Family Issues, - The Ideal Muslim Woman and Her Community. Part 2

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... Part 1 continued... 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do not let him hear you, or it will be his downfall!” - two or three times - “You are anummahfor whom I wish ease.”30
The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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.
TheSahabah, may Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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’ (radhiallahu anhu) and others said: “A man said to Ibn ‘Umar (radhiallahu anhu): ‘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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala) : I hope for His (mercy) and I fear His (wrath). By Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) you will continue to pursue a man (with your praise) until you bring about his downfall.’”31
This is a wise statement from a greatSahabiof the utmost Islamic sensibilities, who adhered to Islamic teachings both in secret and openly.
TheSahabahunderstood 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and that which is merely hypocrisy and flattery was abundantly clear to them.
Ibn ‘Umar (radhiallahu anhu) 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), 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 isharamand 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was the highest example of shyness, as the greatSahabiAbu Sa’id al-Khudri described him:
“ Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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.”33
The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (radhiallahu anhu) said:
“The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Shyness brings nothing but good.’”34
According to a report given by Muslim, he(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Shyness is all good.”35
Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu anhu) said:
“The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “Faith has seventy-odd branches. The greatest of them is sayingla ilaha ill-Allah, and the least of them is removing something harmful from the road. Shyness is one of the branches of faith.”36
The 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala). 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will help her and give her independence and patience:
“Whoever refrains from asking from people, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will help him. Whoever tries to be independent, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will enrich him. Whoever tries to be patient, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will give him patience, and no-one is given a better or vaster gift than patience.”37
The 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 honoring 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 theminbarabout charity and refraining from begging, the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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.”39
Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 ‘Imran3:103]. And He dislikes for you to pass on stories and gossip, to ask too many questions, and to waste money.”40
The 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 honor 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 honor , 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 honor 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 honor , and spreads news of scandal throughout the community is just like the one who commits the scandalous deed, as ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (radhiallahu anhu) stated:
“The one who tells the news of scandal and the one who spread the news are equally sinful.”41
The 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 honor 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) referred to when he said:
“If you seek out the faults of the Muslims, you will corrupt them, or you will nearly corrupt them.”42
So the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) issued a stern warning to the Muslims against the danger of slandering people’s honor 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala) ; do not embarrass them; do not seek to expose their faults. Whoever seeks to expose the faults of his Muslim brother, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will seek to expose his faults and expose him, even if he hides in the innermost part of his home.”43
The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was deeply offended by those who were nosey, suspicious or doubtful, or who sought to undermine people’s reputation and honor . He would become very angry whenever he heard any news of these aggressors who hurt others. Ibn ‘Abbas (radhiallahu anhu) described the anger of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his harshness towards those who slandered the honor of others:
“The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will seek out his faults, and whoever’s faults are sought out by Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). 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 not show 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 Judgment.
Worshipping Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the goal behind the creation of mankind andjinn, as the Qur’an says:
( I have only createdjinnsand 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala) :
( 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 theayahpresents the frightening admonition that those who show off do not deserve the guidance of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and are counted askafirs: ( 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala). Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala) and Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) does not accept any deeds except those which are done purely for His sake, as is stated in the hadith of Abu Hurayrah (radhiallahu anhu), in which he reports that he heard Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say:
“Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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.”45
The 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 honor able mention on special occasions. Theirs is a terrible fall indeed.
The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (radhiallahu anhu) said:
“I heard the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 aqari’,’ 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) gave all types of wealth in abundance. He will be brought forth and Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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.”46
The 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala) seeking His pleasure, and whenever the appalling specter of pride and boasting looms before her, she remembers and adheres to the teaching of the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam):
“Whoever makes a show of his good deeds so that people will respect him, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will show what is truly in his heart.”47
She is fair in her Judgments
The Muslim woman may be put in a position where she is required to form an opinion or Judgment on some person or matter. This is where her faith, common sense andtaqwareveal 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) set the highest example of justice when Usamah ibn Zayd came to intercede for the Makhzumi woman who had committed theft, and the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had decided to cut off her hand. He said: “Do you intercede concerning one of the punishments decreed by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) O Usamah? By Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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: thekhalifah‘Ali ibn AbTalib stood side by side in court with his Jewish opponent, who had stolen his shield, on equal terms. Theqadi, Shurayh, did not let his great respect for thekhalifahprevent him from asking him to produce evidence that the Jew had stolen his shield. When thekhalifahcould not produce such evidence, theqadiruled in favor of the Jew, and against thekhalifah. Islam history 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained:
“Keep away from oppression, for oppression is darkness on the Day of Resurrection.”49
The following hadithqudsidefinitively and eloquently expresses Allah’s (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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.”50
If Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will help him; whoever relieves his brother from some distress, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will relieve him of some of his distress on the Day of Resurrection; whoever covers (the fault of) a Muslim, Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will cover his faults on the Day of Resurrection.”51
The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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, Judgments 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions. Abu’l-Darda’ (radhiallahu anhu) 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), 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 (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) 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 (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) is the one who is shunned by others or whom people treat nicely because they fear his sharp tongue.’”53
Being 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 andtaqwain their opinions of one another.
‘A’ishah (radhiallahu anha) 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.
InSahihMuslim, ‘A’ishah says of Zaynab:
“She was the one who was somewhat equal in rank with me in the eyes of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). I have never seen a woman better in piety than Zaynab, or more fearing of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) 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 (subhanahu wa ta’ala). However, she was hot-tempered and quick to anger, but she would soon cool down and then take the matter no further.”54... To be continued...

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