LIVES OF PIOUS WOMEN

 

Zaynab bint Khuzaymah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She was also the wife of Rasûlullâh s. She was so generous that she became known as the "mother of the poor". Her first husband was ‘Abdullâh bin Jahsh.

Lesson: Look at what a great thing it is to be in the service of the poor.

Umme Salamah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. A woman relates an incident and says: "Once I was in the company of Umme Salamah. After a little while, many poor persons came to her. There were men and women among them. They all stood there (demanding something). So I said to them: 'Go away from here.' Upon this, Umme Salamah said: 'We have not been commanded this. O girl! Give each of them something even if it means giving them one dry date.'" Her first husband was Abû Salamah radiyallâhu ‘anhu.

Lesson: She did not become annoyed by the demands of the poor persons. Today, women produce feeble excuses and some of them go to the extent of cursing and abusing beggars. O women! Don't ever do this.

Zaynab bint Jahsh radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had adopted a Sahâbi by the name of Zayd radiyallâhu ‘anhu. Initially, it was permissible to adopt a son. When he became mature, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam decided to get him married. So he sent a proposal to her brother on behalf of Zayd radiyallâhu ‘anhu. This brother and sister (i.e. Zaynab) did not consider Zayd to be equal to them in status and lineage. They were therefore hesitant in the beginning. However, Allah Ta'âlâ revealed a verse wherein He mentions that once the prophet decides on something, a Muslim should not make any excuses. They therefore accepted the proposal and the marriage was performed. However, the husband and wife could not live together in an amicable manner. The situation reached a stage whereby Zayd decided to divorce her. He came to consult Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam but he stopped him and tried to make him understand. However, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam gauged that these two will be unable to live together and that they were definitely heading for a divorce. He began thinking to himself that right from the beginning, the brother and sister were not happy about entering into this marriage, but they accepted after I told them to do so. If the divorce takes place, the brother's and sister's burden will be lessened but they will be broken-hearted. What could he do in order to console them? Eventually he came to the conclusion that if he marries her, she will be greatly consoled and relieved. Apart from this, he could find no solution. At the same time, he also realized that the disbelievers will begin accusing him of marrying his son's wife. Although an adopted son does not become one's real son, who can stop people from thinking and speaking in this way? More so when the disbelievers will begin making a mountain out of a mole-hill. He was still thinking and pondering over all this when Zayd radiyallâhu ‘anhu divorced her. On the expiry of her ‘iddah, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was inclined towards proposing to her. Eventually, he sent his proposal. She replied that she will ask her Creator and that she is not going to make up her own mind in this regard. If He sanctions it, He will make the way easy. Upon saying this, she performed her ablution and offered salât. After the salât, she made a fervent du‘â to Allah. Allah revealed a verse to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam mentioning that He has made your nikâh with her. He then went to her and recited the verse to her. Zaynab radiyallâhu ‘anhâ used to mention this to her co-wives by saying: "Your nikâh was sanctioned by your parents while my nikâh was sanctioned by Allah Ta'âlâ."

The first orders concerning purdah were revealed during her nikâh. She was very generous. She used to practice handicrafts and give in charity from the income that she received from these handicrafts. Once, all the wives got together and asked Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam: "Who will join you first after your demise?" He replied: "The one whose hands are the longest." This is an Arabic mode of expression to show generosity. However, this did not cross the minds of his wives. They were under the impression that it referred to actual length. They therefore took a stick and began measuring their hands. Hadrat Saudah's radiyallâhu ‘anhâ hands turned out to be the longest. However, the first to leave this world after him was Hadrat Zaynab bint Jahsh radiyallâhu ‘anhâ. It was only then that they all realized that it referred to generosity. In short, her generosity was also appreciated by Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ says: "I have not come across any woman better than Zaynab. She was perfect in her Dîn, feared Allah a lot, very honest in her speech, very kind and cordial to her relatives, very charitable, and she used to work very hard with her handicrafts so that she could give more in charity." Speaking about her, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: "She was very humble-hearted and used to beseech Allah abundantly."

Lesson: O women! You have read about the greatness of generosity, the benefits of handicrafts and referring to Allah for all your needs. Don't ever consider it disgraceful to do any work with your own hands. Do not look down upon any craft or occupation (provided it is acceptable in the Sharî‘ah).

