The Distorted Image of Muslim Women

Since the height of the feminist movement in the late 70's there has
been a magnifying glass placed over the status of Muslim women.
Unfortunately, themagnifying glass that has been used is an unusual
one. Unusual in the sense that it is very selective about which items
it will magnify; other items it will distort to such a degree that
they will no longer look familiar. I remember once reading in an "in
depth" article about the lives of Muslim women. This
article"explained" that at any time a man can divorce hiswife by
simply stating "I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you". This
article can lead anyone ignorant of the Islamic ruling regarding
divorce to believe that in less than five seconds the woman is left
with no husband and is left to care for herself (and possibly
children) by any means necessary. The question that immediatelypopped
up in my mind was, "Did the author innocently write that out of
sincere ignorance or was it another of the many attempts to degradethe
religion of Islam and its followers (muslims)?" Itmay be my own
paranoia, but I tend to believe it wasthe latter of the two.
The truth of the matter is that Islam has the most humane and most
just system of divorce that exists. Firstly, many options are taken
and tried before coming to the decision of the divorce. If the man and
woman decide that they can no longer live together successfully as a
husband and wife, the husband (in most cases, not always) pronounces
the divorce by saying "I divorce you". At this point the waiting
period begins. The waitingperiod lasts for three menstrual cycles to
assure the woman is not pregnant. This period allows the couple time
to think about what they are doing and if this is what they really
want to do. There are no lawyers involved to antagonise an already
delicate situation.
In the case that it is realised, that the woman is pregnant, the
waiting period lasts the entire timeshe is pregnant. During thewaiting
period (whether the woman is pregnant or not) the man is obligated to
provide food, clothing and shelter to the woman as he did before the
divorce pronouncement. If the couple carries the divorce through to
the birth of the child and the woman suckles the baby, the man is
obligated to feed and clothe both his ex-wife for the time the woman
suckles (the maximum being two years). After this weaning, the child
will be provided for by the father until he/she is no longer in needof
support.
It is quite ironic that in such an "advanced society"as America, there
are divorce cases in which women are being forced to pay alimony to
their ex-husbands. Can this and many other things we know about the
American system of divorce compareto the Islamic system of divorce?
I have also read stories wherein it is stated that women are forced to
marry men without their consent. This in no way resembles the marriage
system in Islam. In Islaam the woman marries the man of her choice.
She may even marry someone that her mother and/or father objects to.
The pointis that it is the woman who makes the final decision as to
whom she will marry. Once the man and the woman decide that they are
interested in one another for marriage, a dowry is decided upon.
Adowry is not a brides price but, it is a gift from the groom to the
bride. They agree upon a gift that is affordable by the groom. In the
time of the Prophet (sas), often things such as livestock and money
were given. This is a wise decision in the event that a woman becomes
divorced or widowed, she has some financial securityto fall back on
even if it is for a limited amount of time. Once the man and woman are
married, the man is required to clothe, feed, shelter and educate her
(or allow her to be educated) in the same manner as he does himself.
The last distorted image that I will cover is that of the Muslim
women's dress.The western influenced media portrays our dress to be
outdated and oppressive. Needless to say however, I differ with these
adjectives. Our dress code does not hinder us from doing anything
productive in our lives. Muslim women maintain avariety of jobs, non
of which are devalued nor hampered due to their dress code. And as for
the timing of muslims women's dress during these contemporary times,it
seems most appropriate due to decreasing morals in the world today.
For those who say that Islamic dress is outdated, they speak from
great ignorance. The decreasing morality and trials of this time makes
Hijaab even more in need. More than ever before sex crimes are
rampant. Although this society tells women they can wear what they
want to wear, anytime a rape occurs the woman is the one put on trial
an one of the first questions is,"What were you wearing?"

Hazrat Hafsah (R.A)

