Chapter 10: The Muslim Woman and Her Community/Society
Introduction
When it comes to Islamic duties, the Muslim woman is just like a man: she has
a mission in life, and so she is required to be as effective, active and social
as her particular circumstances and capabilities allow, mixing with other women
as much as she can and dealing with them in accordance with the worthy Islamic
attitudes and behaviour that distinguish her from other women.
Wherever the Muslim woman is found, she becomes a beacon of guidance, and a
positive source of correction and education, through both her words and her
deeds.
The Muslim woman who has been truly guided by the Qur'an and Sunnah has a
refined social personality of the highest degree, which qualifies her to
undertake her duty of calling other women to Islam, opening their hearts and
minds to the guidance of this great religion which elevated the status of women
at a remarkably early stage in their history and furnished them with a vast
range of the best of characteristics which are outlined in the Qur'an and
Sunnah. Islam has made the acquisition of these characteristics a religious duty
for which a person will be rewarded, and will be called to account if he or she
fails to attain them. These texts succeeded in making the personality of the
woman who is sincere towards Allah (SWT) into a brilliant example of the decent,
chaste, polite, God-fearing, refined, sociable woman.
The Muslim woman who understands the teachings of Islam stands out in every
women's gathering she attends, as she demonstrates the true values of her
religion and the practical application of those values by her attaining of those
worthy attributes. The make-up of her distinct social character represents a
huge store of those Islamic values, which can be seen in her social conduct and
dealings with people. From this rich, pure source, the Muslim woman draws her
own customs, habits and ways of dealing with others and she cleanses her soul
and forms her own Muslim, social personality from the same source.
She has a good attitude towards others
and treats them well
The Muslim woman is of good and noble character, friendly, humble, gentle of
speech and tactful. She likes others and is liked by them. By doing so, she is
following the example of the Prophet (PBUH) who, as his servant Anas (RAA)
reported, was "the best of people in his attitude towards others."1
Anas (RAA) saw more than anyone else of the Prophet's good attitude, and
witnessed such good attitudes that no-one could imagine it existed in any human
being. He told us of one aspect of that noble attitude of the Prophet (PBUH):
"I served the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for ten years, and he never said to
me `Uff!' (The smallest word of contempt). If I did anything, he never
said, `Why did you do that?' And if I did not do something, he never said, `Why
did you not do such-and-such?'"2The Prophet (PBUH) was of the
best character, as Allah (SWT) said:
( And you [stand] on an exalted
standard of character.) (Qur'an
68:4)He (PBUH) repeatedly told his Sahabah of the effect a good
attitude would have in forming an Islamic personality and in raising a person's
status in the sight of Allah (SWT) and of other people. He (PBUH) told them:
"Among the best of you are those who have the best attitude (towards
others)."3
"The most beloved to me and the closest to me on the Day of Resurrection will
be those of you who have the best attitudes. And the most hateful to me and the
furthest from me on the Day of Resurrection will be the prattlers and boasters
and al-mutafayhiqun." The Sahabah said, "O Messenger of Allah
(PBUH), we understand who the prattlers and boasters are, but who are
al-mutafayhiqun?" He (PBUH) said, "The proud and
arrogant."4
The Sahabah (RAA) - men and women alike -
used to hear the Prophet's noble moral teachings, and they would see with their
own eyes the excellent way in which he used to deal with people. So they would
obey his words and follow his example. Thus was established their society which
has never been equalled by any other in the history of mankind.
Anas (RAA) said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) was merciful. Nobody came to him without receiving a
promise of his help, which he would fulfil if he had the means to do so. On one
occasion, the iqamah for prayer had been given, when a Bedouin came to
him, took hold of his cloak, and said, `I still have some matter outstanding,
and I do not want to forget it.' So the Prophet (PBUH) went with him and
resolved the matter, then he came back and prayed."5The Prophet
(PBUH) did not see anything wrong with listening to the Bedouin and resolving
his issue, even though the iqamah had already been given. He did not get
upset with the man for pulling on his cloak, or object to resolving the matter
before the prayer, because he was building a just society, teaching the Muslims
by his example how a Muslim should treat his brother, and showing them the moral
principles that should prevail in a Muslim community.
If good attitudes and manners among non-Muslims are the result of a good
upbringing and solid education, then among Muslims such good attitudes come,
above all, from the guidance of Islam, which makes good attitudes a basic
characteristic of the Muslim, one which will raise his status in this world and
will weigh heavily in his favour in the Hereafter. No deed will count for more
on the Day of Judgement than a man's good attitude, as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Nothing will weigh more heavily in the balance of the believing servant on
the Day of Resurrection than a good attitude (towards others). Verily Allah
(SWT) hates those who utter vile words and obscene
speech."6Islam has made this good attitude towards others an
essential part of faith, and those who have the best attitude towards others are
the most complete in faith, as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"The most perfect in faith of the believers are those who are best in their
attitude towards others."7Islam also describes those who have
the best attitude towards others as being the most beloved to Allah (SWT) of His
servants. This is seen in the hadith of Usamah ibn Shurayk, who said:
"We were sitting with the Prophet (PBUH) as if there were birds on our
heads: none of us were talking. Some people came to him and asked, `Who is the
most beloved to Allah (SWT) of His Servants?' He said, `Those who are the best
in attitude towards others.'"8It comes as no surprise that the
person who has the best attitude towards others should also be the one who is
most beloved to Allah (SWT), for good treatment of others is an important
feature of Islamic law. It is the most significant deed that can be placed in
the balance of the Muslim on the Day of Judgement, as we have seen. It is
equivalent to prayer and fasting, the two greatest bases of Islam, as the
Prophet (PBUH) said:
"No greater deed will be placed in the balance than a good attitude towards
others. A good attitude towards others will bring a person up to the level of
fasting and prayer."9 According to another report, he (PBUH) said:
"By virtue of his good attitude towards others, a person may reach the level of
one who habitually fasts (during the day) and stands in prayer (at
night)."So the Prophet (PBUH) repeatedly emphasized the importance of a
good attitude and encouraged his Companions to adopt it, using various methods
to instil it in their hearts by his words and deeds. He understood the great
impact this good attitude would have in purifying their souls and enhancing
their morals and manners. For example, he told Abu Dharr:
"O Abu Dharr, shall I not tell you of two qualities which are easy to
attain but which will weigh more heavily in the balance?" He said, "Of course, O
Messenger of Allah." He said, "You should have a good attitude towards others
and remain silent for lengthy periods. By the One in Whose hand is my soul,
nothing that people have ever attained is better than these
two."10And he (PBUH) said:
"A good attitude is a blessing and a bad attitude is a calamity. Piety
(birr) lengthens life, and charity will prevent a bad
death."11One of his du`a's was:
"Allahumma ahsanta khalqi fa ahsin k (O Allah (SWT), You have made
my physical constitution good, so make my attitude and behaviour good
also)."12The prayer of the Prophet (PBUH), asking Allah (SWT)
to make his attitude good when Allah (SWT) had described him in the Qur'an as
being ( on an exalted standard of
character) (Qur'an 68:4), is a clear
indication of his deep concern and earnest desire that the Muslims should
continue to seek to increase in good attitudes, no matter what heights they had
already scaled, just as their Prophet (PBUH) continued to seek to increase in
good attitudes through this du`a'. "Good attitudes" is a comprehensive
term which includes all the good characteristics that human beings may acquire,
such as modesty, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, tolerance, cheerfulness,
truthfulness, trustworthiness, sincerity, straightforwardness, purity of heart,
and so on.
The one who sets out to explore the Islamic teachings on social issues will
find himself confronted with a host of teachings that encourage every single one
of these noble attitudes. This is an indication of the intense concern that
Islam has to form the social personality of the Muslim in the most precise
fashion. So it does not stop at mentioning generalities, but it also deals with
every minor moral issue that may form individual aspects of the integrated
social personality. This comprehensiveness does not exist in other social
systems as it does in Islam.
The researcher who sets out to explore the character of the Muslim woman has
no alternative but to examine all these texts, and to understand the guidance
and legislation contained therein. Only then will he be able to fully comprehend
the noble social personality that is unique to the true Muslim, man or woman.
She is truthful
The Muslim woman is truthful with all people, because she has absorbed the
teachings of Islam which encourages truthfulness and regards it as the chief of
virtues, whilst lying is forbidden and regarded as the source of all evils and
bad deeds. The Muslim woman believes that truthfulness naturally leads to
goodness, which will admit the one who practices it to Paradise, while falsehood
leads to iniquity which will send the one who practices it to Hell. The Prophet
(PBUH) said:
"Truthfulness leads to piety (birr), and piety leads to Paradise. A
man continues to speak the truth until he is recorded in the sight of Allah
(SWT) as a sincere lover of truth (siddiq). Falsehood leads to iniquity
and iniquity leads to Hell. A man will continue to speak falsehood until he is
recorded in the sight of Allah (SWT) as a liar."13Therefore the
Muslim woman is keen to be a sincere lover of truth (siddiqah), striving
to be true in all her words and deeds. This is a sublime status which is
achieved only by God-fearing Muslim women by means of truthfulness, purity of
heart and by virtue of which she is recorded in the sight of Allah (SWT) as an
honoured lover of truth.
She avoids giving false statements
The true Muslim woman whose personality has been moulded by the teachings and
guidance of Islam does not give false statements, because to do so is haram:
( . . . And shun the word that is
false.) (Qur'an 22:30)Bearing false
witness14, besides being haram, does not befit the Muslim
woman. It damages her honour and credibility, and marks a person as twisted and
worthless in the sight of others. So the Qur'an completely forbids this attitude
for the chosen servants of Allah (SWT), men and women alike, just as it forbids
other major sins:
( Those who witness no falsehood and,
if they pass by futility, they pass it by with honourable [avoidance].) (Qur'an 25:72)Nothing is more indicative
of the enormity of this sin than the fact that the Prophet (PBUH) mentioned it
as coming after the two most serious sins on the scale of major sins:
associating partners with Allah (SWT), and disobedience to parents. Then he
repeated it to the Muslims, warning them with the utmost fervour. He (PBUH)
said:
"Shall I not tell you of the most serious of the major sins?" We said: "Of
course, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Associating anything with Allah (SWT),
and diobeying parents." He was reclining, but then he sat up and said: "And
bearing false witness," and he kept repeating this until we wished that he would
stop (i.e., so that he would not exhaust himself with his
fervour)."15
She gives sincere
advice
The true Muslim woman does not only strive to free herself of negative
characteristics; she also seeks to offer sincere advice to every woman she comes
into contact with who has deviated from the guidance of Allah (SWT) - and how
many women there are who have wronged themselves and are in great need of
someone to offer them sincere advice and guide them back towards the straight
path which Allah (SWT) has commanded all of us to follow.
For the true Muslim woman, offering sincere advice is not just the matter of
volunteering to do good out of generosity; it is a duty enjoined by Islam, as
the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Religion is sincerity [or sincere advice]." The Sahabah asked, "To
whom?" He said, "To Allah (SWT), to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders
of the Muslims and to their common folk."16When the
Sahabah swore allegiance (bay`ah) to the Prophet (PBUH), they
would pledge to observe salah and zakah, and to be sincere towards
every Muslim, as is shown in the statement of Jarir ibn `Abdullah (RAA):
"I swore allegiance to the Prophet (PBUH) with the pledge that I would
establish regular prayer, pay zakah and be sincere to every
Muslim."17How brilliantly the Prophet (PBUH) expressed the
meaning of nasihah when he said, "Religion is sincerity [or sincere
advice]"! He summed up the entire religion in just one word, "nasihah,"
indicating to every Muslim the value of sincerity and sincere advice, and the
great impact that sincere advice has on the lives of individuals, families and
societies. When sincerity spreads among a people, they are guided to the
straight path; if sincerity is withheld, they will go far astray.
Therefore nasihah was one of the most important matters that Muslims
pledged to observe when they swore allegiance to the Prophet (PBUH): it comes
after salah and zakah, as we have seen in the hadith of
Jabir ibn Abdullah quoted above.
The fact that sincere advice is mentioned in conjunction with salah
and zakah in the oath of allegiance given by the great Sahabi
Jarir ibn `Abdullah to the Prophet (PBUH) is an indication of its importance in
the Islamic scheme of things and in deciding a person's fate in the Hereafter.