Umme Habîbah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh s. When the kuffâr of Makkah began oppressing the Muslims profusely, and the latter were not ordered to go to Madînah as yet, many Muslims went to Abyssinia. The king of Abyssinia who was known as Najâshi was a Christian. However, after the arrival of Muslims, he became a Muslim. Umme Habîbah ra was also among the Muslims who had come to Abyssinia. Najâshi sent a person by the name of Abrahah to her informing her that he is sending a proposal to her on behalf of Rasûlullâh s. She accepted the proposal. Najâshi also sent some gifts with Abrahah, which comprised of two silver bracelets and a few rings. Her first husband was ‘Ubaydullah bin Jahsh.

Lesson: How pious she must have been for her to leave her home solely to protect and safeguard her Dîn. In return for this effort of hers, Allah gave her great comfort and honour in that she married Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the king made all the necessary arrangements. O women! When the situation requires you to choose Dîn, do not give preference to worldly comfort, name and fame, wealth or your house and family. Everything should be sacrificed for Dîn.

Juwayriyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh s. She was brought as a prisoner after a war with the kuffâr in a battle popularly know as Bani Mustaliq. She had fallen in the share of a Sahâbi by the name of Thâbit bin Qays or his cousin. She said to her master: "I will give you a certain amount of money and you must free me." He agreed to this so she went to Rasûlullâh s and asked him to help her with some money. Rasûlullâh s felt sorry for her after seeing her piety and poverty. He said to her: "If you agree, I will pay for your entire freedom and take you into my marriage." She readily accepted this offer and the nikâh took place. When the people heard about this marriage, especially all the prisoners that belonged to her tribe who were under the Muslims, then most of these Muslims freed these slaves saying that now that they have a relationship with Rasûlullâh s because of this marriage, it is disrespectful to keep them as slaves. ‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ is reported to have said: "We do not know of any woman who has been of so much benefit to her tribe (or family)." Her previous husband's name was Musâfi' bin Safwân.

Lesson: Piety is a great virtue. Despite her being a slave-girl, she was able to enter into the marriage of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. O women! There isn't anyone more honourable than Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. If he did not consider it to be a blemish to marry a slave-girl, do not consider it to be disgraceful or undignified if anyone marries a person of a lower social standing because of some reason or brings someone from a foreign place;. This is an evil sickness and also a sin. Look at how the Sahâbah radiyallâhu ‘anhum honoured her in that they did not even allow themselves to disgrace her relatives and fellow tribes-men. How ignorant we are today in that we do not honour such a woman irrespective of how pious and religious-minded she may be. As for honouring her family, there is no hope whatsoever in this regard.

Maymûnah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. A great scholar of Hadîth relates that her nikâh with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam took place in the following manner: She came to him and said: "I am gifting my life to you." In other words, I am prepared to enter into a marriage with you without even any mahr. He accepted this. Marrying in this manner (i.e. without any mahr) was permissible only for Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. A great mufassir relates that the verse which mentions a marriage of this nature was first revealed for this woman. Her first husband's name was Huwaytib.

Lesson: Look at how much love she had for the Dîn that she considered serving Rasûlullâh s as an act of ‘ibâdah and was therefore prepared to forfeit her right to receive any mahr. This she did at a time when women used to receive the mahr in cash, i.e. without any delay. It was unlike today where the mahr is delayed until "qiyâmah" or death. O women! Consider Dîn to be the actual thing of value. Do not have too much love for the world to the extent that you waste your time thinking about it all the time. Twenty fours of the day are spent immersed in these thoughts: If one attains one’s objective one is overjoyed irrespective of whether one receives a reward in doing so or a sin. If one does not obtain it, one is filled with sorrow, begins to complain, becomes jealous of those who possess it, and thereafter begins to have evil intentions.

Safiyyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the wife of Rasûlullâh s A battle took place between the Muslims and the Jews at a place called Khaybar. She was brought as a prisoner after this battle. She fell in the booty of one of the Sahâbah. Rasûlullâh s paid for her freedom and married her thereafter. She is from the progeny of Hârûn ‘alayhis salâm. She possessed many forbearing and intelligent qualities. Her forbearance can be gauged from an incident: her slave-girl concocted two lies and informed ‘Umar ra of them. One of these lies was that she (Safiyyah) still has a special attachment for Saturday. This day is a very sacred day of the week for the Jews. In other words, despite her accepting Islam, traces of her previous religion were still found in her. If this has to be looked at from another angle, she is not a complete Muslim. The second lie was that she gives and takes a lot from the Jews. When ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu went and asked her about this, she replied: "The first thing that she said is absolutely false. Ever since I accepted Islam and Allah has blessed me with Friday, my heart has become totally detached from Saturday. The second thing which she said is true. The reason for this is that they (the Jews) are my relatives and it is not against the Sharî‘ah for one to maintain good relations with one's relatives." She then asked the slave-girl: "Who asked you to concoct lies?" She replied: "Satan." Upon this, she replied: "You can go now, I have freed you." Her first husband's name was Kanânah bin Abil Haqîq.

Lesson: O women! This is what is known as forbearance. You should also overlook and forgive your domestics and your maids if they make any mistake. Taking revenge or compensation from them on trivial matters is a sign of lack of courage. Look at how honest Safiyyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ was. She clearly spelt out the quality that was found in her and did not try to cover it up. It is the habit of some people that they do not like to admit anything. They try to save themselves from any accusation by disguising and concealing anything that they may have done. It is also an evil practice to concoct stories.

Zaynab radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the daughter of Rasûlullâh s. He loved her very much. She was married to ’Abû al-‘Âs bin ar-Rabî' radiyallâhu ‘anhu. When she accepted Islam and her husband refused to do so, she severed relations with him and migrated to Madinah. A few days later, her husband also followed her to Madinah and accepted Islam. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam performed their nikâh again. He also liked her a lot. When she had left Makkah for Madinah, an incident took place on the way: two disbelievers encountered her on the way. One of them pushed her and she fell on a rock. He had some desire for her but that also disappeared. She was badly injured from this fall to the extent that she did not fully recover right until her death. Eventually, this was the cause of her death.

Lesson: Look at her courage and her piety that she was prepared to leave her birth-place and her husband for the sake of Dîn. Furthermore, she bore the difficulties imposed upon her by the disbelievers to the extent that she passed away. Yet she remained steadfast on Dîn. O women! You should be prepared to leave everything for the sake of Dîn. If you experience any difficulties, endure them. If your husband leaves the Dîn, do not side with him.

Ruqayyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the daughter of Rasûlullâh s Her first marriage was with ‘Utbah, the son of the kâfir Abû Lahab. Abû Lahab has been mentioned in the Quran in Sûrah al-Masad (the 111th sûrah of the Quran). The father and son did not accept Islam and the former therefore ordered his son to leave her. Upon this, Rasûlullâh s performed her nikâh with ‘Uthmân ra. When Rasûlullâh s prepared to leave for the battle of Badr, she was sick at that time. Because of this, he asked ‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu to remain behind and tend to her and informed him that he will receive the same reward as those engaged in jihâd and that he will also receive a share of the booty. She passed away on the very day the Muslims vanquished the disbelievers and returned to Madinah.

Lesson: Look at her greatness that tending to her was considered to be equal to waging jihâd against the disbelievers. This eminence of hers was on account of her piety. O women! Always try to strengthen your Dîn. Do not allow yourselves to commit any sin as this is a cause of weakness in the Dîn.

Umme Kulthûm radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also the daughter of Rasûlullâh s. Her first marriage was with ‘Utaybah who was also a son of Abû Lahab. Before she could even go and live with this husband, Rasûlullâh s received prophethood. The father and son had not accepted Islam and the former ordered his son to leave her as well. When her sister, Ruqayyah, passed away, she married ‘Uthmân. When Ruqayyah had passed away, co-incidentally, Hafsah had also become a widow. ‘Umar ra (the father of Hafsah) wanted to get her married to ‘Uthmân ra. However, the latter did not show any interest. When Rasûlullâh s heard of this, he said to ‘Umar ra: "I will show you a husband for Hafsah who is better than ‘Uthmân, and for ‘Uthmân a wife that is better than Hafsah." Based on this, Rasûlullâh s married Hafsah, and got ‘Uthmân married to ’Umme Kulthûm.

Lesson: Rasûlullâh s spoke good of her and when he speaks good of anyone, it is based on that person's ’îmân. O women! You should also put your ’îmân in order.