Hafsah was the daughter of 'Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) who was
born in Mecca five years before the Nubuwwat. She was first married to
Hadhrat Khunais bin Huzaifah (Radhiyallaho anho), who was one of the
very early Muslims. He first emigratedto Abyssinia and then to Madinah
. He participated in Badr, and was fatally wounded in Badr (or in
Uhud) and died of the wound in the year l or 2 A. H. Hadhrat Hafsah
(Radhiyallaho anha) had also emigrated to Madinahwith her husband.
When her husband died, Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) went to
Hadhrat Abu Bakr (Radhiyallaho anho) and said:
"I want to give Hafsah in marriage to you." Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(Radhiyallaho anho) kept quiet and said nothing. Meanwhile Ruqayyah
(Radhiyallaho anha) the daughter of the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho
Alaihe Wasallam) and the wife of Hadhrat Usman (Radhiyallaho anho)
died.
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anha) went to Hadhrat Usman (Radhiyallaho
anho) and offered Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha's) handto him. He
declined by saying, "I have no mind to marry for the present." Hadhrat
Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) complained of this to the Prophet Mohammad
(Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam).
The Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) said: "I tell you of
a husband for Hafsah better than Usman and of a wife for Usman better
than Hafsah."
He then took Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha) as (next wife, and
gave his own daughter Hadhrat Umme Kulsum (Radhiyallaho anha) in
marriage to Hadhrat Usman (Radhiyallaho anho). Hadhrat Abu Bakr
(Radhiyallaho anho) later said to Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho):
"When you offered Hafsah's hand to me, I keptquiet as the Prophet
Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) had expressed to me his
intention of marrying her. I could neither accept youroffer nor
disclose the Prophet Mohammad's (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) secret to
you. I, therefore, kept quiet. If theProphet Mohammad (Sallallaho
Alaihe Wasallam) had changed his mind, I would have gladly married
her."
Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) says: "Abu Bakr's silence over the
offer was in fact more shocking to me than 'Usman's rejection."
Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha) was a very pious woman, and very
much devoted to Salaat. She would often fast during the day and spend
the night in prayers.Once the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe
Wasallam) , for some reason, was displeased with Hafsah and even
pronounced the first divorce to her. �Hadhrat Umar (Radhlyallaho anho)
was naturally very much shocked over this. Jibraeel Alayhis came to
the Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) and said: �Allah
wants you to take Hafsah back, as she is fasting often and spending
her nights in Salaat, and also Allah wants it for Hadhrat Umar's
(Radhiyallaho anho) sake.�
The Prophet Mohammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wasallam) therefore took her
back. Hadhrat Hafsah (Radhiyallaho anha) died in Jamadil oola, 45 AH,
at the age of 63.

Bibi Karimah bint Ahmad Maruzi

She had been a world reputed scholar in fifth century Hijrah. She was
daughter of Ahmad ibnMuhammadibn Abi ... Spain, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn
Sabaq Saqli was a devoted learner from her. He, after the Muslim rule
at Saqqlyah (Sicily) ended, had gone to Makkah where he achieved
learning of Hadith from her. He, afterwards went to Spain and made her
abode in Granada to narrate Ahadith, he had learnt at Makkah. Ibn
Bashkwal says…
(Abu Bakr Muhammad reported Ahadith from Karimah bint AhmadAl-Maruzi
and others, He came to Andalus and the people of Granada passionately
learned from him).
AIlama Khatib Baghdadi says in Tarikh Baghdad (History of Baghdad)
that he, in 463H, during the days of Hajj, heard Sahih Bukhari from
Karimah. Hundreds of seekers participated in the Dars session of
Muhaddithah Karimah and quenched their thirst of learning. Besides Abu
Bakr Muhammad, Allama KhatibBaghdadi and Allama Abu Talib Zaynabi, a
number ofother scholars of great esteem attained knowledge of Hadith
from her. Bibi Karimah was said to have achieved perfection in
mysticism besides other faculties of studies. She presumabty died
about 464H with the controversy on the exactness of the date.
(Khazinat-ul-Asfia, Tarikh Saqqlya)

Three Different Trees

By Ibnul Qayyim (r.a)
The year is a tree, the months are its branches, the days are its
twigs, the hours (and minutes) are itsleaves and every breath man
takes is a fruit of the tree. Thus the fruit of the trees of a person
who breathes in obedience to Allah will be sweet and thefruit of the
tree of a personwho breathes in disobedience to Allah will be bitter.
However, the fruit of this tree will only be harvested on the Day
ofMa'aad (the day when Manwill return to Allah) and the sweet fruit
will only bedifferentiated from the bitter fruit when it will be
harvested.
Ikhlaas and Tauheed are a tree in the heart (of the Believer). The
branches of this tree are good actions and its fruits are a
pleasantlife in the world and never-ending comfort in the Hereafter
and just as the fruit of Jannah will never come to an end nor will it
be held back, the same can be said regarding the fruits of Ikhlaas and
Tauheed in theDunyaa.
Shirk, lies and Riyaa (doinggood actions for show) arealso a tree in
the heart. The worldly fruits of the tree are fear, worry, sorrow,
narrowness of the heart (discontent, cowardice, etc) and darkness of
the heart. In the Hereafter the fruits of this tree will be Zaqqoom
and everlasting punishment.
These two trees have beenmentioned by Allah in the following Aayaat of
Surah Ibrahim:
"Did you not see how Allahpresented an example? A pleasant word is
like a pleasant tree; its roots are firm and its branches are (high)
in the sky, it yields its fruit all the time with the command of its
Sustainer. And Allah presents examples to the people so that they may
take heed. And the example of a bad word is that of a bad tree that
has been uprooted from abovethe earth having no firmness." (Verse 24 –
26)