It is therefore a basic characteristic of the true Muslim who is concerned about
his destiny on the Day of Judgement.
In Islam, responsibility is a general duty that applies to men and women
alike, each person has responsibilities within his or her own social sphere, as
the Prophet (PBUH) explained:
"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; a 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."18If we understand this, we will
realize that the woman's responsibility includes offering sincere advice to
everyone around her who can benefit from it.
She guides others to righteous deeds
The Muslim woman whose soul has been purified by Islam and cleansed of the
stains of selfishness and love of show guides others to righteous deeds when she
knows of them, so that goodness will come to light and people will benefit from
it. It is all the same to her whether the good deed is done by herself or by
others, because she knows that the one who guides others to do righteous deeds
will be rewarded like the one who does the actual deed, as the Prophet (PBUH)
said:
"Whoever guides others to do good will have a reward like that of the
person who does the good deed."19The Muwoman is the least
likely to keep goodness to herself, or to boast to others about doing good,
which is the attitude of selwomen who love to show off. It is enough for the
Muslim woman who guides others to do good to know that she will be rewarded by
Allah (SWT) in either case, and for the true Muslim woman, storing up reward
with Allah (SWT) is more important than fame and a good reputation. In this way,
goodness spreads throughout the community, and every person will have the
opportunity to do whatever Allah (SWT) helps him or her to do.
How many of these deadly psychological disorders are preventing good from
being spread in society! For the people who are suffering from them hope that
they alone will undertake good deeds to the exclusion of others, but
circumstances prevent them from doing so. So goodness and benefits remain locked
up waiting for the opportunity that never comes. The true Muslim, man or woman,
who seeks to please Allah (SWT) and earn reward from Him is free from such
disorders. The true Muslim guides people to do good deeds as soon as he or she
is aware of an opportunity, and thus he or she earns a reward from Allah (SWT)
equal to the reward of the one who does the good deed itself.
She does not cheat, deceive, or stab in the back
The sincere Muslim woman for whom truthfulness has become a deeply-rooted
characteristic does not cheat, deceive or stab in the back, because these
worthless characteristics are beneath her. They contradict the values of
truthfulness, and do not befit the Muslim woman. Truthfulness requires an
attitude of sincerity, straightforwardness, loyalty and fairness, which leaves
no room for cheating, lying, trickery, deceit or betrayal.
The Muslim woman who is filled with the guidance of Islam is truthful by
nature, and has a complete aversion to cheating, deceiving and back-stabbing,
which she sees as a sign of a person's being beyond the pale of Islam, as the
Prophet (PBUH) stated in the hadith narrated by Muslim:
"Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is
not one of us."20
According to another report, also narrated by Muslim, the Prophet (PBUH)
passed by a pile of food (in the market), put his hand in it and felt dampness
(although the surface of the pile was dry). He said, "O owner of the food, what
is this?" The man said, "it was damaged by rain, O Messenger of Allah." He said,
"And you did not put the rain-damaged food on top so that people could see it!
Whoever cheats us is not one of us."21
Muslim society is
based on purity of human feeling, sincerity towards every Muslim, and fulfilment
of promises to every member of the society. If any cheats or traitors are found
in that society, they are most certainly alien elements whose character is in
direct contrast to the noble character of true Muslims.
Islam views cheating, deception and back-stabbing as heinous crimes which
will be a source of shame to the guilty party both in this world and the next.
The Prophet (PBUH) announced that on the Day of Resurrection, every traitor
would be raised carrying the flag of his betrayal and a caller will cry out in
the vast arena of judgement, pointing to him and drawing attention to him:
"Every traitor will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection, and it will
be said: `This is the betrayer of so-and-so.'"22How great will
be the shame of those traitors, men and women, who thought that their betrayal
was long since forgotten, and now here it is, spread out for all to see and
carried aloft on banners held by their own hands.
Their shame on the Day of Judgement will increase when they see the Prophet
(PBUH), who is the hope of intercession on that great and terrible Day, standing
in opposition to them, because they have committed the heinous crime of
betrayal, which is a crime of such enormity that it will deprive them of the
mercy of Allah (SWT) and the intercession of the Prophet (PBUH):
"Allah (SWT), may He be exalted, said: `There are three whom I will oppose
on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave his word, and then betrayed; a man
who sold a free man into slavery and kept the money; and a man who hired
someone, benefitted from his labour, then did not pay his
wages."23The Muslim woman who has been truly guided by Islam
steers clear of all forms of deceit and back-stabbing. They exist in many forms
in the world of modern women, but the Muslim woman values herself too highly to
include herself among those cheating, deceiving women whom the Prophet (PBUH)
considered to be hypocrites:
"There are four features, whoever has all of them is a true hypocrite, and
whoever has one of them has one of the qualities of a hypocrite until he gives
it up: when he is trusted, he is unfaithful; when he speaks, he tells lies; when
he make a promise, he proves treacherous; and when he disputes, he resorts to
slander."24She keeps her promises
One of the noble attitudes of the true Muslim woman is that she keeps her
promises. This attitude is the companion of truthfulness and indeed stems
naturally from it.
Keeping promises is a praiseworthy attitude, one that indicates the high
level of civility attained by the woman who exhibits it. It helps her to succeed
in life, and earns her the love, respect and appreciation of others.
The effects of this attitude in instilling moral and psychological virtues in
girls and boys are not unknown; if they see their mothers always keeping their
promises, this is the best example that they can be given.
For the Muslim woman, keeping promises is not just the matter of social
niceties, something to boast about among her friends and peers; it is one of the
basic Islamic characteristics and one of the clearest indicators of sound faith
and true Islam. Many texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah emphasize the importance of
this quality:
( O you who believe! Fulfil all
obligations.) (Qur'an 5:1)
( And fulfil every engagement, for
[every] engagement will be enquired into [on the Day of Reckoning].) (Qur'an 17:34)
This is a definitive
command from Allah (SWT) to His believing servants, men and women alike, to keep
their promises and to fulfil whatever obligations those promises entail. There
is no room for escaping or dodging this responsibility. It does not befit the
Muslim who has committed himself or herself to then try to get out of keeping
the promise. It is his duty to keep his word. In some ayat, the word for
"promise" is connected by the grammatical structure of idafah (genitive)
to Allah (SWT) Himself, as an indication of its dignity and sanctity, and of the
obligation to keep promises:
( Fulfil the Covenant of Allah, when
you have entered into it . . .) (Qur'an
16:91)Islam dislikes those prattlers who carelessly make promises without
following through and keeping their word:
( O you who believe! Why say you that
which you do not? Grievously odious is it in the sight of Allah that you say
that which you do not.) (Qur'an
61:2-3)Allah (SWT) does not like His believing servants, male or female,
to sink to the level of empty words, promises given with no intention of
fulfilment, and all manner of excuses to avoid upholding the commitments made.
Such conduct does not befit believing men and women. The tone of the question
asked in this ayah is an expression of the extreme disapproval incurred
by those believers who commit the sin of saying that which they do not do.
The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes
a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays
that trust."25According to a report given by Muslim, he (PBUH)
added:
"Even if he fasts, prays and thinks that he is a
Muslim."26The level of a woman's Islam is not determined only
by acts of worship and rituals, but also the extent to which her character is
influenced by the teachings and high values of Islam. She does only that which
will please Allah (SWT). The Muslim woman who understands and adheres to the
teachings of Islam does not break her promises, or cheat others, or betray them,
because such acts contradict the morals and values of true Isla, and such
attitudes are only found among men and women who are hypocrites.
Let them know this, those women who tell lies to their own children, who make
promises then go back on thword, thus planting the seeds of dishonesty and
promise-breaking in their children's hearts. Let them know this, those women who
make empty, meaningless promises and attach no importance to the word of honour
to which they have committed themselves, lest by such carelessness they become
hypocrites themselves and earn the punishment of the hypocrites which, as is
well known, is a place in the lowest level of Hell.
She is not a hypocrite
The true Muslim woman is frank and open in her words and opinions, and is the
furthest removed from hypocrisy, flattery and false praise, because she knows
from the teachings of Islam that hypocrisy is haram, and does not befit
the true Muslim.
The Prophet (PBUH) has protected us from falling into the mire of hypocrisy
and flattery. When Banu `Amir came to him and praised him, saying, "You are our
master," he said, "The only Master is Allah (SWT)." When they said, "You are the
most excellent and greatest of us," he said, "Say what you want, or a part of
it, but do not speak like agents of Shaytan. I do not want you to raise me above
the status to which Allah (SWT) has appointed me. I am Muhammad ibn `Abdullah,
His Servant and Messenger."27The Prophet (PBUH) prevented
people from exaggerating in their praise of others, some of whom may not even be
deserving of praise, when he forbade them to describe him as "master,"
"excellent" and "great," at the time when he was without doubt the greatest of
the Messengers, the master of the Muslims and the greatest and most excellent of
them. He did this because he understood that if the door of praise was opened to
its fullest extent, it might lead to dangerous types of hypocrisy which are
unacceptable to a pure Islamic spirit and the truth on which this religion is
based. He forbade the Sahabah to praise a man to his face, lest the one
who spoke the words crossed the boundary of hypocrisy, or the object of his
admiration be filled with feelings of pride, arrogance, superiority and
self-admiration.
Bukhari and Muslim narrate that Abu Bakrah (RAA) said:
"A man praised another man in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
`Woe to you! You have cut your companion's throat!' several times. Then he said:
`Whoever of you insists on praising his brother, let him say: "I think So-and-so
is such-and-such, and Allah (SWT) knows the exact truth, and I do not confirm
anyone's good conduct before Allah (SWT), but I think him to be such-and-such,"
if he knows that this is the case.'"28If praising a person
cannot be avoided, then it must be sincere and based on truth. The praise should
be moderate, reserved and without any exaggeration. This is the only way in
which a society can rid itself of the diseases of hypocrisy, lies, deceit and
sycophancy.
In al-Adab al-Mufrad, Bukhari reports from Raja' from Mihjan
al-Aslami that the Prophet (PBUH) and Mihjan were in the mosque when the Prophet
(PBUH) saw a man praying, bowing and prostrating, and asked, "Who is that?"
Mihjan began to praise the man, saying, "O Messenger of Allah, he is So-and-so,
and is such-and-such." The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Stop. Do not let him hear you,
or it will be his downfall!"29
According to a report given by Ahmad, Mihjan said: "O Messenger of Allah,
this is so-and-so, one of the best people of Madinah," or "one of the people who
prays the most in Madinah." The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do not let him hear you,
or it will be his downfall!" - two or three times - "You are an ummah for
whom I wish ease."30
The Prophet (PBUH) described hearing
praise as being a person's downfall, because of its profound psychological
impact on the human mind which by nature loves to hear such words. So the one
who is praised begins to feel superior to and to look down on other people. If
such praise is repeated by the hypocrites and flatterers - and how many of them
there are surrounding those in positions of power and authority! - this will
satisfy a strong desire in his heart and will become something he wants to hear
regularly. Then he will hate to hear criticism and advice, and will only accept
praise, thanks and adulation. No wonder, then, that truth will be lost, justice
will be eliminated, morality will be destroyed and society will be corrupted.
For this reason the Prophet (PBUH) ordered his Companions to throw dust in
the faces of those who praise others, lest their number, and hence flattery and
hypocrisy, increase, which would have had disastrous consequences for the whole
Muslim society.
The Sahabah, may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them, used to feel upset
when they heard others praising them, although they were the most deserving of
such praise, because they feared its disastrous consequences and adhered to the
basic principles of Islam that abhor such cheap, empty expressions. Nafi`(RAA)
and others said: "A man said to Ibn `Umar (RAA): `O you who are the best of
people!' or `O son of the best of people!' Ibn `Umar said: `I am not the best of
people, neither am I the son of the best of people. I am just one of the
servants of Allah (SWT): I hope for His (mercy) and I fear His (wrath). By Allah
(SWT), you will continue to pursue a man (with your praise) until you bring
about his downfall.'"31
This is a wise statement from a great Sahabi of the utmost Islamic
sensibilities, who adhered to Islamic teachings both in secret and openly.
The Sahabah understood precisely the Prophet's guidance telling them
that their words and deeds should be free from hypocrisy. The great difference
between that which is done sincerely for the sake of Allah (SWT) and that which
is merely hypocrisy and flattery was abundantly clear to them.
