al-Monthirr Salama bint Qais

15- Asmaa' Bint Abi Bakr

16- Umm Suleim Bint MelHaan

17- UmmWaraqah Al-Ansariyyah

18- Asmaa' Bint Hishaam

19- Umm Hishaam bint Haritha

20- Umm-Al-Momineen Hafsa bint Umar

Monday, February 12, 2007

The Lioness of Syria

The Lion(ess) Of Syria

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Khaalid bin Al-Waleed had besieged Damascus. He had sent a Muslim blocking force to the north to prevent Roman reinforcements from coming to replenish the garrison at Damascus. At the head of this army was the commander Dhiraar - the lion of Syria who used to fight amongst the armoured enemies of Islaam naked from the waist up! He was a fierce warrior who had unfortunately been captured by the Roman reinforcements since their army was twice the strength of the Muslims, and he had launched headlong into the ranks of the enemies by himself, killing so many of the foe that his companions could not keep up with the pace. Soon he was too far into the ranks of the Romans, and was surrounded and captured. Khaalid bin Al-Waleed, upon hearing this, mobilized 5,000 from amongst the besieging force at Damascus and rode like the wind to come to the aid of the Muslims.

As Khalid approached the battlefield he suddenly saw a Muslim rider flash past him from behind and gallop off towards the Roman front. Before Khalid could stop him, he was gone. A slim, lightly-built person, dressed in black, this rider wore a breastplate and was armed with a sword and a long lance. He sported a green turban and had a scarf wrapped around his face, acting as a mask, with only his eyes visible. Khalid arrived on the battlefield in time to see this rider throw himself at the Romans with such fury that everyone present thought that he and his horse must both be mad. Raafe saw this rider before he saw Khalid and remarked, "He attacks like Khalid, but he is clearly not Khalid." Then Khalid joined Raafe. (second in command)

Khalid took a little time to organize Raafe's group and his own Mobile Guard into one and deploy it as a combined force for battle. Meanwhile the masked rider treated the Muslims to a thrilling display of horsemanship and attacks with the lance. He would go charging on his own, strike the Roman front at one point and kill a man; then go galloping away to another part of the front, again strike someone in the Roman front line and so on. A few Romans came forward to tackle him but all went down before his terrible lance. Marvelling at this wondrous sight, the Muslims could still see nothing more of the warrior than a youthful figure and a pair of bright eyes shining above the mask. The rider appeared bent on suicide as with his clothes and lance covered with blood, he struck again and again at the Romans. The example of this warrior put fresh courage into the men of Raafe, who forgot their fatigue and went into battle with renewed high spirits as Khalid gave the order to attack.

The masked rider, now joined by many others, continued his personal war against the Romans as the entire Muslim force attacked the Roman front. Soon after the general attack had begun, Khalid got near this rider and called, "O warrior, show us your face." A pair of dark eyes flashed at Khalid before the rider turned away and galloped off into another assault at the Romans. Next, a few of Khalid's men caught up with him and said,

"O noble warrior, your commander calls you and you turn away from him! Show us your face and tell us your name so that you may be properly honoured."

Again the rider turned away as if deliberately trying to keep his identity a secret.

As the masked rider returned from his charge, he passed by Khalid, who called to him sternly to stop. The rider pulled up his horse, and Khalid continued, "You have done enough to fill our hearts with admiration. Who are you?"

Khalid nearly fell off his horse when he heard the reply of the masked rider, for it was the voice of a girl!

"O commander, I only turn away from you out of modesty. You are the glorious commander, and I am of those who stay behind the veil. I fight like this because my heart is on fire."

"Who are you?"

"I am Khaulah, sister of Dhiraar. My brother has been captured, and I must fight to set him free."

Friday, February 2, 2007

Lives Of Pious Women part - 2

The Lives of The Daughters of
The Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام

Zaynab رضي الله عنها radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the daughter of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He loved her very much. She was married to ’Abû al-‘Âs bin ar-Rabî' radiyallâhu ‘anhu. When she accepted Islam and her husband refused to do so, she severed relations with him and migrated to Madinah. A few days later, her husband also followed her to Madinah and accepted Islam. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam performed their nikâh again. He also liked her a lot. When she had left Makkah for Madinah, an incident took place on the way: two disbelievers encountered her on the way. One of them pushed her and she fell on a rock. He had some desire for her but that also disappeared. She was badly injured from this fall to the extent that she did not fully recover right until her death. Eventually, this was the cause of her death.
Lesson: Look at her courage and her piety that she was prepared to leave her birth-place and her husband for the sake of Dîn. Furthermore, she bore the difficulties imposed upon her by the disbelievers to the extent that she passed away. Yet she remained steadfast on Dîn. O women! You should be prepared to leave everything for the sake of Dîn. If you experience any difficulties, endure them. If your husband leaves the Dîn, do not side with him.

