Muslim Women

Children are a great gift from Almighty Allah to all parents. Parents
must think of their children as such treasures that the allthe wealth
and material resources are worthless as when compared to one�s
children. We, as parents, should thank Almighty Allah for blessing us
with children whether they are boys orgirls. Today, it is quite
disheartening to see that some parents rejoice when the newborn child
is a male and show their dissatisfaction when the child is a female.
But, thisshould not be the attitude. Islam does not condone this type
of behaviour, as such was the manner of the parents in the time of
ignorance.
Daughters are without doubt a great blessing from Almighty Allah.
Theyare a means of salvation and a path to Jannah for their parents.
The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated that when a
boy is born, then he brings one Noor (light) and when a girl is born,
then she brings two Noors. It has been narrated in a Hadith that the
Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated that if parents
are kind and generous towards their daughters, then they will be so
close to the Holy Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) in Jannah,
like one finger is to the next. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) has also stated that the person who is faced with hardship
due to his daughters, and makes Sabr (is patient), then his daughters
will be a Purdah (curtain) between him and Hell.
The crux of one narrationstates that one who loveshis daughters and
withstands the hardship of grooming and getting them married, then
Almighty Allah makes Jannah Waajib (compulsory) on him and keeps him
protected from the Fire of Hell.
Hazrat Khwaja Uthman Haaroni (radi Allahu anhu), the Peer-o-Murshid of
Khwaja-e-Khwajegaan, Hazrat Sheikh Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaaz (radi Allahu
anhu), states: "Daughters are a gift from Almighty Allah. Those
parents who are kind towards them, then Almighty Allah is generous
towards such parents. Those who are merciful to their daughters,
Almighty Allahis Merciful towards them." The great Saint also said,
"When a girl is born to a family, then between the parents andHell,
there shall be a distance of five hundred years."
It has been stated that when parents rejoice at the birth of a
daughter, this is greater than making Tawaaf of the Kaaba seventy
times. Muslims should also remember that the familyof the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is from his beloved daughter
Sayyidah Fatima Zahra (radi Allahu anha).
Dear brothers and sisters,rejoice on the birth of your daughters, love
and guide them and give them that which is due tothem from your
belongings. Do not deprive them of their inheritance as they also have
say in this. Remember! Daughters are a blessing and not a burden.
ISLAMIC HIJAB - ARE MUSLIM WOMEN OPPRESSED?
The feeling still persists insociety that Muslim women wear Hijab or
the outer covering because they are slaves to tradition, so much so
thatit is seen as a symbol of oppression. Western society says that
women'sliberation and independence is impossible unless they first
remove the Hijab . This view is not correct. Why do Muslim women wear
the outer covering that sometimes covers their face and hides the rest
of their body?
Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran, Chapter 33, Verse 59: "O
Prophet! Tell your wives and daughters, and the believing women, that
they should cast their outer garments over their persons; that is
better, that they should be known (as such) and not be molested." And
in Chapter 24, Verse 31: "And say to the believing women that they
should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; thatthey should not
display their beauty and ornaments except what appear thereof; that
theyshould draw their scarvesover their bosoms - "
Muslim women all over the world are wearing Hijab as a religious
requirement and a sign of respect, not out of a misdirected sense
of"tradition." It is both a sign of a women's obedience to Allah and a
manifestation of her faith. The Hijab is part of a Muslim's religious
identity. It gives women dignity and self-respect.
Islam commands women to cover their bodies so as not to trouble men
who are weak and unable to resist temptation. In Islam, menand women
are commanded to dress modestly and not appear"naked" in public, even
in all male and female situations.
Just as a short skirt or a see-through dress can send the signal that
the wearer is available to men, so the Hijab signals, loud and clear:
"I am forbidden to you." Wearing the Hijab protects the female from
harassment and men. It isthe western women who are to be pitied for
displaying their private self for all to see.
An American, Ruth Anderson, has said: "Hijabis not a sign of
backwardness, ignoranceor mental incompetence, but a woman's duty and
her right."