Ibn `Umar (RAA) said that some people said to him: "When we enter upon our
rulers we tell them something different from what we say when we have left
them." Ibn `Umar said: "At the time of the Prophet (PBUH), we used to consider
this to be hypocrisy."32
The true Muslim woman is protected by her religion from sinking to the
dangerous level of hypocrisy to which many women today have sunk who think that
they have not overstepped the bounds of polite flattery. They do not realize
that there is a type of flattery that is haram and that they could sink
so low without realizing it and fall into the sin of that despised hypocrisy
which may lead to their ultimate doom. This happens when they keep quiet and
refrain from telling the truth, or when they praise those who do not deserve it.
She is characterized by shyness [haya']
Women are shy by nature, and what I mean here by shyness is the same as the
definition of the `ulama': the noble attitude that always motivates a
person to keep away from what is abhorrent and to avoid falling short in one's
duties towards those who have rights over one. The Prophet (PBUH) was the
highest example of shyness, as the great Sahabi Abu Sa`id al-Khudri
described him:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was more shy than the virgin hiding away in
her own room. If he saw something he disliked, we would know it only from his
facial expression."33The Prophet (PBUH) praised the attitude of
shyness in a number of ahadith, and explained that it is pure goodness, both for
the one who possesses this virtue and for the society in which he lives.
`Imran ibn Husayn (RAA) said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: `Shyness brings nothing but
good.'"34According to a report given by Muslim, he (PBUH) said:
"Shyness is all good."35Abu Hurayrah (RAA) said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Faith has seventy-odd branches. The greatest of
them is saying la ilaha ill-Allah, and the least of them is removing
something harmful from the road. Shyness is one of the branches of
faith."36The true Muslim woman is shy, polite, gentle and
sensitive to the feelings of others. She never says or does anything that may
harm people or offend their dignity.
The attitude of shyness that is deeply-rooted in her nature is supported by
her understanding of the Islamic concepof shyness, which protects her against
going wrong or deviating from Islamic teachings in her dealings with others. She
does not only feel shy in front of people, but she also feels shy before Allah
(SWT). She is careful not to let her faith become by wrongdoing, because shyness
is one of the branches of faith. This is the highest level that may be reached
by the woman who is characterized by shyness. In this way she is distinguished
from the Western woman who has lost the characteristic of shyness.
She is proud and does not beg
One of the features that distinguish the Muslim woman who has truly
understood the guidance of Islam is the fact that she is proud and does not beg.
If she is faced with difficulties or is afflicted with poverty, she seeks refuge
in patience and self-pride, whilst redoubling her efforts to find a way out of
the crisis of poverty that has befallen her. It never occurs to her to put
herself in the position of begging and asking for help, because Islam thinks too
highly of the true Muslim woman to allow her to put herself in such a position.
The Muslim woman is urged to be proud, independent and patient - then Allah
(SWT) will help her and give her independence and patience:
"Whoever refrains from asking from people, Allah (SWT) will help him.
Whoever tries to be independent, Allah (SWT) will enrich him. Whoever tries to
be patient, Allah (SWT) will give him patience, and no-one is given a better or
vaster gift than patience."37The Muslim woman who understands
the teachings of Islam knows that Islam has given the poor some rights over the
wealth of the rich, who should give freely without reminders or insults. But at
the same time, Islam wants the poor to be independent and not to rely on this
right. The higher hand is better than the lower hand, so all Muslims, men and
women, should always work so that their hand will not be the lower one. That is
more befitting and more honouring to them. So those men and women who have
little should increase their efforts and not be dependent on charity and
hand-outs. This will save them from losing face. Whenever he spoke from the
minbar about charity and refraining from begging, the Prophet (PBUH)
would remind the Muslims that "the higher hand is better than the lower, the
higher hand is the one that spends, whilst the lower hand is the one that
begs."38
She does not interfere in that which
does not concern her
The true Muslim woman is wise and discerning; she does not interfere in that
which does not concern her, nor does she concern herself with the private lives
of the women around her. She does not stick her nose into their affairs or force
herself on them in any way, because this could result in sin or blame on her
part. By seeking to avoid interfering in that which does not concern her, she
protects herself from vain and idle talk, as she is adhering to a sound Islamic
principle that raises the Muslim above such foolishness, furnishes him with the
best of attitudes, and guides him towards the best way of dealing with others:
"A sign of a person's being a good Muslim is that he should leave alone
that which does not concern him."39Abu Hurayrah (RAA) reported
that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Allah (SWT) likes three things for you and dislikes three things. He likes
for you to worship Him, not to associate anything with Him, and to hold fast,
all together, by the Rope which He (stretches out for you), and not to be
divided among yourselves [cf. Al `Imran 3:103]. And He dislikes for you
to pass on stories and gossip, to ask too many questions, and to waste
money."40The divinely-guided society which has been formed by
Islam has no room for passing on stories and gossip, asking too many questions,
or interfering in the private affairs of others, because the members of such a
society are too busy with something much more important, which is the
establishing of the word of Allah (SWT) on earth, taking the banner of Islam to
the four corners of the earth, and spreading its values among mankind. Those who
are engaged in such great missions do not have the time to indulge in such sins.
She refrains from slandering the honour
of others and seeking out their faults
The God-fearing Muslim woman restrains her tongue and does not seek out
people's faults or slander their honour, and she hates to see such talk spread
in the Muslim community. She acts in accordance with the guidance of the Qur'an
and Sunnah, which issue a severe warning to those corrupt men and women who
indulge in slandering the honour of others, that they will suffer a terrible
punishment in this world and the next:
( Those who love [to see] scandal
published broadcast among the Believers, will have a grievous Penalty in this
life and in the Hereafter: Allah knows, and you know not.) (Qur'an 24:19)The one who indulges in
the slander of people's honour, and spreads news of scandal throughout the
community is just like the one who commits the scandalous deed, as `Ali ibn Abi
Talib (RAA) stated:
"The one who tells the news of scandal and the one who spread the news are
equally sinful."41The true Muslim woman understands that the
human shortcomings of some weak or careless women cannot be dealt with by
seeking out their faults and mistakes and broadcasting them throughout the
community. The way to deal with them is by offering sound advice to the women
concerned, encouraging them to obey Allah (SWT), and teaching them to hate
disobedience themselves, always being frank without hurting their feelings or
being confrontational.
Kind words and a gentle approach in explaining the truth opens hearts and
minds, and leads to complete spiritual and physical submission. For this reason,
Allah (SWT) forbids the Muslims to spy on one another and seek out one another's
faults:
( . . . And spy not on each other . .
.) (Qur'an 49:12)Exposing people's
shortcomings, seeking out their faults, spying on them and gossiping about them
are actions which not only hurt the people concerned; they also harm the greater
society in which they live. Therefore the Qur'an issued a stern warning to those
who love to spread scandal in the community, because whenever scandal is spread
in a community, people's honour is insulted, and rumours, plots and suspicions
increase, then the disease of promiscuity becomes widespread, people become
immune to acts of disobedience and sin, the bonds of brotherhood are broken, and
hatred, enmity, conspiracies and corruption arise. This is what the Prophet
(PBUH) referred to when he said:
"If you seek out the faults of the Muslims, you will corrupt them, or you
will nearly corrupt them."42So the Prophet (PBUH) issued a
stern warning to the Muslims against the danger of slandering people's honour
and exposing their faults. He threatened that the one who takes such matters
lightly would himself be exposed, even if he were hiding in the innermost part
of his home:
"Do not hurt the feelings of the servants of Allah (SWT); do not embarrass
them; do not seek to expose their faults. Whoever seeks to expose the faults of
his Muslim brother, Allah (SWT) will seek to expose his faults and expose him,
even if he hides in the innermost part of his home."43
The Prophet (PBUH) was deeply offended by those who were nosey, suspicious or
doubtful, or who sought to undermine people's reputation and honour. He would
become very angry whenever he heard any news of these aggressors who hurt
others. Ibn `Abbas (RAA) described the anger of the Prophet (PBUH) and his
harshness towards those who slandered the honour of others:
"The Prophet (PBUH) gave a speech that even reached the ears of virgins in
their private rooms. He said: `O you who have spoken the words of faith, but
faith has not penetrated your hearts! Do not hurt the feelings of the believers
and do not seek out their faults. Whoever seeks out the faults of his Muslim
brother, Allah (SWT) will seek out his faults, and whoever's faults are sought
out by Allah (SWT) will be exposed, even if he is in the innermost part of his
house."44
These harsh words, which were even heard by the virgins secluded in tprivate
rooms, reflect the anger felt by the Prophet (PBUH). He started his speech with
the words "O you who have spoken the words of faith, but faith has not
penetrated your hearts!" How great is the sin of those who are included among
those whose hearts are deprived of the blessing of faith!
She does noshow off or boast
The Muslim woman does not slip into the error of pride, boasting and showing
off, because her knowledge of Islam protects her from such errors. She
understands that the very essence of this religion is sincerity towards Allah
(SWT) in word and deed; any trace of a desire to show off will destroy reward,
cancel out good deeds, and bring humiliation on the Day of Judgement.
Worshipping Allah (SWT) is the goal behind the creation of mankind and
jinn, as the Qur'an says:
( I have only created jinns and
men, that they may serve Me.) (Qur'an
51:56)But this worship cannot be accepted unless it is done sincerely for
the sake of Allah (SWT):
( And they have been commanded no more
than this: to worship Allah, offering Him sincere devotion, being True [in
faith] . . .) (Qur'an 98:5)When a
Muslim woman's deeds are contaminated with the desire to boast or show off or
seek fame and reputation, the good deeds will be invalidated. Her reward will be
destroyed and she will be in a clear state of loss. The Qur'an issues a clear
and stern warning to those who spend their wealth then remind the beneficiaries
of their charity of their gifts in a way that hurts their feelings and offends
their dignity:
( O you who believe! Cancel not your
charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury - like those who spend
their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor the Last
Day. They are in Parable like a hard, barren rock, on which is a little soil; on
it falls heavy rain, which leaves it [just] a bare rock. They will be able to do
nothing with aught they have earned. And Allah guides not those who reject
faith.) (Qur'an 2:264)Reminding the
poor of one's generosity cancels out the reward of these acts of charity, just
as pouring water washes away all traces of soil on a smooth stone. The last part
of the ayah presents the frightening admonition that those who show off
do not deserve the guidance of Allah (SWT) and are counted as kafirs:
( And Allah guides not those who reject
faith.)
Such people's main concern is to appear to people to be doing good works;
they are not concerned with earning the pleasure of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) has
described them as doing apparently good deeds:
( . . . to be seen of men, but little
do they hold Allah in remembrance.)
(Qur'an 4:142)Thus their deeds will be thrown back in their faces,
because they associated something or someone else with Allah (SWT), and Allah
(SWT) does not accept any deeds except those which are done purely for His sake,
as is stated in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (RAA), in which he reports that he
heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say:
"Allah (SWT) said: `I am so self-sufficient that I am in no need of having
an associate. Thus he who does an action for someone else's sake as well as Mine
shall have that action renounced by Me to the one whom he associated with
Me."45The true Muslim woman is cautious, when doing good deeds,
to avoid falling into the dangerous trap into which so many women who seek to do
good have fallen, without even realizing it, by seeking praise for their efforts
and honourable mention on special occasions. Theirs is a terrible fall indeed.
The Prophet (PBUH) has clearly explained this issue and has referred to the
terrible humiliation that those who show off will suffer on that awful Day ( whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but
only he [will prosper] that brings to Allah a sound heart.) (Qur'an 26:88-89).