Ruqayyah رضي الله عنها

She is also the daughter of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam Her first marriage was with ‘Utbah, the son of the kâfir Abû Lahab. Abû Lahab has been mentioned in the Quran in Sûrah al-Masad (the 111th sûrah of the Quran). The father and son did not accept Islam and the former therefore ordered his son to leave her. Upon this, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam performed her nikâh with ‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu. When Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam prepared to leave for the battle of Badr, she was sick at that time. Because of this, he asked ‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu to remain behind and tend to her and informed him that he will receive the same reward as those engaged in jihâd and that he will also receive a share of the booty. She passed away on the very day the Muslims vanquished the disbelievers and returned to Madinah.
Lesson: Look at her greatness that tending to her was considered to be equal to waging jihâd against the disbelievers. This eminence of hers was on account of her piety. O women! Always try to strengthen your Dîn. Do not allow yourselves to commit any sin as this is a cause of weakness in the Dîn.

Umme Kulthûmرضي الله عنها

She is also the daughter of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Her first marriage was with ‘Utaybah who was also a son of Abû Lahab. Before she could even go and live with this husband, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam received prophethood. The father and son had not accepted Islam and the former ordered his son to leave her as well. When her sister, Ruqayyah, passed away, she married ‘Uthmân. When Ruqayyah had passed away, co-incidentally, Hafsah had also become a widow. ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu (the father of Hafsah) wanted to get her married to ‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu. However, the latter did not show any interest. When Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam heard of this, he said to ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu: "I will show you a husband for Hafsah who is better than ‘Uthmân, and for ‘Uthmân a wife that is better than Hafsah." Based on this, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam married Hafsah, and got ‘Uthmân married to ’Umme Kulthûm.
Lesson: Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam spoke good of her and when he speaks good of anyone, it is based on that person's ’îmân. O women! You should also put your ’îmân in order.

Fâtimah رضي الله عنها

She is the youngest of all the sisters but the highest in status and the most beloved to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He has referred to her as the piece of his flesh and the leader of all women. He has also stated that if anything causes her sorrow, it causes him sorrow as well. When he fell ill, he whispered into her ear and informed her of the approach of his death. Upon hearing this, she began to cry. He again whispered into her ear and informed her that she should not grieve because she will be the first to join him and she will be the leader of all women in jannah. Upon hearing this, she began smiling. Although all his wives begged her to tell them what he had told her, she did not do so until after his demise. She married ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu. Many other virtues concerning her have been mentioned in the Hadîth.
Lesson One: The reason for Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam loving her the most and being specially attached to her is that she was the most pious, the most patient and the most grateful. O women! Adopt Dîn, patience and gratefulness. You will also become beloved by Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
Lesson Two: When we had first mentioned the life of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, we also listed all the names of his wives and daughters.
Lesson Three: O women! There is one more point which you have to ponder over. You have read about Rasûlullâh’s sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam eleven wives and four daughters. You must have realized for yourselves that out of the eleven wives, apart from ‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ, all the others had been married previously. From his daughters, apart from Zaynab and Fâtimah radiyallâhu ‘anhumâ, the other two were married prior to marrying ‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu. No woman in the world is equal to these twelve women (the ten wives and two daughters who had been married previously) in honour and status. If entering into a second marriage was blameworthy or a blemish, would these women have ever done something that is considered to be a blemish? It is extremely sad that some ignorant people consider a second marriage to be a blemish. If one begins to consider something that occurred in the family of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam to be a blemish or to be immoral, how can one still have îmân? What type of Muslims are they that they find fault with the lifestyle of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and consider the lifestyle of the kuffâr to be honourable? We are saying this because keeping a widow at home without allowing her to get married again is actually the custom of the kâfir Hindus of India.
We have something else to add to this. There is a big difference between you and the widows of the past. They may have been ignorant, but they used to take great precautions in safeguarding their honour and chastity. They used to suppress their nafs and did not allow it to fall into sin. As for today, the widows surpass married women in trying to beautify themselves. It is for this reason that many incidents are beginning to occur which are not suitable to be mentioned. In these times, it is most certainly not permissible to refuse widows from getting married. This is because neither the women have any shame and bashfulness of the past, the men do not have any sense of honour, nor do the widows know how to live a life of widowhood and to undertake the necessary means for their food and clothing. Now the time is such that one should not even forgetfully think of refusing a widow from getting married. May Allah give us understanding and success.