A women in Hijab is like a jewel that is of high exceptional value and
that which must be kept hidden. Wearing the Hijab is a choice that
Muslim women make. To discard the Hijab or expose that part of her
body ordered covered bythe Divine Law is to disobey Islamic
principlesand a women's basic Islamic belief.
RE-INTRODUCTION OF HIJAAB IN INDONESIA
Growing popularity of Islamic dress code in Indonesia has started a
new trend. Women from the middle-income grouphave explicitly shown
escalating preference to Islamic clothes resulting in a multi-million
fashion industry as admitted by Aami Waamsu, Editor of the fashion
magazine"Femina."
According to Taufiq Abdullah Nigar of Indonesian Science Institute,
this shocking trend has developed in the short span of the last 2 - 3
years. This has been in the wake of the recognition that Indonesian
men are more respectful towards women in Islamic attire. Previously,
modern Indonesian women wore tops, pants and ordinary scarves.
Nowadays, preference is given to dignified loose clothing with scarves
completely covering the head.
The fever has caught on to such an extent that even non-Muslim
designers have resorted to designing Islamic clothes. Muslim women are
active in social, religious and political fields dressed according to
Islamic dressing code. A really interesting angle of this "fashion
revival" isthat so impressed are thenon-Muslim women by this trend
that they too have begun to imitate it!
BEIJING WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN CONSPIRE TO "LIBERATE" MUSLIM WOMEN
FROM ISLAM
At the Beijing World ("anti-Islam & anti-religion") Conference,
"experts" talked about the need to liberate Muslim women from Islam,
and in general all women from religion. It was easy to see that there
were openattacks against Islam and religion in general. Therewere also
open talks about rights for prostitutes, lesbians and homosexuals. The
Conference also discussedabout the rights of children over their
sexuallives.
Betty Freidan, an American feminist leader and author, talked about
the dangers Islamic conservatism poses to women. In a panel session
entitled "Muslim Women in North America", led by a Muslimdelegate
chosen by the Clinton administration to represent the US as a liaison
between the US and the Muslim and Arab worlds, a panel member
vehemently attacked the Imams of North Americanmosques for fanaticism
against Muslim women inthe "land of freedom".
In another session that was chaired by a feministHindu, she described
how the Vatican had come together with Islamfor the purpose of denying
women's rights. Another speaker in this session, who was a liberal
Catholic, encouraged women to become more "open" and to acquire power.
She also said that "the biggest mistake in the universe" is to
envision an "omnipotent or perfect God." Dr Riffat Hassan, a professor
in Islamic studies from the University of Louisville, explained how
she had been engaged in the last 20 years in developing a"feminist
theology in the context of Islam".
It was also clear from the Conference that the powers who were running
the UN have an agenda to impose their own "Shariah" on the entire
world. Just by attending the Conferenceat government level, the Muslim
countries accepted the principle that they could negotiateabout this
imposed Shariah. Muslim delegates did not realise that they were
actually"dignifying" a gathering that could not be dignified.
The Conference failed to encourage the individuals need in altering
their life styles inorder to combat sexually transmitted diseases; did
not encourage family life and morality; for women (and men) to abstain
from early sex; etc. The UN also encourages that for women to work in
a factory or an office is a right; to stay at home is an oppression. A
woman should not be dependentof her husband; she should be dependent
on her boss.
Muslims throughout the world, including all SouthAfrican Muslims, must
condemn and reject this Conference. What about the women in Kashmir
who jumped into the Jhelum River in Kashmir to protect their honour
from the Indian forces? Why did the World Conference on Women not
speak about that! What about the 70, 000 Muslim women raped, abused
and beaten in Bosnia? What about the millions in Iraq, Kashmir and
Bosnia who are without food and medicine? The "women's right" which
the Conference speaks about is far from the women's rights which Islam
grants.This is nothing but an attempt by the UN and the world in
condemningIslam, Islamic values and creating a world and society
completely devoid of all sensibility and shame. (Facts extracted from
"Impact International" - Vol.25 No.10)
DUTY TOWARDS OUR MOTHERS
A Saint relates that once, having made intention ofperforming Haj, he
left for Baghdad from where he was to proceed to Hijaz. In Baghdad, he
arrived at the house of Hazrat Abu Hazim Makki (rahmatullahi alai)
wherehe found Hazrat Abu Hazim Makki (rahmatullahi alai) fast asleep.