This is mentioned in another hadith in which Abu Hurayrah (RAA) said:
"I heard the Prophet (PBUH) say: `The first person to be judged on the Day
of Resurrection will be a man who was martyred. He will be brought forth and
Allah (SWT) will remind him of His blessings, and he will recognize them. Then
he will be asked, "What did you do with them?" He will say, "I fought for Your
sake until I was martyred." Allah (SWT) will say, "You have lied. You only
fought so that people would say, `He is courageous,' and they did say it." Then
He will order that he be dragged on his face and thrown into the Fire. Then
there will be a man who studied much and taught others, and recited Qur'an. He
will be brought forth and Allah (SWT) will remind of His blessings, and he will
recognize them. Then he will be asked, "What did you do with them?" He will say,
"I studied much, and taught others, and recited Qur'an for Your sake. Allah
(SWT) will say, "You have lied. You studied so that people would say, `He is a
scholar,' and you recited Qur'an so that they would say, `He is a qari','
and they did say it." Then He will order that he be dragged on his face and
thrown into the Fire. Then there will be a man to whom Allah (SWT) gave all
types of wealth in abundance. He will be brought forth and Allah (SWT) will
remind him of His blessings and he will recognize them. Then he will be asked,
"What did you do with them?" He will say, "I have never seen any way in which
You would like money to be spent for Your sake without spending it." Allah (SWT)
will say, "You have lied. You did that so people would say, `he is generous,'
and they did say it." Then He will order that he be dragged on his face and
thrown into the Fire."'"46The intelligent Muslim woman who is
truly guided by the Qur'an and Sunnah carefully avoids slipping into the sin of
boasting in any of its many forms. She is ever keen to devote all of her deeds
exclusively to Allah (SWT), seeking His pleasure, and whenever the appalling
spectre of pride and boasting looms before her, she remembers and adheres to the
teaching of the Prophet (PBUH):
"Whoever makes a show of his good deeds so that people will respect him,
Allah (SWT) will show what is truly in his heart."47She is
fair in her judgements
The Muslim woman may be put in a position where she is required to form an
opinion or judgement on some person or matter. This is where her faith, common
sense and taqwa reveal themselves. The true Muslim woman judges fairly,
and is never unjust, biased or influenced by her own whims, no matter what the
circumstances, because she understands from the teachings of Islam that being
just and avoiding unfairness are at the very heart of her faith, as stated by
clear and unambiguous texts of the Qur'an and Sunnah and expressed in
commandments that leave no room for prevarication:
( Allah does command you to render
back your Trusts to whom they are due; and when you judge between man and man,
that you judge with justice . . .)
(Qur'an 4:58)
Justice as known by the Muslim and the Islamic society
is aboslute and pure justice. It is not influenced by friendship, hatred or
blood ties:
( O you who believe! Stand out firmly
for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and do not let the hatred of others to
you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to
Piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.) (Qur'an 5:8)
( . . . Whenever you speak, speak
justly, even if a near relative is concerned . . .) (Qur'an 6:152)
The Prophet (PBUH) set the highest example of justice when Usamah ibn Zayd
came to intercede for the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft, and the
Prophet (PBUH) had decided to cut off her hand. He said: "Do you intercede
concerning one of the punishments decreed by Allah (SWT), O Usamah? By Allah
(SWT), even if Fatimah the daughter of Muhammad had committed theft, I would
have cut off her hand."48
This is absolute, universal
justice which is applied to great and small, prince and commoner, Muslims and
non-Muslims. None can escape its grasp, and this is what differentiates justice
in Islamic societies from justice in other societies.
History records the impressive story that earns the respect of the
institutions of justice throughout the world and at all times: the
khalifah `Ali ibn AbTalib stood side by side in court with his Jewish
opponent, who had stolen his shield, on equal terms. The qadi, Shurayh,
did not let his great respect for the khalifah prevent him from asking
him to produce evidence that the Jew had stolen his shield. When the
khalifah could not produce such evidence, the qadi ruled in favour
of the Jew, and against the khalifah. Islamhistory is full of such
examples which indicate the extent to which truth and justice prevailed in the
Muslim society.
Therefore the Muslim woman who truly adheres to the teachings of her religion
is just in word and deed, and this attitude of hers is reinforced by the fact
that truth and justice are an ancient part of her heritage and fairness is a
sacred part of her belief.
She does not oppress or mistreat others
To the extent that the Muslim woman is keen to adhere to justice in all her
words and deeds, she also avoids oppression (zulm), for oppression is
darkness in which male and female oppressors will become lost, as the Prophet
(PBUH) explained:
"Keep away from oppression, for oppression is darkness on the Day of
Resurrection."49The following hadith qudsi definitively
and eloquently expresses Allah's (SWT) prohibition of oppression in a way that
leaves no room for prevarication:
"O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it
forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another."50If
Allah (SWT), the Creator, the Sovereign, the Most Holy, the Exalted in Might,
the Omnipotent, the Almighty, may He be glorified, has forbidden oppression for
Himself, and forbidden it for His servants, does it then befit His weak, mortal
servant to commit the sin of oppression against his human brother?
The Prophet (PBUH) forbade Muslim men and women to commit the sin of
oppression against their brothers and sisters in faith, no matter what the
motives, reasons or circumstances might be. It is unimaginable that a Muslim who
is adhering to the strong bonds of brotherhood could commit such a sin:
"A Muslim is the brother of another Muslim: he does not oppress him or
forsake him when he is oppressed. Whoever helps his brother, Allah (SWT) will
help him; whoever relieves his brother from some distress, Allah (SWT) will
relieve him of some of his distress on the Day of Resurrection; whoever covers
(the fault of) a Muslim, Allah (SWT) will cover his faults on the Day of
Resurrection."51
The Prophet (PBUH) did not stop at forbidding oppression against another
Muslim, man or woman; he also forbade Muslims to forsake a brother in faith who
was being oppressed, because this act of forsaking an oppressed brother is in
itself a terrible form of oppression. He encouraged Muslims to take care of
their brothers' needs and to ease their suffering and conceal their faults, as
if indicating that the neglect of these virtues constitutes oppression, failure
and injustice with regard to the ties of brotherhood that bind the Muslim and
his brother.
We have quoted above the texts that enjoin absolute justice which cannot be
influenced by love, hatred, bias or ties of blood, and other texts that forbid
absolute injustice. This means that justice is to be applied to all people, and
that injustice to any people is to be avoided, even if the people concerned are
not Muslim. Allah (SWT) commands justice and good treatment of all, and forbids
oppression and wrong-doing to all:
( Allah forbids you not, with regard
to those who fight you not for [your] Faith nor drive you out of your homes,
from dealing kindly and justly with them: For Allah loves those who are
just.) (Qur'an 60:8)She is fair
even to those whom
she does not like
Life sometimes imposes on a Muslim woman the burden of having to live or mix
with women whom she does not like, such as living in the same house with one of
her in-laws or other women with whom she has nothing in common and does not get
along well. This is something which happens in many homes, a fact which cannot
be denied, for souls are like conscripted soldiers: if they recognize one
another, they will become friends, and if they dislike one another, they will go
their separate ways, as the Prophet (PBUH) explained in the hadith whose
authenticity is agreed upon. How should the Muslim woman who has received a
sound Islamic education conduct herself in such a situation? Should she be
negative in her dealings, judgements and reactions, or should she be gentle,
tactful, fair and wise, even with those whom she does not like?
The answer is that the Muslim woman who is truly guided by Islam should be
fair, wise, gentle and tactful. She should not expose her true feelings towards
those she dislikes, or expose her cold feelings towards them in the way she
behaves towards them and reacts to them. She should greet such women warmly,
treat them gently and speak softly to them. This is the attitude adopted by the
Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions. Abu'l-Darda' (RAA) said:
"We smile at people even if in our hearts we are cursing
them."52`Urwah ibn al-Zubayr reported that `A'ishah told him:
"A man sought permission to enter upon the Prophet (PBUH), and he said,
`Let him in, what a bad son of his tribe (or bad brother of his tribe) he is!'
When the man came in, the Prophet (PBUH) spoke to him kindly and gently. I said:
`O Messenger of Allah, you said what you said, then you spoke to him kindly.' He
said, `O `A'ishah, the worst of the people in the sight of Allah (SWT) is the
one who is shunned by others or whom people treat nicely because they fear his
sharp tongue.'"53Being companionable, friendly and kind towards
people are among the attributes of believing men and women. Being humble,
speaking gently and avoiding harshness are approaches that make people like one
another and draw closer to one another, as enjoined by Islam, which encourages
Muslims to adopt these attitudes in their dealings with others.
The true Muslim woman is not swayed by her emotions when it comes to love and
hate. She is moderate, objective, fair and realistic in her treatment and
opinions of those woman whom she does not like, and allows herself to be
governed by her reason, religion, chivalry and good attitude. She does not bear
witness except to the truth, and she does not judge except with justice,
following the example of the Mothers of the Believers, who were the epitome of
fairness, justice and taqwa in their opinions of one another.
`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) was the closest of his wives to the
Prophet's heart, and her main rival in this regard was Zaynab bint Jahsh. It was
natural for there to be jealousy between them, but this jealousy did not prevent
either of them from saying what was true about the other and acknowledging her
qualities without undermining them.
In Sahih Muslim, `A'ishah says of Zaynab:
"She was the one who was somewhat equal in rank with me in the eyes of the
Messenger of Allah (PBUH). I have never seen a woman better in piety than
Zaynab, or more fearing of Allah (SWT), or more true in speech, or more faithful
in upholding the ties of kinship, or more generous in giving charity, or humble
enough to work with her hand s in order to earn money that she could spend for
the sake of Allah (SWT). However, she was hot-tempered and quick to anger, but
she would soon cool down and then take the matter no
further."54In Sahih Bukhari, in the context of her
telling of the slander incident (al-ifk) concerning which Allah (SWT)
Himself confirmed her total innocence, `A'ishah referred to Zaynab's testimony
concerning her:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) asked Zaynab bint Jahsh concerning me,
saying: `O Zaynab, what did you see? What have you learnt?' She said, `O
Messenger of Allah, I protect my hearing and my sight (by refraining from
telling lies). I know nothing but good about her.'" Then `A'ishah said: "She is
the one who was my main rival, but Allah (SWT) protected her (from telling lies)
because of her piety."55Anyone who reads the books of
sirah and the biographies of the Sahabah will find many reports of
the wives of the Prophets which describe fairness and mutual praise among
co-wives.
Among these is Umm Salamah's comment about Zaynab: "Zaynab was very dear to
the Prophet (PBUH), and he liked to spend time with her. She was righteous, and
frequently stood in prayer at night and fasted during the day. She was skilled
(in handicrafts) and used to give everything that she earned in charity to the
poor."
When Zaynab died, `A'ishah said: "She has departed praiseworthy and
worshipping much, the refuge of the orphans anwidows."56
When Maymunah died, `A'ishah said: "By Allah (SWT), Maymunah has gone. . .
But by Allah (SWT) she was one of the most pious of us and one of those who was
most faithful in upholding the ties of kinship."57
The wives of the Prophet (PBUH) displayed this attitude of fairness and
justice towards co-wives in spite of the jealousy, competition and sensitivity
that existed between them. We can only imagine how great and noble their
attitude towards other women was. By their behaviour and attitude, they set the
highest example for Muslim woman of human co-existence that absorbs all hatred
by increasing the power of reason and controls the strength of jealousy - if it
is present - by strengthening the feelings of fairness, good treatment and a
sense of being above such negative attitudes. Thus the Muslim woman becomes fair
towards those women whom she does not like, regardless of the degree of
closeness between them, fair when judging them, and wise, rational and tactful
in her treatment of them.
She does not rejoice in the misfortunes of others
The sincere Muslim woman who is truly infused with Islamic attitudes does not
rejoice in the misfortunes of anyone, because Schadenfreude (malicious
enjoyment of others' misfortunes) is a vile, hurtful attitude that should not
exist in the God-fearing woman who understands the teachings of her religion.
The Prophet (PBUH) forbade this attitude and warned against it:
"Do not express malicious joy at the misfortune of your brother, for Allah
(SWT) will have mercy on him and inflict misfortune on
you."58There is no room for Schadenfreude in the heart
of the Muslim woman in whom Islam has instilled good manners. Instead, she feels
sorry for those who are faced with trials and difficulties: she hastens to help
them and is filled with compassion for their suffering. Schadenfreude
belongs only in those sick hearts that are deprived of the guidance of Islam and
that are accustomed to plotting revenge and seeking out means of harming others.
She avoids suspicion
Another attribute of the true Muslim woman is that she does not form
unfounded suspicions about anybody. She avoids suspicion as much as possible, as
Allah (SWT) has commanded in the Qur'an:
( O you who believe! Avoid suspicion
as much [as possible]: for suspicion in some cases is a sin . . .) (Qur'an 49:12)She understands that by
being suspicious of others she may fall into sin, especially if she allows her
imagination free rein to dream up possibilities and illusions, and accuses them
of shameful deeds of which they are innocent. This is the evil suspicion which
is forbidden in Islam.