Note: After mentioning the lives of the women of the previous nations, we mentioned the lives of Rasûlullâh’s sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam 11 wives, and 4 daughters - totalling 15 women. We will now mention the lives of women who were present during the lifetime of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and with some of whom he had special relations.

Lives Of Pious Women part - 1

The Lives of The Wives of

The Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام

Khadîjah رضي الله عنها radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the first wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Great feats have been attributed to her. Once Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam informed her that Jibra'îl ‘alayhis salâm has conveyed the salâms of Allah to you. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said that the following four women are the best in the world: Maryam, Âsiyah (the wife of Pharaoh), Khadîjah, and Fâtimah.
Whenever Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to encounter any difficulties from the kuffâr, he used to come and inform Khadîjah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ. She used to console him in such a way that all his worries used to go away. After her demise he used to think about her so much that when he used to slaughter a sheep, he would also send some of its meat to her friends. Prior to marrying Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, she had married another person by the name of Abû Hâlah Tamîmî.
Lesson: The high level of value and appreciation that Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had for her was because of her Îmân and her obedience. O women! You should also endeavour in this direction. We also learn from this that it is considered to be a noble characteristic for the wife to console her husband when he is under emotional stress. Some women completely change the temperament of their husbands by putting them under great emotional stress. They do this by making demands on them or by nagging them all the time. Give up this habit.

Saudah رضي الله عنها

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She had given her day which he used to spend with her to ‘Â'ishah. ‘Â'ishah says: "I never desired to be like any woman except Saudah. Whenever I used to see her, I desired to be like her." The name of her first husband was Sukrân bin ‘Amr.
Lesson: Look at her magnanimity that she gave her turn to her co-wife. These days, a woman unnecessarily fights with the co-wife and is jealous of her. Look at the justice of ‘Â'ishah that she praises her co-wife. Today, they intentionally look for faults in the co-wife. O women! You should also adopt magnanimity and justice of this nature.

‘Â'ishah رضي الله عنها

She is a very beloved wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He married her while she was still a virgin. She was so learned that great Sahâbah used to ask her questions. Once a Sahâbi asked Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam: "Whom do you like the most?" He replied: "‘Â'ishah." This Sahâbi then asked: "And from among the men?" He replied: "Her father." That is, ’Abû Bakr radiyallâhu ‘anhu. Many other virtues have been mentioned in her favour.
Lesson: Look at her: despite her being a woman, great ‘ulamâ used to refer to her when they wanted to know any mas'ala. Today, let alone not having any knowledge, women do not even have the desire to ask the ‘ulamâ any questions nor do they have the desire to read any Islamic books. O women! Acquire knowledge of the Dîn with full endeavour and zeal.

Hafsah رضي الله عنها

She is the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the daughter of ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu. On one occasion, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had issued one divorce to her. Thereafter, upon the instruction of Jibra'îl he revoked this divorce. Jibra'îl had spoken in her favour in the following way: "You should revoke the divorce which you issued to her because she fasts abundantly, engages in a lot of ‘ibâdah at night, and she will be your wife in jannah." She had made a bequest to her brother ‘Abdullâh bin ‘Umar to give a certain amount of her wealth in charity. She had also made a plot of land waqf for Allah Ta'âlâ. She had also made a bequest in this regard. Her first husband's name was Khunays bin Hudhâfah.
Lesson: Look at the barakah of piety that Allah Ta'âlâ defended her and sent Jibra'îl to speak on her behalf in order to have her divorce revoked. Look at her generosity - how she made arrangements for charity in the name of Allah and also made a plot of land waqf for Allah Ta'âlâ. O women! Adopt piety and remove love and greed for wealth from the heart.

Zaynab bint Khuzaymah رضي الله عنها

She was also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She was so generous that she became known as the "mother of the poor". Her first husband was ‘Abdullâh bin Jahsh.
Lesson: Look at what a great thing it is to be in the service of the poor.
Umme Salamah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ
She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. A woman relates an incident and says: "Once I was in the company of Umme Salamah. After a little while, many poor persons came to her. There were men and women among them. They all stood there (demanding something). So I said to them: 'Go away from here.' Upon this, Umme Salamah said: 'We have not been commanded this. O girl! Give each of them something even if it means giving them one dry date.'" Her first husband was Abû Salamah radiyallâhu ‘anhu.
Lesson: She did not become annoyed by the demands of the poor persons. Today, women produce feeble excuses and some of them go to the extent of cursing and abusing beggars. O women! Don't ever do this.