Fâtimah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the youngest of all the sisters but the highest in status and the most beloved to Rasûlullâh s. He has referred to her as the piece of his flesh and the leader of all women. He has also stated that if anything causes her sorrow, it causes him sorrow as well. When he fell ill, he whispered into her ear and informed her of the approach of his death. Upon hearing this, she began to cry. He again whispered into her ear and informed her that she should not grieve because she will be the first to join him and she will be the leader of all women in jannah. Upon hearing this, she began smiling. Although all his wives begged her to tell them what he had told her, she did not do so until after his demise. She married ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu. Many other virtues concerning her have been mentioned in the Hadîth.

Lesson One: The reason for Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam loving her the most and being specially attached to her is that she was the most pious, the most patient and the most grateful. O women! Adopt Dîn, patience and gratefulness. You will also become beloved by Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

Lesson Two: When we had first mentioned the life of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, we also listed all the names of his wives and daughters.

Lesson Three: O women! There is one more point which you have to ponder over. You have read about Rasûlullâh’s s eleven wives and four daughters. You must have realized for yourselves that out of the eleven wives, apart from ‘Â'ishah ra, all the others had been married previously. From his daughters, apart from Zaynab and Fâtimah ra, the other two were married prior to marrying ‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu. No woman in the world is equal to these twelve women (the ten wives and two daughters who had been married previously) in honour and status. If entering into a second marriage was blameworthy or a blemish, would these women have ever done something that is considered to be a blemish? It is extremely sad that some ignorant people consider a second marriage to be a blemish. If one begins to consider something that occurred in the family of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam to be a blemish or to be immoral, how can one still have îmân? What type of Muslims are they that they find fault with the lifestyle of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and consider the lifestyle of the kuffâr to be honourable? We are saying this because keeping a widow at home without allowing her to get married again is actually the custom of the kâfir Hindus of India.

We have something else to add to this. There is a big difference between you and the widows of the past. They may have been ignorant, but they used to take great precautions in safeguarding their honour and chastity. They used to suppress their nafs and did not allow it to fall into sin. As for today, the widows surpass married women in trying to beautify themselves. It is for this reason that many incidents are beginning to occur which are not suitable to be mentioned. In these times, it is most certainly not permissible to refuse widows from getting married. This is because neither the women have any shame and bashfulness of the past, the men do not have any sense of honour, nor do the widows know how to live a life of widowhood and to undertake the necessary means for their food and clothing. Now the time is such that one should not even forgetfully think of refusing a widow from getting married. May Allah give us understanding and success.

 

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

 

Halîmah Sa‘diyyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

This woman breast-fed Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When he waged a jihâd against the city of Tâ'if, she came to him together with her husband and son. He treated her with great respect, laid down his shawl and made her sit on it. All of them accepted Islam.

Lesson: Despite her having a special relationship with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam she knew that this would not give her salvation in any way if she did not bring îmân. She therefore accepted Islam. O women! You should not be under the assumption that you are from the progeny of a certain pious man or that a certain son or grandson of yours is an ‘âlim or a h and that they will grant you salvation. Remember that if you have Dîn in yourself, these persons can ask Allah for something on your behalf. But if you do not have any Dîn, they will be of no help to you.

Umme Ayman radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

Rasûlullâh s used to go and visit her occasionally. Once he went to visit her and she offered him something to drink. Rasûlullâh s refused either because he did not feel like drinking anything at that time or because he was fasting. Because of the fact that she had brought up Rasûlullâh s she insisted that he drinks it. Rasûlullâh s used to say that after my real mother, she is my mother. After his demise, Abû Bakr and ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhumâ also used to visit her occasionally. Upon seeing them she used to think of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and begin to cry. They should also begin crying.

Lesson: What an honour it was to have Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and these two great Sahâbah visiting her. Her greatness is on account of her serving Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and being perfect in her Dîn. O women! Serving Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam means that you must serve his Dîn, direct women towards good deeds, teach them the Dîn, teach your children piety, and you yourself should remain steadfast on Dîn. Inshâ’ Allah, you will also receive a part of greatness.

Do not think that she must have went in front of all these visitors without purdah. To go and sit by someone and to speak or listen to good talks even though it may be behind a screen or curtain is sufficient to be called a ziyârah (visit).