The Prophet (PBUH) issued a stern warning against suspicion and speculation
that has no foundation in reality. He (PBUH) said:
"Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of
speech."59The Prophet (PBUH) counted suspicion as being the
falsest of speech. The truly sincere Muslim woman who is keen to speak the truth
always would never even allow words that carry the stench of untruth to cross
her tongue, so how can she allow herself to fall into the trap of uttering the
falsest of speech?
When the Prophet (PBUH) warned against suspicion and called it the falsest of
speech, he was directing the Muslims, men and women, to take people at face
value, and to avoid speculating about them or doubting them. It is not the
attitude of a Muslim, nor is it his business, to uncover people's secrets, to
expose their private affairs, or to slander them. Only Allah (SWT) knows what is
in people's hearts, and can reveal it or call them to account for it, for only
He knows all that is secret and hidden. A man, in contrast, knows nothing of his
brother except what he sees him do. This was the approach of the Sahabah
and Tabi`in who received the pure and unadulterated guidance of Islam.
`Abd al-Razzaq reported from `Abdullah ibn `Utbah ibn Mas`ud:
"I heard `Umar ibn al-Khattab (RAA) say: `People who used to follow the
wahy (Revelation) at the time of the Prophet (PBUH), but now the
wahy has ceased. So now we take people at face value. If someone appears
good to us, we trust him and form a close relationship with him on the basis of
what we see of his deeds. We have nothing to do with his inner thoughts, which
are for Allah (SWT) to judge. And if someone appears bad to us, we do not trust
him or believe him, even if he tells us that his inner thoughts are
good."60The true Muslim woman who is adhering to that which
will help her to remember Allah (SWT) and do good deeds, will exercise the
utmost care in every word she utters concerning her Muslim sister, whether
directly or indirectly. She tries to be sure about every judgement she makes
about people, always remembering the words of Allah (SWT):
( And pursue not that of which you
have no knowledge; for every act of hearing, or of seeing, or of [feeling in]
the heart will be enquired into [on the Day of Reckoning].) (Qur'an 17:36)So she does not transgress
this wise and definitive prohibition: she does not speak except with knowledge,
and she does not pass judgement except with certainty.
The true Muslim woman always reminds herself of the watching angel who is
assigned to record every word she utters and every judgement she forms, and this
increases her fear of falling into the sin of suspicion:
( Not a word does he utter, but there
is a sentinel by him, ready [to note it].)
(Qur'an 50:18)The alert Muslim woman understands the responsibility
she bears for every word she utters, because she knows that these words may
raise her to a position where Allah (SWT) is pleased with her, or they may earn
her His wrath, as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"A man could utter a word that pleases Allah (SWT), and not realize the
consequences of it, for Allah (SWT) may decree that he is pleased with him
because of it until the Day he meets Him. Similarly, a man could utter a word
that angers Allah (SWT), and not realize the consequences of it, for Allah (SWT)
may decree that He is angry with him because of it until the Day of
Resurrection."61How great is our responsibility for the words
we utter! How serious are the consequences of the words that our garrulous
tongues speak so carelessly!
The true Muslim woman who is God-fearing and intelligent does not listen to
people's idle talk, or pay attention to the rumours and speculation that are
rife in our communities nowadays, especially in the gatherings of foolish and
careless women. Consequently she never allows herself to pass on whatever she
hears of such rumours without being sure that they are true. She believes that
to do so would be the kind of haram lie that was clearly forbidden by the
Prophet (PBUH):
"It is enough lying for a man to repeat everything that he
hears."62She refrains from backbiting and
spreading malicious gossip
The Muslim woman who truly understands the teachings of Islam is conscious of
Allah (SWT), fearing Him in secret and in the open. She carefully avoids
uttering any word of slander or malicious gossip that could anger her Lord and
include her among those spreaders of malicious gossip who are severely condemned
in the Qur'an and Sunnah.
When she reads the words of Allah (SWT):
( . . . Nor speak ill of each other
behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother?
Nay, you would abhor it . . . But fear Allah, for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most
Merciful.) (Qur'an 49:12)she is
filled with revulsion for the hateful crime of gossip, which is likened to the
eating of her dead sister's flesh. So she hastens to repent, as Allah (SWT)
commands at the end of the ayah, encouraging the one who has fallen into
the error of backbiting to repent quickly from it.
She aheeds the words of the Prophet (PBUH), who said:
"The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and whose hand the Muslims are
safe."63So she feels that gossip is a sin which does not befit
the Muslim woman who has uttered the words of the Shahadah, and that the
woman who is used to gossip in social gatherings is not among the righteous
Muslim women.
`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:
"I said to the Prophet (PBUH), `It is enough for you that Safiyyah is
such-and-such.'" Snarrators said that she meant she was short of stature. The
Prophet (PBUH) said: "You have spoken a word that, if it were to mixed with the
waters of the sea, it would contaminate them."64The Muslim
woman pays attention to the description of the seven acts that may lead to a
person's condemnation, which the Prophet (PBUH) called on people to avoid. In
this list, she finds something that is even worse and more dangerous than mere
gossip, namely the slander of chaste, innocent believing women, which is a sin
that some women fall into in their gatherings:
"Avoid (the) seven things that could lead to perdition." It was asked, "O
Messenger of Allah, what are they?" He said: "Shirk [associating any
partner with Allah (SWT)]; witchcraft (sihr); killing anyone for whom
Allah (SWT) has forbidden killing, except in the course of justice; consuming
the wealth of the orphan; consuming riba (usury); running away from the
battlefield; and slandering chaste and innocent believing
women."65The Muslim woman who truly understands this teaching
takes the issue of gossip very seriously, and does not indulge in any type of
gossip or tolerate anyone to gossip in her company. She defends her sisters from
hostile gossip and refutes whatever bad things are being said about them, in
accordance with the words of the Prophet (PBUH):
"Whoever defends the flesh of his brother in his absence, Allah (SWT) will
save him from the Fire."66The true Muslim woman also refrains
from spreading malicious gossip, because she understands the dangerous role it
plays in spreading evil and corruption in society and breaking the ties of love
and friendship between its members, as the Prophet (PBUH) explained:
"The best of the servants of Allah (SWT) are those who, when they are seen,
Allah (SWT) is remembered (i.e., they are very pious). The worst of the servants
of Allah (SWT) are those who spread malicious gossip, cause division between
friends, and seek to cause trouble for innocent people."67It is
enough for the woman who spreads malicious gossip and causes trouble between
friends and splits them up to know that if she persists in her evil ways, there
awaits her humiliation in this life and a terrible destiny in the next, as the
Prophet (PBUH) declared that the blessings of Paradise will be denied to every
person who spreads malicious gossip. This is stated clearly in the sahih
hadith:
"The one who engages in malicious gossip will not enter
Paradise."68What fills the believing woman's heart with fear
and horror of the consequences of spreading malicious gossip is the fact that
Allah (SWT) will pour His punishment upon the one who engaged in this sin from
the moment he or she is laid in the grave. We find this in the hadith which
Bukhari, Muslim and others narrated from Ibn `Abbas (RAA):
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) passed by two graves, and said: `They are
being punished, but they are not being punished for any major sin. One of them
used to spread malicious gossip, and the other used not to clean himself
properly after urinating.'" He (Ibn `Abbas) said: "He called for a green branch
and split it in two, then planted a piece on each grave and said, `May their
punishment be reduced so long as these remain fresh.'"69She
avoids cursing and foul language
The Muslim woman who has absorbed the good manners taught by Islam never
utters obscene language or foul words, or offends people with curses and
insults, bacause she knows that the moral teachings of Islam completely forbid
all such talk. Cursing is seen as a sin that damages the quality of a person's
adherance to Islam, and the foul-mouthed person is intensely disliked by Allah
(SWT).
Ibn Mas`ud (RAA) said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: `Cursing a Muslim is a sin and killing him is
kufr.'"70The Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Allah (SWT) does not love anyone who is foul-mouthed and
obscene."71
"Allah (SWT) will hate the disgusting, foul-mouthed
person."72
It is a quality that does not befit the Muslim
woman who has been guided by the truth of Islam and whose heart has been filled
with the sweetness of faith. So she keeps far away from disputes and arguments
in which cheap insults and curses are traded. The alert Muslim woman is further
encouraged to avoid such moral decadence whenever she remembers the beautiful
example set by the Prophet (PBUH) in all his words and deeds. It is known that
he never uttered any words that could hurt a person's feelings, damage his
reputation or insult his honour.
Anas ibn Malik (RAA), who accompanied the Prophet (PBUH) closely for many
years, said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) never used foul language, or cursed, or swore. When he
wanted to rebuke someone, he would say, `What is wrong with him? May his
forehead be covered with dust!'"73He even refrained from
cursing the kafirin who had hardened their hearts to his message. He
never spoke a harmful word to them, as the great Sahabi Abu Hurayrah
said:
"It was said: `O Messenger of Allah, pray against the mushrikin.' He
said, `I was not sent as a curse, but I was sent as a
mercy.'"74The Prophet (PBUH) excelled in removing the roots of
evil, hatred and enmity in people's hearts when he explained to the Muslims that
the one who gives his tongue free rein in slandering people and their wealth and
honour is the one who is truly ruined in this world and the next. His aggressive
attitude towards others will cancel out whatever good deeds he may have done in
his life, and on the Day of Judgement he will be abandoned, with no protection
from the Fire:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: `Do you know who is the one who is ruined? They
said, `It is the one who has no money or possessions.' He said, `The one who is
ruined among my ummah is the one who comes on the Day of Resurrection
with prayer, fasting and zakat to his credit, but he insulted this one,
slandered that one, devoured this one's wealth, shed that one's blood, and beat
that one. So some of his hasanat will be given to this one and some to
that one. . . And if his hasanat run out before all his victims have been
compensated, then some of their sins will be taken and added to his, then he
will be thrown into Hell.'"75Not surprisingly, therefore, all
of this nonsense is eliminated from the life of true Muslim women. Disputes and
arguments which could lead to curses and insults are rare in the community of
true Muslim women that is based on the virtues of good manners, respect for the
feelings of others, and a refined level of social interaction.
She does not make fun of anybody
The Muslim woman whose personality has been infused with a sense of humility
and resistance to pride and arrogance cannot make fun of anybody. The Qur'anic
guidance which has instilled those virtues in her also protects her from
scorning or despising other women:
( O you who believe! Let not some men
among you laugh at others: it may be that the [latter] are better than the
[former]: nor let some women laugh at others: it may be that the [latter] are
better than the [former]: nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call
each other by [offensive] nicknames: ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness,
[to be used of one] after he has believed: and those who do not desist are
[indeed] doing wrong.) (Qur'an
49:11)The Muslim woman also learns the attitude of modesty and gentleness
from the example of the Prophet (PBUH), so she avoids being arrogant and
scorning or looking down on others when she reads the words of the Prophet
(PBUH) as reported by Muslim, stating that despising her fellow Muslim women is
pure evil:
"It is sufficient evil for a man to despise his Muslim
brother."76She is gentle and kind towards people
It is in the nature of women to be gentle and kind, which is more befitting
to them. This is why women are known as the "fairer sex."
The Muslim woman who has truly been guided by Islam is even more kind and
gentle towards the women around her, because gentleness and kindness are
characteristics which Allah (SWT) loves in His believing servants and which make
the one who possesses them dear to others:
( Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal.
Repel [Evil] with what is better: then will he between whom and you was
hatbecome as it were your friend and intimate! And no one will be granted such
goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint - none but
persons of the greatest good fortune.)
(Qur'an 41:34-35)
Many ayat and ahadith reinforce the
message that gentleness and kindness are to be encouraged and that they are
noble virtues that should prevail in the Muslim community and characterize every
Muslim member of that community who truly understands the guidance of Islam. It
is sufficient for the Muslim woman to know that kindness is one of the
attributes of Allah (SWT) that He has encouraged His servants to adopt in all
their affairs.
