Bismillah, are you ready to go on a journey with the Heroines?
I’m going to take you to a journey back through the history of Islam; the time where the world had known some great women crusaders in Islamic history who were the contemporaries of our beloved Rasulullah ?allall?hu ‘alayhi wa sallam. They were the Mothers of the Believers, the Sahabiyat ra?yAll?hu ‘anhum.
The Heroines
If we were to praise these Heroines, words wouldn’t be ample enough and they are nothing in comparison to us. These women were unrivalled. They were just unique in every single possible way. They were the image of patience, forbearance and bravery.
There are a lot we can learn from them from characters to conducts. They were such noble selfless women who were pure and virtuous. Their achievements and influence can be found in every sphere and they had such a courage, determination, zeal and perseverance. Their focus was on their eternal abode rather than on worldly gains. They had no interest, nor a single attraction to the materialistic things.
These amazing women ra?yAll?hu ‘anhum sacrificed their days and nights in the path of Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la when we who actually should be following their examples, we simply engrossed ourselves in watching TV, listening to music and wasting our time in a lot more trivial things onto which the list could go on and on.
Their qualities
They spent their time in earnest supplications and prayers and whatever would befall them, they entrusted their affairs to the Almighty for they knew it was the Qadr of Allah. They had a soft spot for the poor, especially Zainab bint Jahash ra?yAll?hu ‘anha, who is known for her generosity and sympathy for the needy. These ladies were thirsty of ‘Ilm (knowledge), such as ‘Aisha ra?yAll?hu ‘anha who had a brilliant mind and a remarkable memory and had a broader knowledge on the basis of Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir and Shari’ah.
They had the real Taqwa that a Mu’min should have for Allah ‘Azwajjal. They adhered to the commands of Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la without trying to contradict His orders. They were devoted ladies and tried to preserve Islam in its pristine form, and shield it from any modifications, impurities and innovation. They never have looked down on anyone or labeled anyone, not even the disbelievers of that time. Instead they were patient and preached in perseverance and prayed for their guidance.
Similarly to us and with no exception, the Sahabiyat ra?yAll?hu ‘anhum had to withstand the ups and downs of life. Even though they’ve been elevated to such a status where they had been promised of Jannah (paradise) before dying, they did not got a life wrapped in a package full of happiness and blithesome. Poles apart of what we go through, the Sahabiyat had to endure a lot more in all different aspects.
Their persistence
However they were persistent to holding firm to the rope of Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la no matter how hard the situations were and they had never complained as they knew that Allah is the best of Planners and they had full faith and conviction in Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la and were fully submitting to His Will. Their reliance was on Ar Rahman Alone and nothing could tear them apart as their Imaan (faith) has helped them to stand throughout the storms and they knew that sooner or later their patience would reap its fruits.
Hajar
Let’s step for a quick insight in one of the Sahabiyat’s life, Hajar; the wife of the Prophet Ibrahim’s ‘alayhi’l-sal?m. It was a particular extreme difficult part of her life where the Prophet Ibrahim ‘alayhi’l-sal?m left her at the Ka’bah in Makkah above the well of Zamzam at a time when it was deserted and no water was available and she was alone with her newborn son Isma’eel.
Just imagine dear sisters, the land was barren, with no plants, no water, no people (draw the picture back in your mind and try to vision the scene). He left nothing with her, only a sack of dates and a skin filled with water and went back to the distant land of Palestine. Before Ibrahim ‘alayhi’l-sal?m left them she asked him with a very serene and no consternation attitude, whether Allah had asked him to do this and the Prophet Ibrahim ‘alayhi’l-sal?m responded in the affirmative. And do you know what she said? This marvelous lady retorted without rebuking:
“Then He is not going to abandon us.”
SubhanALLAH! Her response clearly shows her acceptance and optimism. Were it not for her abyssal faith and reliance on Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la, she would have certainly broken down. But see how her Imaan and patience have helped her to surmount this difficult situation. What would have you done if it happened to be you instead of Hajar?
Our role models
These women are the role models from whom we should take examples from. It’s very unfortunate that today we’re are absorbed in a world where we tend to put aside the exceptional qualities of these wonderful women that humanity has known and instead we take actors, singers, fashionistas as our paradigm.
In Sahih al-Bukhari, there is a Hadith which states that a Bedouin asked the Prophet ?allall?hu ‘alayhi wa sallam about the Hour. He said,
“It will surely come to pass. What have you prepared for it?” The man said, “O Messenger of Allah, I have not prepared much in the way of prayer and good works, but I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet said, “You will be with those you love.”
Who do you love?
Who do you want to take as role models? Do you want to spend an eternal conviviality with your favorite singers, actors, fashionistas, or do you want to have as companions the Sahabiyat ra?yAll?hu ‘anhum; the women of Paradise?
In general, Muslim women are lost in a sort of assorted ‘Jahaaliyah’, or intellectual and psychological dependency on others instead of preserving their spiritual and intellectual sources properly. We have no shame in wandering the streets with backless clothes and have no ignominy at all when the eyes of non-Mahram will be eyeing our body and actually there are some sisters who totally surpass such idiosyncrasy as they feel presumptuous being the center of attention for men. But do you think that the Sahabiyat had that trait?
No, dear sisters, this wasn’t the lineaments that they ra?yAll?hu ‘anhum had. Instead, these Women knew what real Haya meant. Do you think you’re pleasing your Creator this way? Are you happy turning yourself into an object when you actually are not and when Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la honor us like a diamond? If Muhammad ?allall?hu ‘alayhi wa sallam was still here, would you have this decorum dressing code in front of him?
Here is a beautiful hadith which shows the extreme amount of Haya that ‘Aisha bint Abu Bakr ra?yAll?hu ‘anha possessed even in the presence of the deceased:
‘Aisha ra?yAll?hu ‘anha said: “I used to enter the room where the Messenger of Allah ?allall?hu ‘alayhi wa sallam and my father (Abu Bakr) were later buried in without having my garment on me, saying it is only my husband and my father. But when ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab ra?yAll?hu ‘anhu was later buried in (the same place), I did not enter the room except that I had my garment on being shy from ‘Umar.”
It’s really doleful to see today’s reticence and failure of Muslim women to reach the status that Islam wants for us. Muslim women today have meandered from the unsullied fountainhead of Islam.
Undoubtedly if we follow the path of the Sahabiyat we will not lose track of the purpose of our life. Life will thus take a different angle and we’ll certainly then prove our Islamic identity. And by shoring up our Islamic identity we’ll evince our Islamic awareness, high aims, sincerity and devotion to Islam, our love for our Creator, our taqwa and our humility.
May Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la help us to en-graft the noble characteristics of the Sahabiyat ra?yAll?hu ‘anhum. May Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la grant us their companionship in Jannatul Firdaus and may Allah sub??nahu wa ta’?la forgive all our sins and may we all meet in Jannah one day.
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