Zaynab bint Jahsh رضي الله عنها

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had adopted a Sahâbi by the name of Zayd radiyallâhu ‘anhu. Initially, it was permissible to adopt a son. When he became mature, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam decided to get him married. So he sent a proposal to her brother on behalf of Zayd radiyallâhu ‘anhu. This brother and sister (i.e. Zaynab) did not consider Zayd to be equal to them in status and lineage. They were therefore hesitant in the beginning. However, Allah Ta'âlâ revealed a verse wherein He mentions that once the prophet decides on something, a Muslim should not make any excuses. They therefore accepted the proposal and the marriage was performed. However, the husband and wife could not live together in an amicable manner. The situation reached a stage whereby Zayd decided to divorce her. He came to consult Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam but he stopped him and tried to make him understand. However, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam gauged that these two will be unable to live together and that they were definitely heading for a divorce. He began thinking to himself that right from the beginning, the brother and sister were not happy about entering into this marriage, but they accepted after I told them to do so. If the divorce takes place, the brother's and sister's burden will be lessened but they will be broken-hearted. What could he do in order to console them? Eventually he came to the conclusion that if he marries her, she will be greatly consoled and relieved. Apart from this, he could find no solution. At the same time, he also realized that the disbelievers will begin accusing him of marrying his son's wife. Although an adopted son does not become one's real son, who can stop people from thinking and speaking in this way? More so when the disbelievers will begin making a mountain out of a mole-hill. He was still thinking and pondering over all this when Zayd radiyallâhu ‘anhu divorced her. On the expiry of her ‘iddah, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was inclined towards proposing to her. Eventually, he sent his proposal. She replied that she will ask her Creator and that she is not going to make up her own mind in this regard. If He sanctions it, He will make the way easy. Upon saying this, she performed her ablution and offered salât. After the salât, she made a fervent du‘â to Allah. Allah revealed a verse to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam mentioning that He has made your nikâh with her. He then went to her and recited the verse to her. Zaynab radiyallâhu ‘anhâ used to mention this to her co-wives by saying: "Your nikâh was sanctioned by your parents while my nikâh was sanctioned by Allah Ta'âlâ."
The first orders concerning purdah were revealed during her nikâh. She was very generous. She used to practice handicrafts and give in charity from the income that she received from these handicrafts. Once, all the wives got together and asked Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam: "Who will join you first after your demise?" He replied: "The one whose hands are the longest." This is an Arabic mode of expression to show generosity. However, this did not cross the minds of his wives. They were under the impression that it referred to actual length. They therefore took a stick and began measuring their hands. Hadrat Saudah's radiyallâhu ‘anhâ hands turned out to be the longest. However, the first to leave this world after him was Hadrat Zaynab bint Jahsh radiyallâhu ‘anhâ. It was only then that they all realized that it referred to generosity. In short, her generosity was also appreciated by Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ says: "I have not come across any woman better than Zaynab. She was perfect in her Dîn, feared Allah a lot, very honest in her speech, very kind and cordial to her relatives, very charitable, and she used to work very hard with her handicrafts so that she could give more in charity." Speaking about her, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: "She was very humble-hearted and used to beseech Allah abundantly."
Lesson: O women! You have read about the greatness of generosity, the benefits of handicrafts and referring to Allah for all your needs. Don't ever consider it disgraceful to do any work with your own hands. Do not look down upon any craft or occupation (provided it is acceptable in the Sharî‘ah).

Umme Habîbah رضي الله عنها

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When the kuffâr of Makkah began oppressing the Muslims profusely, and the latter were not ordered to go to Madînah as yet, many Muslims went to Abyssinia. The king of Abyssinia who was known as Najâshi was a Christian. However, after the arrival of Muslims, he became a Muslim. Umme Habîbah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ was also among the Muslims who had come to Abyssinia. Najâshi sent a person by the name of Abrahah to her informing her that he is sending a proposal to her on behalf of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She accepted the proposal. Najâshi also sent some gifts with Abrahah, which comprised of two silver bracelets and a few rings. Her first husband was ‘Ubaydullah bin Jahsh.
Lesson: How pious she must have been for her to leave her home solely to protect and safeguard her Dîn. In return for this effort of hers, Allah gave her great comfort and honour in that she married Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the king made all the necessary arrangements. O women! When the situation requires you to choose Dîn, do not give preference to worldly comfort, name and fame, wealth or your house and family. Everything should be sacrificed for Dîn.