"Allah (SWT) is Kind and loves kindness in all
affairs."77Kindness is a tremendous virtue which Allah (SWT)
rewards in a way unlike any other:
"Allah (SWT) is kind and loves kindness, and He rewards it in a way that He
does not reward harshness, and in a way unlike any other."78The
Prophet (PBUH) praised kindness, regarding it as an adornment that beautifies
and encouraging others to adopt this trait:
"There is no kindness in a thing but it makes it beautiful, and there is no
absence of kindness in a thing but it makes it repugnant."79The
Prophet (PBUH) taught the Muslims to be kind in their dealings with people, and
to behave in an exemplary manner as befits the Muslim who is calling people to
the religion of Allah (SWT), the Kind and Merciful, no matter how provocative
the situation.
Abu Hurayrah (RAA) said:
"A Bedouin urinated in the mosque, and the people got up to sort him out.
But the Prophet (PBUH) said, `Leave him be, and throw a bucket of water over his
urine, for you have been raised to be easy on people, not hard on
them.'"80Kindness, gentleness and tolerance, not harshness,
aggression and rebukes, are what open people's hearts to the message of truth.
The Prophet (PBUH) used to advise the Muslims:
"Be cheerful, not threatening, and make things easy, not
difficult."81People are naturally put off by rudeness and
harshness, but they are attracted by kindness and gentleness. Hence Allah (SWT)
said to His Prophet (PBUH):
( . . . Were you severe or
harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you.) (Qur'an 3:159)This is an eternal
declaration that applies to every woman who seeks to call other women to Islam.
She has to find a good way to reach their hearts, for which purpose she utilizes
every means of kindness, gentleness and tact at her disposal. If she encounters
any hostility or resistance, then no doubt a kind word will reach their hearts
and have the desired effect on the hearts of the women she addresses. This is
what Allah (SWT) told His Prophet Musa (PBUH )
and his brother Harun when He sent them to Pharaoh:
( Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he
has indeed transgressed all bounds; but speak to him mildly; perchance he may
take warning or fear [Allah].) (Qur'an
20:43-44)Not surprisingly, kindness, according to Islam, is all goodness.
Whoever attains it has been given all goodness, and whoever has been denied it
has been denied all goodness. We see this in the hadith narrated by Jarir ibn
`Abdullah, who said:
"I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: `Whoever has been denied
kindness has been denied all goodness.'"82The Prophet (PBUH)
explained that this goodness will be bestowed upon individuals, households and
peoples when kindness prevails in their lives and is one of their foremost
characteristics. We find this in the hadith of `A'ishah (May Allah be pleased
with her) in which the Prophet (PBUH) told her:
"O `A'ishah, be kind, for if Allah (SWT) wills some good to a household, He
guides them to kindness."83According to another report, he
(PBUH) said:
"If Allah (SWT) wills some good to a household, He instils kindness in
them."84Jabir (RAA) said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: `If Allah (SWT) wills some good to a people, He
instils kindness in them.'"85What greater goodness can there be
than a characteristic that will protect a man from Hell? As the Prophet (PBUH)
said in another hadith:
"Shall I not tell you who shall be forbidden from the Fire, or from whom
the Fire will be forbidden? It will be forbidden for every gentle, soft-hearted
and kind person."86The teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) take man
a step further, by instilling in him the attitude of kindness and requiring him
to be kind even to the animals he slaughters. This is counted as one of the
highest levels that the pious and righteous may reach:
"Allah (SWT) has prescribed proficiency87 in all things. Thus if
you kill, kill well, and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let each one of you
sharpen his blade and let him spare suffering to the animal he
slaughters."88Kindness to dumb animals that are to be
slaughtered is indicative of the kindness of the man who slaughters them, and of
his mercy towards all living creatures. The more a person understands this and
treats all living creatures well, the more kind and gentle a person he is. This
is the ultimate goal towards which Islam is guiding the Muslim, so that he is
kind even to animals.
The true Muslim woman can imagine the comprehensiveness of the Islamic
teachings enjoining kindness upon the sons of Adam, when even animals are
included.
She is compassionate and merciful
The Muslim woman who truly understands the teachings of Islam is
compassionate and merciful, for she understands that the compassion of people on
earth will cause the mercy of heaven to be showered upon them. She knows that
the one who does not show compassion towards others will not receive the mercy
of Allah (SWT), and that the mercy of Allah (SWT) is not withheld except from
the one who is lost and doomed, as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Have compassion on those who are on earth so that the One Who is in heaven
will have mercy on you."89
"Whoever shoes not show compassion to people, Allah (SWT) will not show mercy
to him."90
"Compassion is not taken away except from the one who is
doomed."91
The true Muslim woman does not limit her
compassion only to her family, children, relatives and friends, but she extends
it to include all people. This is in accordance with the teachings of the
Prophet (PBUH), which include all people and make compassion a condition of
faith:
"You will not believe until you have compassion towards one another." They
said, "O Messenger of Allah, all of us are compassionate." He said, "It is not
the compassion of any of you towards his friend, but it is compassion towards
all people and compassion towards the common folk."92This is
comprehensive, all-embracing compassion which Islam has awoken in the hearts of
Muslim men and women, and made one of their distinguishing characteristics, so
that the Muslim community - men and women, rich and poor, all of its members -
may become an integrated, caring community filled with compassion, brotherly
love and true affection.
The Prophet (PBUH) was a brilliant example of sincere compassion. If he heard
a child crying when he was leading the people in prayer, he would shorten the
prayer, out of consideration for the mother's feelings and concern for her
child.
Bukhari and Muslim report from Anas (RAA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"I commenced the prayer, and I intended to make it long, but I heard a
child crying, so I cut my prayer short because of the distress I knew his mother
would be feeling."93
A Bedouin came to the Prophet (PBUH) and asked, "Do you kiss your sons? For
we do not kiss them." He said, "What can I do for you when Allah (SWT) has
removed compassion from your heart?"94
Prophet (PBUH) kissed al-Hasan ibn `Ali when al-Aqra` ibn Habis al-Tamimi was
sitting with him. Al-Aqra` said: "I have ten children and I have never kissed
any of them." The Prophet (PBUH) looked at him and said, "The one who does not
show compassion will not be shown mercy."95
`Umar (RAA) wanted to appoint a man to some position of authority over the
Muslims, then he heard him say something like al-Aqra` ibn Habis had said, i.e.,
that he did not kiss his children. So `Umar changed his mind about appointing
him and said, "If your heart does not beat with compassion towards your own
children, how will you be merciful towards thepeople? By Allah (SWT), I will
never appoint you." Then he tore up the document he had prepared concerning the
man's appointment.
The Prophet (PBUH) extended the feeling of mercy in
the hearts of Muslim men and women to cover animals as well as humans. This is
reflected in a number of sahih ahadith, such as that reported by Bukhari
and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, in which the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"A man was walking along the road when he felt very thirsty. He saw a well,
so he went down into it, drank his fill, then came out. He saw a dog panting and
biting the dust with thirst, and said, `This dog's thirst is as severe as mine
was.' So he went back down into the well, filled his shoes with water, held them
in his mouth (while he climbed out), and gave the dog water. Allah (SWT) thanked
him and forgave him." They asked, "O Messenger of Allah, will we be rewarded for
kindness towards animals?" He said, "In every living creature there is
reward."96Bukhari and Muslim also narrate from Ibn `Umar that
the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"A woman was punished because of a cat which she locked up until it died of
starvation. She was thrown into Hell. It was said - and Allah (SWT) knows best -
`You did not feed her or give her water when you locked her up, neither did you
let her roam free so that she could eat of the vermin of the
earth.'"97
The Prophet (PBUH) reached such heights of mercy that once, when he and his
Companions stopped in some place, a bird appeared above his head, as if she were
seeking his help and complaining to him of the wrongdoing of a man who had taken
her egg. He said, "Which of you has distressed her by taking her egg?" A man
said, "O Messenger of Allah, I have taken it." The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Put it
back, out of mercy to her."98
The Prophet (PBUH) wanted, in
this instance, to instil a sense of all-encompassing mercy in the conscience of
the Muslims, men and women alike, so that they would become compassionate by
nature, even to animals, because whoever has the heart to be kind to animals
will not be harsh towards his human brother.
The Prophet (PBUH) was full of compassion towards humans and animals alike.
He never stopped encouraging compassion among people, and sought to instil it
deeply in the hearts of Muslim men and women, stating that it was the key to
Allah's (SWT) mercy, forgiveness and reward. Allah (SWT) would forgive those who
were compassionate, even if they were sinners.
In Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurayrah said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: `A dog was walking around a well,
almost dying of thirst, when a Jewish prostitute saw him. She took off her shoe,
brought water to him and gave him to drink. She was forgiven because of this
deed."99How great is the blessing of compassion and mercy for
mankind! What beautiful attributes they are! It is sufficient honour and status
to know that the Lord of Glory and Majesty derived His own name from
rahmah (mercy, compassion), and is called al-Rahim, al-Rahman.
She strives for people's benefit and seeks
to protect them from harm
The Muslim woman who has been truly guided by Islam is keen to be
constructive and active in good and beneficial deeds, not only for herself, but
for all people. So she always looks for opportunities to do good, and hastens to
do as much as she can, in obedience to the words of the Qur'an:
( . . .And do good, that you may
prosper.)
(Qur'an 22:77)
She knows that doing good to others is an act or
worship, so long as it is done purely for the sake of Allah (SWT). The door to
good deeds is open to all Muslims, to enter whenever they wish and earn the
mercy and pleasure of Allah (SWT). There are many aspects to goodness and piety,
and they take many forms. Goodness includes all those who work for the sake of
Allah (SWT), and any good deed that is done for the sake of Allah (SWT) will be
rewarded as an act of charity (sadaqah) in the record of their deeds:
"Every good deed is a sadaqah."100
"A good word is a sadaqah."101
The mercy of Allah
(SWT) encompasses every Muslim woman whose heart is pure and whose intention is
sincerely to please Allah (SWT). It applies to her if she does good, and if she
does not do good, so long as she refrains from doing evil:
Abu Musa (RAA) said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) said: `Every Muslim must give charity.' Someone asked,
`What if he finds he has nothing with which to give charity?' He said, `Let him
work with his two hands and benefit himself and give charity (from his
earnings).' Someone said, `What if he does not do that?' He said, `Let him help
one who is in desperate need.' Someone said, `What if he does not do that?' He
said, `Let him enjoin what is good.' Someone said, `What if he does not do
that?' He said, `Let him refrain from doing evil, and that will be an act of
charity.'"102The Prophet (PBUH) began this hadith with the
words, "Every Muslim must give charity," then he went on to list various types
of good deeds and acts of kindness by means of which a Muslim man or woman may
earn reward for doing charity. Charity is a duty on the Muslim woman, that is,
she must undertake deeds that are socially constructive in her community. If she
is unable to do so, or does not do so for any reason, then at least she can
restrain her tongue and refrain from doing evil; in this, too, there is reward.
Thus both her positive and negative aspects (i.e., what she does and what she
does not do) will be directed towards the service of the truth upon which the
Muslim community is built. The Muslim is "the one from whose tongue and hand the
Muslims are safe."103
So the Muslim woman is always keen to do good, and hastens to do it, hoping
that she will be the one to do it. She keeps away from evil, and is determined
never to indulge in it. In this way she is one of the best Muslims in the Muslim
community, as the Prophet (PBUH) said in the hadith narrated by Imam Ahmad:
"The Prophet (PBUH) stood up before some people who were seated and said:
`Shall I tell you the best of you and the worst of you?' The people were silent,
so he repeated it three times, then one man said, `Yes, O Messenger of Allah.'