Umme Sulaym radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is a Sahâbiyah of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the wife of Abû Talha radiyallâhu ‘anhu, and the mother of Anas radiyallâhu ‘anhu, who was the attendant of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She is also an aunt of his. One of her brothers who was a Sahâbî, was martyred while participating in a battle with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. On account of all this, he used to have a lot of time for her. He used to visit her occasionally. He is also reported to have seen her in jannah.

A strange incident occurred to her. She had a small child who fell ill and also passed away during the day. Look at her patience: when night approached, she thought to herself that if she were to inform her husband about his death, he will be distressed the entire night and will abstain from eating as well. She decided to remain silent about it. When her husband came home and asked about the child's health, she replied that he is at peace. This was not a lie because what can be more peaceful for a Muslim than returning to his original place of abode? However, the husband did not grasp this. She presented the meal to him which he partook of. Thereafter, he desired her and she did not even present any excuses. When everything was over, she asked her husband: "If anyone loans you anything and thereafter asks for it, does the person who borrowed it have any right to refuse?" He replied: "No." So she said: "Exercise patience over the (death of the) child." He became angry and asked her why she did not inform him prior to all this. The following morning he went and narrated the entire incident to Rasûlullâh s. He made du‘â for her, and through the power of Allah, she fell pregnant on that very night. She gave birth to a child who was named ‘Abdullâh. He became a great ‘âalim and many great ‘ulamâ were born from his progeny.

Lesson: O women! Learn patience from her and learn the lesson of providing comfort to the husband from her. The example of asking back a loaned item which she mentioned is a beautiful and appropriate example. If a person can comprehend this example, he will not become impatient (and despondent) at any time. Through the barakah of her patience, Allah Ta'âlâ granted her a child soon thereafter in whose progeny many ‘ulamâ were born.

Umme Harâm radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is also a Sahâbiyah and the sister of Umme Sulaym ra, whose story has just been mentioned above. She is also an aunt of Rasûlullâh s. He used to visit her as well. Once he went to her house, had a meal and fell asleep. He then woke up smiling. She asked him the reason for his smiling. He replied: "I had a dream and saw people of my ummah going on jihâd on a ship. Their possessions and clothing appeared to be that of the rich and the royalty." She said: "O Rasulullah! Make du‘â that I am also from among them." He made du‘â for her and fell asleep again. He woke up smiling for a second time, related the same dream, and that he saw more of the same type of people. She said: "O Rasulullah! Make du‘â that I am also from among them." He replied: "You are already included in the first group of people." It so happened, that her husband, ‘Ubâdah, went out for jihâd on a ship and she also accompanied him. Once they landed, she began climbing onto an animal. This animal became hysterical and she fell down and passed away.

Lesson: Rasûlullâh’s sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam du‘â was accepted because as long as the person does not return home, that journey is considered to be a jihâd. And once a person passes away while embarking on a journey for jihâd, he receives the reward of a martyr irrespective of how he dies. Look at how pious she was that she did not even worry about her life in order to attain reward. She asked him to make a du‘â so that she is blessed with this. O women! You should also bear this in mind. If you experience any difficulty in fulfilling Dînî duties, do not become agitated or excited. Eventually, it is you who will be rewarded.

Umme ‘Abd radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the mother of a very illustrious Sahâbi by the name of ‘Abdullâh bin Mas‘ûd radiyallâhu ‘anhu. She had such a great influence in the domestic affairs of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam that outsiders used to think that she was part of his household.

Lesson: This great contact that she had with the household of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was only on account of Dîn. O women! If you safeguard your Dîn, you will also gain proximity to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

The mother of Abû Dhar Ghifâri radiyallâhu ‘anhu

Abû Dhar Ghifâri is a Sahâbî. When the news of Rasûlullâh’s sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam prophethood spread, he left his hometown and came to Makkah in order to establish the truth. After observing the situation in Makkah, he became a Muslim. When he returned home, his mother heard his entire story. She replied: "I have no objection to your Dîn. I am also becoming a Muslim."

Lesson: This is what is known as purity in nature and temperament. Once she heard the truth, she did not worry about the religion of her forefathers. O women! Even when you hear anything about the Sharî‘ah, do not try to contradict it by substantiating your family customs and rituals. You should readily accept the matter of Dîn and act accordingly.