Juwayriyah رضي الله عنها

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She was brought as a prisoner after a war with the kuffâr in a battle popularly know as Bani Mustaliq. She had fallen in the share of a Sahâbi by the name of Thâbit bin Qays or his cousin. She said to her master: "I will give you a certain amount of money and you must free me." He agreed to this so she went to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and asked him to help her with some money. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam felt sorry for her after seeing her piety and poverty. He said to her: "If you agree, I will pay for your entire freedom and take you into my marriage." She readily accepted this offer and the nikâh took place. When the people heard about this marriage, especially all the prisoners that belonged to her tribe who were under the Muslims, then most of these Muslims freed these slaves saying that now that they have a relationship with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam because of this marriage, it is disrespectful to keep them as slaves. ‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ is reported to have said: "We do not know of any woman who has been of so much benefit to her tribe (or family)." Her previous husband's name was Musâfi' bin Safwân.
Lesson: Piety is a great virtue. Despite her being a slave-girl, she was able to enter into the marriage of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. O women! There isn't anyone more honourable than Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. If he did not consider it to be a blemish to marry a slave-girl, do not consider it to be disgraceful or undignified if anyone marries a person of a lower social standing because of some reason or brings someone from a foreign place;. This is an evil sickness and also a sin. Look at how the Sahâbah radiyallâhu ‘anhum honoured her in that they did not even allow themselves to disgrace her relatives and fellow tribes-men. How ignorant we are today in that we do not honour such a woman irrespective of how pious and religious-minded she may be. As for honouring her family, there is no hope whatsoever in this regard.

Maymûnah رضي الله عنها

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. A great scholar of Hadîth relates that her nikâh with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam took place in the following manner: She came to him and said: "I am gifting my life to you." In other words, I am prepared to enter into a marriage with you without even any mahr. He accepted this. Marrying in this manner (i.e. without any mahr) was permissible only for Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. A great mufassir relates that the verse which mentions a marriage of this nature was first revealed for this woman. Her first husband's name was Huwaytib.
Lesson: Look at how much love she had for the Dîn that she considered serving Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam as an act of ‘ibâdah and was therefore prepared to forfeit her right to receive any mahr. This she did at a time when women used to receive the mahr in cash, i.e. without any delay. It was unlike today where the mahr is delayed until "qiyâmah" or death. O women! Consider Dîn to be the actual thing of value. Do not have too much love for the world to the extent that you waste your time thinking about it all the time. Twenty fours of the day are spent immersed in these thoughts: If one attains one’s objective one is overjoyed irrespective of whether one receives a reward in doing so or a sin. If one does not obtain it, one is filled with sorrow, begins to complain, becomes jealous of those who possess it, and thereafter begins to have evil intentions.

Safiyyah رضي الله عنها

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam A battle took place between the Muslims and the Jews at a place called Khaybar. She was brought as a prisoner after this battle. She fell in the booty of one of the Sahâbah. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam paid for her freedom and married her thereafter. She is from the progeny of Hârûn ‘alayhis salâm. She possessed many forbearing and intelligent qualities. Her forbearance can be gauged from an incident: her slave-girl concocted two lies and informed ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu of them. One of these lies was that she (Safiyyah) still has a special attachment for Saturday. This day is a very sacred day of the week for the Jews. In other words, despite her accepting Islam, traces of her previous religion were still found in her. If this has to be looked at from another angle, she is not a complete Muslim. The second lie was that she gives and takes a lot from the Jews. When ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu went and asked her about this, she replied: "The first thing that she said is absolutely false. Ever since I accepted Islam and Allah has blessed me with Friday, my heart has become totally detached from Saturday. The second thing which she said is true. The reason for this is that they (the Jews) are my relatives and it is not against the Sharî‘ah for one to maintain good relations with one's relatives." She then asked the slave-girl: "Who asked you to concoct lies?" She replied: "Satan." Upon this, she replied: "You can go now, I have freed you." Her first husband's name was Kanânah bin Abil Haqîq.
Lesson: O women! This is what is known as forbearance. You should also overlook and forgive your domestics and your maids if they make any mistake. Taking revenge or compensation from them on trivial matters is a sign of lack of courage. Look at how honest Safiyyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ was. She clearly spelt out the quality that was found in her and did not try to cover it up. It is the habit of some people that they do not like to admit anything. They try to save themselves from any accusation by disguising and concealing anything that they may have done. It is also an evil practice to concoct stories.

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