He said: `The best of you is the one from whom people expect good deeds, and
from whose evil deeds people are safe; the worst of you is the one from whom
people expect good deeds but from whose evil deeds people are not
safe.'"104The Muslim woman who truly understands her Islam is
one of those from whom good deeds are expected and from whose evil deeds people
are safe. She is eager to do good deeds in this life, and she knows that her
efforts will not be wasted, as she will be rewarded for it in this world and the
next:
"Whoever relieves a believer of some of the distress of this world, Allah
(SWT) will relieve him of some of the distress of the Day of Resurrection, and
whoever comes to the aid of one who is going through hardship, Allah (SWT) will
come to his aid in this world and the next."105The Muslim woman
never spares any effort to do good deeds whenever she is able. How could she do
otherwise, when she knows from the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH) that failing
to do good when one is able to do so carries the threat of losing the blessings
of Allah (SWT):
"Never does Allah (SWT) bless a servant with abundant bounty, then some needs
of the people are brought to his attention and he feels annoyed and reluctant to
help them, but that blessing will be exposed to the threat of
loss."106
The Muslim woman does not think little any good deed, no matter how small it
may be, so long as it is accompanied by a sincere intention to please Allah
(SWT). Doing good may consist of protecting the Muslims from harm, as is
brilliantly described in a number of ahadith, for example:
"I have seen a man who was enjoying the luxuries of Paradise because he
removed a tree from the side of the road that used to harm the
people."107There are two aspects to doing good, and Muslims are
obliged to do both of them and to compete with one another in earning the
pleasure of Allah (SWT) by doing them. They are: doing good deeds and seeking to
benefit the people, and protecting the people from harm.
Seeking to protect the Muslims from harm is no less importantthan doing good
and working for their benefit; both count as righteous deeds for which a person
will be reward. All societies, no matter what their geographical location or
historical era, need both of these deeds, operating in tandem. When both are
present, goodness will spread in society, the ties of friendship will be
established between its members, and their quality of life will be much
improved. This is what Islam seeks to achieve when it constantly encourages
Muslims to do good to people and to seek to protect them from harm.
Among the teachings which direct Muslim to protect others from harm is the
hadith narrated by Abu Barzah, who said:
"I said, `O Messenger of Allah, teach me something that I may benefit
from.' He said, `Remove anything harmful from the path of the
Muslims."108According to another report, Abu Barzah said:
"O Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that will admit me to Paradise."
The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Remove anything harmful from the road; this will be an
act of charity on your part."What a highly-developed, civil community is
the society that Islam has built and instilled in each of its members the idea
that the good deeds which will bring one closer to Allah (SWT) and admit one to
Paradise include removing anything harmful from the path of the people!
Humanity today is in the greatest need of this highly-developed, civil
society that Islam builds, in which every member feels that his contribution to
the good of society will bring him closer to Allah (SWT) and grant him entrance
to Paradise, even if his good deeds went no further than removing something
harmful from the road. There is a huge difference between the society which
forms sensitive souls such as these, who cannot bear to see carelessness and
backwardness, and the society which pays no attention to the development of its
members, so you see them not caring if the garbage and hazardous waste that they
throw in the road harms people, and the authorities in those backward societies
are obliged to issue laws and regulations to punish those who commit these
offences.
How great is the difference between the society that is guided by Islam,
whose members hasten to remove anything harmful from the road in obedience to
Allah's command and in hope of reward from Him, and the society which has
deviated from the guidance of Allah (SWT), whose members do not care on whom
their garbage lands when they throw it from their balconies, windows and
rooftops!
The civilized Western world has managed to excel in such matters of
organization by making individuals become accustomed to respecting the system
and following it strictly. But this high level of social organization in the
West still falls far short of the true Islamic ideal, for one good reason: the
Muslim who has received a sound Islamic education is even stricter and more
sincere in adhering to the system, because he believes that stepping beyond the
limits is an act of disobedience towards Allah (SWT), Who will punish him on the
Day ( whereon neither wealth nor sons will
avail, but only he [will prosper] that brings to Allah a sound heart.) (Qur'an 26:88-89). Moreover, the Westerner
does not see anything seriously wrong with transgressing the bounds of the
system. His conscience may or may not trouble him, but there the matter ends,
especially if the authorities are unaware of it.
She helps to alleviate the burden of the debtor
The true Muslim woman is distinguished by the nature of her moral and
psychological make-up, and by her tolerant and easy-going personality. So if she
is owed anything by her sister and her sister is in difficulty when the time
comes to pay the debt, she postpones payment until another time, until the
period of hardship is over, in obedience to the words of the Qur'an:
( If the debtor is in difficulty,
grant him time till it is easy for him to repay . . . ) (Qur'an 2:280)Postponing debts is a generous
attitude, one that is encouraged by Islam because it brings about humane
standards in one's dealing with one's brother, even if he is in debt.
The Muslim woman who is infused with this humane attitude of postponing
payment of her sister's debts is acting in obedience to the commands of Allah
(SWT), storing up righteous deeds for her Hereafter that will save her from
affliction on the Day of Judgement and shade her in the shade of Allah's Throne
on the Day when there is no other shade:
Abu Qutadah (RAA) said:
"I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: Whoever would like Allah (SWT)
to save him from the hardship of the Day of Resurrection, let him alleviate the
burden of a debtor109, or write off (part of the
debt)."110Abu Hurayrah (RAA) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: `Whoever allows a debtor to postpone
payment, or writes off part of the debt, Allah (SWT) will place him under the
shade of His Throne on the Day of Resurrection, the Day when there will be no
shade except His.'"111The true Muslim woman is able to take the
matter further and rise to a higher level, if she is well-off, by letting her
sister off paying all or part of the debt. This will earn her a great reward, as
Allah (SWT) will compensate her for letting her sister off by letting her off
even more, forgiving her for her errors and shortcomings, and saving her from
the horror of the Day of Judgement.
Abu Hurayrah (RAA) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: `There was a man who used to lend
money to the people. He used to tell his employee: "If you come across any
debtor who is in difficulty, let him off. Perhaps Allah (SWT) will let us off."
So when he met Allah (SWT), He let him off.'"112Abu Mas`ud
al-Badri (RAA) said:
"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: `A man from among those who were
before you was called to account, and no good deeds were found in his record
except that he used to have dealings with the people, and he was rich, so he
used to tell his employees to let off those debtors who were in difficulty.
Allah (SWT), may He be glorified, said: "We should be more generous than he, so
let him off."'"113Hudhayfah (RAA) said:
"Allah (SWT) brought to account one of His servants to whom he had given
wealth, and asked him, `What did you do in the dunya?' He said - and
no-one can hide a single thing from Allah (SWT) - `O my Lord, you gave me
wealth, and I used to trade with people. It was my habit to be lenient; I would
be easy-going with the one who could afford to pay his debt, and I would allow
the one who was in difficulty to postpone payment.' Allah (SWT) said, `I should
be more generous than you; let My servant off.'" `Uqbah ibn `Amir and Abu Mas`ud
al-Ansari said, "We heard something like this from the mouth of the Prophet
(PBUH)."114She is generous
One of the characteristics of the Muslim woman who adheres to the teachings
of Islam is that she is generous and gives freely; her hands are always
stretched forth to give to those who are in need. Whenever she hears the call of
one who is in difficulty, or it is appropriate to give generously, she responds
to the need.
She is certain that whatever she gives will not go to waste, for it is
recorded with One Who has full knowledge of all things:
( . . . And whatever of good you give,
be assured that Allah knows it well.)
(Qur'an 2:273)She also believes, when she spends her money generously,
that whatever she spends will come back to her manifold, and that Allah (SWT)
will multiply its rewain this world and the next:
( The parable of those who spend their
substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it grows seven ears,
and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He
pleases: and Allah cares for all and He knows all things.) (Qur'an 2:261)
( . . . And nothing do you spend in the
least [in His Cause] but He replaces it . . .)
(Qur'an 34:39)
( . . . Whatever of good you give
benefits your own souls, and you shall only do so seeking the
`Face'115 of Allah. Whatever good you give, shall be rendered back to
you, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly.) (Qur'an 2:272)
She also knows that if
she is not saved from the meanness of her own nature and her desire to hoard
wealth and treasure, she will eventually lher wealth and it will be wasted, as
the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Every morning that the servants of Allah (SWT) get up, two angels come
down. One of them says, `O Allah, give compensation to the one who spends,' and
the other says, `O Allah, cause loss to the one who is
stingy.'"116And in a hadith qudsi:
"Spend, O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you."117The
true Muslim woman believes that spending money for the sake of Allah (SWT) will
never decrease her wealth in the slightest; rather, it will bless, purify and
increase it, as the Prophet (PBUH) stated:
"Charity does not decrease wealth . . ."118
She knows that whatever she spends for the sake of Allah (SWT) is in fact
that which is truly saved, because it is recorded in the book of her good deeds,
whilst everything else will eventually disappear. The Prophet (PBUH) drew the
Muslims' attention to this higher understanding of generous giving when he asked
`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) what was left of the sheep they had
slaughtered. She told him, "Nothing but the shoulder." He said, "Everything
except the shoulder is saved."119
The true Muslim woman is
highly motivated by all of this to give generously of whatever possessions and
goods come to her.
An example of giving on the part of Muslim women is the well-known report
narrated by Bukhari from Ibn `Abbas (RAA), who said:
"The Prophet (PBUH) went out on the day of `Eid and prayed two
rak`ahs with no prayer before or after them (i.e., he prayed only two
rak`ahs). Then he came to the women, and commanded them to give in
charity, so they started to give their earrings and necklaces in
charity."120According to another report also given by Bukhari:
"He (PBUH) came to the women and commanded them to give in charity, so they
began to throw their rings into Bilal's cloak."121
A third report by Bukhari, narrating from Ibn `Abbas states that the Prophet
(PBUH) prayed two rak`ahs on the day of `Eid with no prayer before or
after them (i.e., he prayed only two rak`ahs), then he came to the women,
and Bilal was accompanying him; he commanded them to give in charity, and the
women began to throw down their earrings.122
The wives of
the Prophet (PBUH) and the women of the salaf set the highest example of
generous giving, and their deeds are recorded by history in letters of light.
In his biography of `A'ishah given in Siyar a`lam al-nubala',
al-Dhahabi states that she gave seventy thousand dirhams in charity, at
the time when she was putting patches on her shield.
Mu`awiyah sent her a hundred thousand dirhams, and she gave it all
away in charity before evening fell. Her servant said to her, "Why did you not
buy a dirham's worth of meat with it?" She said, "Why did you not tell me
to do so?"
Mu`awiyah also sent her bracelets worth a hundred thousand, which she shared
out among the other wives of the Prophet (PBUH).
Ibn al-Zubayr sent her money in two containers, to the amount of a hundred
thousand. She called for a large tray, and began to share the money among the
people. When evening came, she said, "O young girl, bring me my fatur
(food with which to break fast)," for she, (May Allah be pleased with her), used
to fast all the time. The young girl said to her, "O Mother of the Believers,
could you not have bought us a dirham's worth of meat?" She said, "Do not
rebuke me; if you had reminded me I would have done so."
Her sister Asma' was no less generous. `Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr (RAA) said: "I
never saw two women more generous than `A'ishah and Asma', but their ways of
being generous were different. `A'ishah would accumulate things and then share
them out, whilst Asma' would never keep anything until the next day."
The Prophet's wife Zaynab bint Jahsh used to work with her own hands and
give in charity from her earnings. She was the most generous of the Prophet's
wives in giving freely and doing good deeds. According to a hadith narrated by
Imam Muslim from `A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her), the Prophet (PBUH)
told his wives about Zaynab: "The first of you to join me (after death) will be
the one who has the longest hand." `A'ishah said: "They began to measure their
hands against one another to see who had the longest hand, and the one who had
the longest hands of all of us was Zaynab, because she used to work with her
hands and give charity from her earnings."123`Umar ibn
al-Khattab (RAA) sent Zaynab her annual salary, and when it was brought to her,
she said: "May Allah forgive `Umar! Others of my sisters are more capable of
sharing this out than I am." They told her, "This is all for you." She said,
"Subhan Allah! Pour it out and cover it with a cloth." Then she told
Barzah bint Rafi`, the narrator of this report: "Put your hand in and take a
handful of it, and take it to Bani So-and-so and Bani So-and-so" - who were
orphans or related to her. This was repeated until there was only a little left
under the cloth. Barzah bint Rafi` said to Zaynab: "May Allah forgive you, O
Mother of the Believers! By Allah (SWT), it is our right to have some." Zaynab
said: "What is left under the cloth is for you." (Barzah bint Rafi`) said that
they found eighty-five dirhams under the cloth. Zaynab said, "O Allah, do
not let me live to receive another payment like this from `Umar," and she died
before the time for the next payment came.124
Ibn Sa`d reported that when the money was brought to Zaynab, she started
saying, "O Allah, do not let me see this money again next year, for it is a
fitnah (temptation)." Then she shared it out among her relatives and
those who were in need, until it was all gone. `Umar (RAA) heard about this, and
said, "This women is destined for good." He stood at her door and conveyed
his salam to her, then said: "I have heard about what you gave out to
others. Send her a thousand dirhams to keep for herself." But she did the
same thing with that money, and did not even keep a single dirham or
dinar for herself.