The mother of Abû Hurayrah radiyallâhu ‘anhu

Abû Hurayrah is a Sahâbi. He used to explain the Dîn to his mother so that she may accept Islam. One day, she uttered something against the Dîn which disturbed him greatly. He went crying to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said to him: "O Rasûlullâh! Make du‘â on behalf of my mother that Allah blesses her with îmân." He therefore made the following du‘â: "O Allah! Guide the mother of Abû Hurayrah." He returned home happily but found the door to the house locked. He heard the dripping of water as if someone was having a bath. When his mother heard the sound of his approach, she asked him to wait. After completing her bath, she opened the door and recited the kalimah:

He was so overjoyed that he began crying out of happiness. In this very state, he rushed to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and related the entire incident to him. Upon hearing this, he expressed his gratitude to Allah Ta'âlâ. Abû Hurayrah then said: "O Rasûlullâh! Make du‘â that we, mother and son, have love for the Muslims and that the Muslims have love for us as well." He made this du‘â as well.

Lesson: Look at the great benefit of having pious children. O women! Teach your children the knowledge of Dîn. In doing so, your Dîn will also be safeguarded.

’Asmâ’ bint ‘Umays radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is a Sahâbiyah. When the kuffâr of Makkah persecuted the Muslims, many of them migrated to Abyssinia. She was also among them. Later, when Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam migrated to Madinah, all those who were in Abyssinia also joined him. She also went to Madinah. Rasûlullâh gave her the glad tidings by informing her that because she undertook two hijrahs, she will be greatly rewarded.

Lesson: Look at how she changed from one who had a home to a homeless person, and this was done solely for the Dîn. O women! If you have to bear any burdens for the sake of Dîn, do not display any laziness.

The mother of Hudhayfah radiyallâhu ‘anhu

Hadrat Hudhayfah is a Sahâbi. He says: "Once my mother asked me: 'How many days have passed since you visited Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam?' I told her the number of days. Upon hearing this she began rebuking me. So I told her: 'I am going this very moment and I will offer the maghrib with him. Thereafter, I will ask him to make du‘â for salvation on your behalf and my behalf.' I went to him, offered the maghrib and thereafter the ‘ishâ salâts with him. After the ‘ishâ salât he began leaving, so I followed him. Upon hearing a sound behind him, he asked: 'Is that Hudhayfah?' I replied: 'Yes.' He asked: 'What do you want? May Allah forgive you and your mother.'"

Lesson: Look at what a good mother she was that she even asks her children whether they visited Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam or not. O women! You should also emphasise on your children to go and visit pious persons, learn matters of the Dîn from them, and acquire the barakah of good company.

Fâtimah bint Khattâb radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the sister of ‘Umar ra. She had accepted Islam before her brother. Her husband, Sa'îd bin Zayd, had also become a Muslim. ‘Umar ra had not become a Muslim as yet. Both of them were keeping their Islam a secret out of fear for him. Once, ‘Umar heard her reciting the Quran. Upon hearing this, he became very angry with both of them. Let alone his brother-in-law who was a man, even his sister informed him clearly and unhesitatingly that they had become Muslims and were indeed reciting the Quran. If he wished, he could hit them or leave them (it will not change their minds in any way). ‘Umar replied: "Let me see the Quran as well." The moment he saw it and heard it, the light of îmân entered his heart, he went straight to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and became a Muslim.

Lesson: O women! You should also be firm in matters of the Dîn and the Sharî‘ah. Do not say anything against the Shariah in exchange for monetary gain nor follow customs that are contrary to the Sharî‘ah merely to please your family. If anything is contrary to the Sharî‘ah, do not even go near it.

An Ansârî woman

Ibn Is'hâq narrates that the husband, father and brother of an Ansârî woman were all martyred in the battle of ’Uhud, in which they had participated with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When she was informed about this, she replied: "First tell me, how is Rasûlullâh?" They replied that he is well and alive. She replied: "If he is safe and sound, there is nothing to be sorrowful about."

Lesson: Glory be to Allah! What great love she had for Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam! O women! If you wish to have love for him, follow his Sharî‘ah in totality. In this way, you will develop a love for him, and on account of this love, you will receive a stage near him.

