Teaching our daughters about the righteous
Umm Milad Attariyya
History always refers to nations that have a strong connection with their predecessors as alive and undying. Such nations are seen seeking guidance from their predecessors in all situations. Dear Islamic sisters! As a Muslim nation, we should maintain an attachment to the pious, particularly righteous women, and continue seeking guidance from their lives.
اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه Righteous women from our tradition set unique examples of sincerity for God, piety, purity, sacrifice for Islam, and remaining content with divine decree. Said example not only adorn the pages of history but serve as a practical example for Muslim women to follow. If we follow in their footsteps, we will become worthy of being praised and not fall prey to regret.
We should tell our daughters about the lives of the female Companions and righteous women رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُنَّ. Instead of reading whimsical bedtime stories to them about princesses and fairies, we should tell them about true stories of the ‘princesses’ of Islam and explain their lives. We should also teach our children how to act upon the commandments of Islam, how to worship, how to maintain relationships, how to be patient upon calamities, how to protect oneself, raise one’s family members if needed, and how to strike a balance between the world and religion.
We will need to prepare for this. We must inculcate the lives of the righteous women in our daughters and take them as role models, so that whenever our daughters face any difficulty in life, they turn to the lives of righteous women for inspiration. Remember a toy made from clay can only be good if the clay is soft and the maker is an expert in that field. The toy is not altered after it dries and becomes hard, and if one tries to change it, the toy will break. This is the example of childhood, which is also a ‘soft’ period, such that children will grow up to become a reflection of the upbringing they received during this time.
The best time to guide children is from their childhood. Tell your daughters Lady Fāṭimah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا would spend the entire night worshipping in the prayer niche of her home until fajr.[1] Also, Lady ꜤĀˈisha رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا would offer tahajjud salah every night without fail,[2] and sometimes she would fast so much that she would become physically weakened.[3]
Lady Ḥawlā bint Tuwayt رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا would spend her nights in salah.[4] Umm Ḥabībah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا would offer many extra prayers besides the obligatory ones.
It was the custom of some female Companions that upon receiving good news, they would engage in worship of Allah Almighty out of gratefulness. Just as Lady Zaynab bint Jaḥsh رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا gave charity and observed many fasts out of joy for marrying to the Final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.[5]
We should also teach our daughters about the tremendous patience of the female Companions and righteous women. Lady Ḥamnah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا displayed immense patience when she received news her uncle, brother, and husband had been martyred at the same time.
Meccans would tie up Umm Sharīk رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا and leave her in the sun, and not give her anything to eat or drink; she bore this pain patiently for three days.
When Asmā bint Abū Bakr رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهُمَا did not tell Abū Jahl the Prophet’s secret, he struck her so hard that her earring came out and landed at a distance. Yet, she did not reveal the secret.
Lady Sumayya رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا was the first brave woman who openly announced her reversion to Islam, leading to her facing a host of trials. She was made to wear iron armour and stand in the scorching heat, with Abū Jahl ultimately martyred her in unjust fashion.
Dear Islamic sisters! When it came to propagating Islam, i.e. spreading the call to righteousness, the female Companions were at the forefront in this area too. In fact, there were many great Companions who became Muslims due to the efforts of these female Companions. One such example is the second Caliph of Islam, ꜤUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, who accepted faith on account of his sister.
Likewise, it was because of being inspired by the call to righteousness of Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ عَنْهَا that Abū Talḥa رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ brough faith in the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
In the field of education, the female Companions رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهُنَّ excelled remarkably. They did not use their engagements in the home as an excuse. Instead, they had an intense desire for a gathering to be organised for them, whereupon they could learn privately. A female Companion went to the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and presented this request of being granted time where they can learn the religion. He then instructed them to gather in a specific place on a specific day.[6]
These are just some of the qualities of the greatest women of Islam. To teach your daughters about the female Companions and other righteous women in more detail, refer to the book of Madinat al-Ilmiyyah known as Sahabiyat wa Salihat ke Ala Awsaf. We should read this book ourselves and read it to our daughters too; we will see the benefits of this with our own eyes. اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه We can also learn much and save ourselves from sins by attending the Islamic sisters’ gatherings of Dawat-e-Islami. اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه
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