Among the women to whose generosity history bears witness is Sakinah bint
al-Husayn who would give generously of whatever she had. If she had no money,
she would take off her own jewellery and give it to those who were destitute.
`Atikah bint Yazid ibn Mu`awiyah gave up all of her money to the poor members
of Abu Sufyan's family.
Umm al-Banin, the sister of `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz, was a marvellous example
of generous giving. She said, "Everyone has a passion, and my passion is
giving." She used to free slaves every week, and equip horsemen to fight for the
sake of Allah (SWT). She would say, "Uff to stinginess! If it were a
shirt I would not wear it, and if it were a road I would not follow
it."125
Zubaydah, the wife of the khalifah Harun al-Rashid, had a channel dug
to being water from springs and rain-pools to Makkah, to provide fresh water for
the inhabitants of the city and for the pilgrims. This was named `Ayn
Zubaydah (the spring of Zubaydah), and was known as one of the wonders of
the world at that time. When her treasurer objected to the high cost of this
project, she told him: "Do it, even if every single blow of the axe costs a
dinar."
If we were to discuss all the women in our history who were pioneers of
generous giving, we could fill entire volumes. It is enough for us to know that
these kinds of generous, charitable, believing women have never disappeared from
Muslim societie, from the dawn of Islam until the present day. In every era and
region of the Islamic world, these women have held a noble and prominent
position, and their generosity is enshrined in the many awqaf, charitable
institutions, schools, mosques, hospitals, etc., that exist throughout the
Muslim lands. These women sought out areas of need, poverty, deprivation and
misery, and showered their generosity on the less fortunate by establishing
charitable institutions that would benefit the Muslims. They wiped away the
tears of the orphan, relieved the suffering of the wretched, eased the hardship
of the afflicted and clothed the body of the naked.
The Muslim woman who truly understands the teachings of her religion never
looks down upon any charitable deed, no matter how small it may be; she strives
to do as much as she is able, firmin her conviction that Allah (SWT) will reward
her good deeds, no matter how small, as Allah (SWT) says:
( On no soul does Allah place a burden
greater than it can bear... ) (Qur'an
2:286)She also responds to the words of the Prophet (PBUH):
"Protect yourselfs from the Fire even if it is with half a
date"126
"O `A'ishah, protect yourself from the Fire, even if it is only with half a
date, for it can benefit a hungry person as much as one who has enough to
eat."127
The Muslim woman may give charity with whatever she
possesses of the food she has at home or her husband's money, so long as he is
happy for her to do so. In this case, she will be rewarded for what she spends,
her husband will be rewarded for what he has earned, and the treasurer will also
be rewarded, as is stated in a number of hadith narrated by Bukhari, Muslim and
others, for example:
"If a women gives in charity of the food of her house (according to a
report given by Muslim: of the house of her husband), without spending in such a
way as could cause ruin to her husband, then she will be rewarded for what he
earns, and the treasurer will be similarly rewarded, and the reward of any one
of them will not detract from the reward of another."128Islam
wants the Muslims, men and women, to be constructive, beneficial members of
their societies, always helping those who are deprived and destitute, to the
best of their abilities. Every good deed is described as an act of charity
(sadaqah), as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"Every Muslim must give charity." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, what if
he cannot do that?" He said, "Then let him help one who is in desperate need."
He said, "Then let him do good, and refrain from doing evil, and that will be an
act of charity on his part."129Islam has opened wide the doors
of good deeds to men and women, rich and poor alike, so that anyone may have the
opportunity to do good. Everyone who has uttered the words of the Shahadah is
required to do good deeds, which have been termed sadaqah. The poor
person need not feel that he is deprived of the chance to take part in doing
good in society just because he has little or no money. Every good deed or
favour is described as a sadaqah, and the poor man or woman will be
rewarded for a good deed just as a rich man or woman will be rewarded for money
spent generously:
"Every good deed is sadaqah."130Thus Islam guarantees that
all members of a society will participate in building, serving and improving it,
and that all of them will feel the satisfaction of this participation which will
give them back their pride and honour and will bring about their reward.
The generous Muslim woman gives to the poor and needy who are too proud to
ask for help, which makes people think that hey are free from want. She tries to
seek them out as much as she is able, for they are the first people who should
be given help. These are the ones to whom the Prophet (PBUH) referred when he
said:
"The poor man is not the one who takes a date or two, or a mouthful or two,
then turns away. The poor man is the one who is too proud to ask for
anything."131The Muslim woman gives in charity to orphans as
much as she is able. If she is well-off, she sponsors an orphan and help to
bring him up and educate him, spending on him and taking care of him, hoping for
the high status that Allah (SWT) has prepared for the one who sponsors an
orphan, which is the status of being in the vicinity of the Prophet (PBUH) in
Paradise:
"I and the one who sponsors an orphan will be like this in Paradise," and
he held up his index and middle fingers and held them
apart."132The Muslim woman also strives to help the widow and
the poor, following the guidance of her religion, which has promised a great
reward to the one who takes care of them, a reward that rivals that earned by
the one who fasts during the day and stands in prayer a night, or the one who
fights for the sake of Allah (SWT), as the Prophet (PBUH) said:
"The one who strives to help the widow and the poor is like the one who
fights in jihad for the sake of Allah (SWT)." And I [the narrator]
believe he also said: "and like the one who stands at night in prayer without
rest and fasts continually without breaking his fast."133Taking
care of widows and the poor, and sponsoring orphans, are among the most noble of
humane deeds, and are most befitting to the Muslim woman, as they increase her
in humanity, honour and gentility.
She does not remind the beneficiaries
her charity
If Allah (SWT) enables the Muslim woman to give generously, she should not
fall into the sin of reminding people of her generosity or harming them; she
should be keen to keep her giving pure and sincerely for the sake of Allah
(SWT), so that she will be one of those whom Allah (SWT) has described in the
Qur'an:
( Those who spend their substance in
the cause of Allah, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their
generosity or with injury - for them their reward is with their Lord; on them
shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.)
(Qur'an 2:262)The Muslim woman does not forget that there is nothing
more likely to cancel out good deeds and destroy the reward of charity than
reminding other of it or harming them. Allah (SWT) warns the believers against
these deeds in such a way that the believer is shaken and would not even think
of reminding others of his charity or harming them:
( O you who believe! Cancel not your
charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury. . .)
(Qur'an 2:264)
Reminding the poor man whom need has compelled to
accept aid from others is humiliating and disrespectful. It is forbidden by
Islam, which counts the one who gives and the one who takes as brothers, between
whom there is no difference except in their taqwa and good deeds. A
brother does not remind his brother of his charity; he does not humiliate him or
cause him to lose face. In a hadith narrated by Muslim from Abu Dharr, the
Prophet (PBUH) issued a strong warning to those who remind others of their
charity, and counted them among those doomed souls to whom Allah (SWT) will not
even speak on the Day of Judgement:
"There are three to whom Allah (SWT) will not speak on the Day of
Resurrection, nor look at, nor commend them, and theirs will be a severe
punishment." The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) repeated this three times. Abu Dharr
said, "They are truly lost and doomed. Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He
said, "The one who lets his garment trail below his ankles (out of pride), the
one who reminds people of his charity, and the one who sells his goods by means
of making false oaths."134She is patient
The Muslim woman who is truly guided by Islam and who is infused with its
noble characteristics trains herself to be patient, to control her anger, to
forgive and to respond to an evil deed with something better, in accordance with
the words of the Qur'an:
( ... Who restrain anger, and pardon
[all] men-for Allah loves those who do good.)
(Qur'an 3:134)
( Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal.
Repel [Evil] with what is better: then will he between whom and you was hatred
become as it were your friend and intimate! And no one will be granted such
goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint - none but
persons of the greatest good fortune.)
(Qur'an 41:34-35)
Selfrestraint at the time of anger, and adopting
a calm and patient attitude, are among the most beautiful qualities of Muslim
men and women that Allah (SWT) loves to see in His believing servants. This is
what was stated by the Prophet (PBUH) in the hadith narrated by Ibn `Abbas
(RAA):
"The Prophet (PBUH) said to Ashajj `Abd al-Qays: `You have two qualities
that Allah (SWT) loves: patience and deliberation."135
Hence the Prophet (PBUH) told the man who came asking him to advise him in
just one word: "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request for advice
several times, and each time the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do not become
angry."136
The Muslim woman may become angry sometimes, but
her anger is for the sake of Allah (SWT), not for her own sake. She may become
angry when she sees carelessness, wilful neglect and downright insolence towards
matters of religamong women. She has the right to be angry in such situations.
This is how the Prophet (PBUH) used to be, as Bukhari and Muslim narrated:
"The Prophet (PBUH) never took revenge for his own sake, but if the laws of
Allah (SWT) were violated, he would take revenge for the sake of Allah
(SWT)."137The Prophet (PBUH) used to become furious, and his
face would redden, if he heard some insult to the reputation of Islam, or if he
discovered some error or negligence in applying its laws and carrying out its
punishments.
He became furious the day a man came to him and said, "I always come late
to salat al-subh (fajr prayer) because of So-and-so, who always makes the prayer
too lenghty." The Prophet (PBUH) was never seen as angry in his rebuke as he was
on that day. He said, "O people, there are among you those who put others off
from good deeds. When anyone leads the people in prayer, he should keep it
short, for behind him are the old, the young, and the one who has a pressing
need."138
He also became angry the day he returned from a journey and found a thin
curtain covered with pictures in `A'ishah's house. When he saw it, he tore it
down and his face reddened. He told her: "O `A'ishah, the people who will be
most severely punished by Allah (SWT) on the Day of Resurrection will be those
who imitate the creation of Allah (SWT)."139
He also became angry when Usamah ibn Zayd spoke to him concerning the
Makhzumi woman who had committed theft, and the Prophet (PBUH) had decreed that
the appropriate punishment be carried out on her. The people said, "Who will
speak to the Prophet (PBUH) about her?" Then they said, "Who dares to do this
but Usamah ibn Zayd, his beloved?" So Usamah spoke to him, and the Prophet
(PBUH) said angrily, "Are you interceding to stop one of the punishments
ordained by Allah (SWT)?" Then he got up and addressed the people: "Those who
came before you were destroyed because when one of their noblemen committed
theft, they let him off, but when one of the weak among them committed theft,
then they would carry out the punishment on him. By Allah (SWT), if Fatimah the
daughter of Muhammad were to commit theft, I would cut off her
hand."140
Such was the anger of the Prophet (PBUH), and
these are the valid reasons for anger according to Islam. Anger should be for
the sake of Allah (SWT), not one's own ego.
The Muslim woman who understands the teachings of Islam and follows the
example of the Prophet (PBUH) always keeps his teachings, behavior and deeds in
mind, so she controls herself when she feels angry with people, and her anger is
only for the sake of Allah (SWT), His religion and the sanctity of His laws.
She is easy-going and does not
bear grudges
The Muslim woman does not bear grudges, and resentment has no room in her
heart, because Islam has uprooted hatred from her heart, extinguished the flames
of anger, cleansed her soul of enmity, and planted the seeds of sisterly love,
tolerance and forgiveness.
Islam has uncompromisingly declared war on ignorance, tribalism, hostility,
enmity and revenge, and has made forgiveness, tolerance, love and kindness dear
to the hearts of Muslim men and women. Allah (SWT) says:
( ... Who restrain anger, and pardon
all men - for Allah loves those who do good.)
(Qur'an 3:134)This is praise for those who restrain their anger and do
not bear grudges, who have raised themselves to the level of forgiveness and
tolerance, which is a high level indeed, and very difficult to attain. None can
reach it except those who are pure of heart and have shed the inclination
towards hostility, enmity and revenge and thus earned the right to reach the
level of ihsan, and Allah (SWT) loves those who do good
(al-muhsinun).
Through this noble teaching, Islam was able to penetrate the hearts of the
believers, and cleanse and purify them, so that hearts that had been dominated
by anger and hatred became hearts that were filled with love and devotion.
One of the most striking examples of this miraculous change of heart is the