Umme Fadl Lubâbah bint Hârith radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the aunt of Rasûlullâh s, the wife of ‘Abbâs radiyallâhu ‘anhu, and the mother of ’Abdullâh bin ‘Abbâs ra. It is mentioned in the Quran that if Muslims are living among the kuffâr and they are unable to render the ‘ibâdah of Allah, they should leave that place and settle down in a safer area. If they do not do this, they will be committing a major sin. However, women and children who do not know the way nor do they have anyone to accompany them, or are unable to undertake the journey are excluded from this rule. ’Abdullâh bin ‘Abbâs radiyallâhu ‘anhu says: "My mother was from among such persons who were unable to undertake the journey. She was a woman and I was a child."

Lesson: Look at the beauty of her intention. In her heart, she did not wish to live among the kuffâr. However, she was forced to do so. Allah therefore had mercy on her and saved her from sinning. O women! You should also make a firm intention in your heart that you will act according to the Dîn. Thereafter, there will be hope of you being forgiven in those matters in which you have no alternative. The person who does not make an intention to act according to the Dîn cannot save himself from sinning.

Umme Sulayt radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

Once ‘Umar ra was distributing some shawls among the women of Madinah. Eventually, he was left with only one shawl. So he asked the people as to whom he should give it. They replied: "Give it to ‘Ali's ra daughter, Umme Kulthûm, who is also your wife." He replied: "No. Umme Sulayt deserves to receive it." This woman is from the Ansâr and had also given the bay'ah to Rasûlullâh s. ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu said: "This woman was such that during the battle of Uhud she used to carry water skins and go around giving the Muslims water to drink. There was also another woman by the name of Khaulah who fought in the battle with a sword."

Lesson: Look at her courage in fulfilling the work of Allah. It is for this reason that ‘Umar radiyallâhu ‘anhu valued her so much. Now the level of our courage is such that we cannot even offer our five times salât properly.

Hâlah bint Khuwaylid radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the sister-in-law of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the sister of Khadîjah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ. Once she came to visit Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She stood outside and asked for permission to enter. Because her voice was similar to her sister's, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam thought of Khadîjah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ and became startled. Upon seeing her, he exclaimed (in the form of a du‘â): "O Allah! This is Hâlah!"

Lesson: From this du‘â we learn that he loved her. Apart from her being his sister-in-law, he loved her on account of her piety. O women! You also become pious and Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam will love you.

Hind bint ‘Utbah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the mother of Mu'âwiyah radiyallâhu ‘anhu, who in turn is the brother-in-law of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Once she addressed Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said to him: "Prior to becoming a Muslim, I did not desire anyone being disgraced more than you. Now that I have become a Muslim, I do not desire honour for anyone more than you." He replied: "I am also in the same condition."

Lesson: One of the things we learn about her is that she was honest. The other thing that we learn is that she loved Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and he also loved her. O women! You should also speak the truth. Love Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and carry out acts which will cause him to love you as well.

Umme Khâlid radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

When the people migrated to Abyssinia, she was also present. She was a child at that time. When she returned from there to Madinah, her father went to meet Rasûlullâh s. She also accompanied her father. She was wearing a yellow dress. Rasûlullâh s had a small embroidered shawl. He made her wear it and said to her that she was looking very nice. Thereafter he made the following du‘â: "May you get worn out and get old." This is a form of expression the meaning of which is that may you live long. Many people have narrated that they have not seen any woman as old as her, i.e. she lived for very long. The people used to refer to her and say that a certain woman has reached very old age. Once, when she was a child, she began playing with the seal of prophethood which was on Rasûlullâh’s sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam back. Upon seeing this, her father scolded her. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam told him to leave her alone as there was nothing wrong in what she was doing.

Lesson: She was very fortunate. O women! The shawl of the Dîn is actually the shawl of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, just as the Quran has referred to piety as clothing. If you wish to acquire this fortune, adopt Dîn and piety.

Safiyyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the aunt of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. When his uncle, Hamzah radiyallâhu ‘anhu was martyred in Uhud, he said: "I am thinking of the suffering of Safiyyah, or else I would have not buried Hamzah. I would have left him for the wild animals to eat of him and on the day of judgement he will arise from their stomachs."

Lesson: O women! Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam took her into consideration on account of her piety. You also become pious so that you can be eligible for the pleasure of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

The wife of Abul Haytham radiyallâhu ‘anhu

She is a Sahâbiyah. She used to feel very sorry for Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Once there was no food in his house. When he could not bear the hunger any longer, he went to her house. Her husband was gone out to bring drinking water. She was very hospitable to him. In the meantime, her husband also arrived. He was extremely pleased to have Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam as his guest and made the arrangements for a meal for him.

Lesson: If Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was not satisfied with her sincerity and devotion, he would have returned after seeing that her husband is not at home. He knew that she was a very good woman. For Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam to be pleased with someone and to consider the person to be a good person is not something insignificant (instead, it is a great virtue in that person's favour). O women! When Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam went to her house, he was a guest at that time. You should also be pleased when guests come to your house. Do not display any niggardliness or meanness.

’Asmâ’ bint Abî Bakr radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the sister-in-law of Rasûlullâh s and the sister of ‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ. When Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was migrating to Madînah, he had a bag of food. However, he did not have anything to tie this bag with. She immediately tore a piece of cloth from her girdle which was used to tie the bag and the remainder of the cloth was used as her girdle.

Lesson: This type of love is found in a pious person who is prepared to tear something that she needs and give it away. O women! This is what love for the Dîn demands. That is, in order to safeguard the Dîn, the person does not worry about losing anything.

Umme Rûmân radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is the mother-in-law of Rasûlullâh s and the mother of ‘Â'ishah ra. A munâfiq had accused ‘Â'ishah of committing adultery. Some naive Muslims had also joined this person. Rasûlullâh s remained silent over the entire matter. Allah revealed a few verses of the Quran absolving her and mentioning her chastity. Rasûlullâh s recited these verses to his house folk. At that time, Umme Rûmân ordered ‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ to get up and express her gratitude to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Although she was greatly grieved over her daughter prior to this, was it possible that she utters even a word of complaint concerning Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam?

Lesson: Such forbearance and restraint on the part of a woman is extremely surprising because on occasions like this they generally blurt out something wrong. For example, she could have said: "How unfortunate that my daughter has been accused without any valid reason, more so now that her chastity has been established." At such a time, in most cases, one becomes very angry and annoyed and rebukes the person for having doubts on such a pure and chaste woman. At times of grief and wrangling, do not side with your daughter nor fight with her in-laws.

Another woman has also been mentioned in this entire incident. Her son, due to ignorance and naivety, also joined those who accused ‘Â'ishah ra This woman reprimanded her son and sided with ‘Â'ishah. Her name is Umme Mistah. This is what you call standing for the truth. That she did not side with her son - she sided with the truth and even reprimanded her son.

Umme ‘Atiyyah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She is a Sahâbiyah and participated in six battles with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She used to tend to the sick and wounded, bandage them, etc. She used to love Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam so much that whenever she mentioned his name, she used to say: "May my father and mother be sacrificed for you."

Lesson: O women! Strive in Dînî matters and love Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam just as this woman loved him.

Barîrah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ

She was someone's slave-girl. ‘Â'ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ purchased her and set her free. She used to live with her and be in her service and the service of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Once, some meat came for her. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked for it and ate some of it.

Lesson: What a blessed opportunity it is to be in the service of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He had full conviction in her love for him. It was because of this that he asked her for something that belonged to her and ate it and understood that she will be very happy to give it to him. O women! Serving the Dîn entails serving Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. And this is the sign of love for him.

Fâtimah bint Abî Hubaysh, Hamnah bint Abî Jahsh, and Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abdullâh bin Mas‘ûd radiyallâhu ‘anhu

It is mentioned in the Hadith that these three women came to Rasûlullâh s to ask him a mas'ala. We have therefore mentioned them together. Furthermore, their circumstances are quite similar. The first woman came to ask about isti. The second woman is the sister-in-law of Rasûlullâh s and the sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh ra. She had also asked him the ruling concerning isti. The third woman had asked him a mas'ala concerning charity. She is the wife of ‘Abdullâh bin Mas‘ûd radiyallâhu ‘anhu, a great Sahâbi.

Lesson: O women! This is what is known as desire for the Dîn. If you do not know any mas'ala, you should make it a duty to ask a pious ‘âlim. If you are shy to ask a particular mas'ala, pose the question to the ‘âlim's wife and she will convey it to her husband.