When he awoke from his asleep, he came over to the Saint and toldhim,
"I had the good fortune of seeing Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi
wasallam) in my dream just now, and he asked me to convey a message to
you."
"What is the message?" asked the Saint.
"He asked me to inform you that it would be better for you if you
called off your journey toHijaz for purpose of making Haj, and spent
time looking after your ageing mother and keeping her happy at all
times. This would enable you to perform your Haj in the future with
Allah's Pleasure."
The Saint, upon hearing this, returned home without performing Haj.
ESCALATION OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MUSLIM COMMUNITY
This almost taboo issue is being brought out to the open. Violence
against women has reached suchhigh levels in the Muslim community that
almost 1 in 5 families is adversely affected. Whether it is physical,
emotional or sexual abuse, it threatensthe very existence of healthy
communities. If women are abused how does a mother then fulfillher
major roles as a wife and a mother? Yet Muslims in South Africa have
not yet acknowledged this as one of the major social problems them all
the time. Research clearly shows that children from abusive homes,
themselves become abusive parents. The highrate of divorce,
separation, extra-marital relationships is a daily occurance in our
society. The disruption and breakdown of families leads to a variety
of social problems. (Courtesy: JIMASA - Dec. 1996)
VERY IMPORTANT NOTE
It is Haraam for women to touch the hand, feet orbody of any strange
man and it is also Haraam for the man to give her the permission to do
so. The Mashaa'ikh and Peers of today should take a lesson from this.
The evil practice of Mureedas (female Mureeds) kissing the hands and
feet of their Peer-o-Murshid must stop. It is totally Haraam for both
to kiss and to be kissed. It is FARD on the Sheikh to strongly forbid
their female Mureeds from doing such un-Islamic acts. Sayyidah Ayesha
Siddiqa (radi Allahu anha) states that there was never an instance
when a woman touched the hands of the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu
alaihi wasallam) at the time of Bai'at. Likewise, those persons who
visit massage parlours, etc. and have their bodies massaged or rubbed
by strange women is strictly Haraam and a great sin (Kabeera). It is
Fard on them to abstain from such immoral acts and fear Allah, the All
Knowing and All Powerful.
A FEW REASONS FOR POVERTY
Wealth and poverty comes from Almighty Allah. However, the
piousservants and learned scholars have given a fewreasons as to why
poverty comes and what to abstain from to avoid poverty:-
1. By not reading Namaaz and Quran.
2. By reading Quran without Wudhu.
3. By calling parents by their names or disrespecting them.
4. To be annoyed with receiving visitors.
5. By being unkind to relatives.
6. To hit and scold your children without reason.
7. To eat without saying Bismillah.
8. To eat without washingthe hands.
9. To eat without a hat or with the left hand.
10. To eat near a deceased or in the dark.
11. To leave food opened.
12. To delay food that has been already served.
13. To leave dishes unwashed after eating.
14. To wash your hands ineating utensils.
15. To take a false oath.
16. To talk of worldly things in the Musjid orduring Wudhu.
17. To sleep until the sun rises.
18. To sleep between Maghrib and Esha.
19. To sleep naked.
20. To urinate in the bathroom.
21. To go to the toilet without a hat.
22. To talk in the toilet.
23. To pass urine or stool on a pathway or under a tree.
24. To laugh in a cemetery.
25. To use broken utensils.
26. To use a broken comb.
27. For ladies to remain with the head uncovered.
28. To stand and comb or tie the hair.
29. To sweep at night.
30. To sweep the house and keep the dirt in the house.
31. To keep long nails, of bite one's nails.
32. To sew torn clothes onthe body.
33. To have a haircut while Na-Paak.
34. To keep the pubic hairs more than forty days.
35. To put off a flame by blowing it.
36. To sit on the stoop of the house.
37. To leave shoes upside down and not straighten it.
38. To leave spider cob-webs in the house.
39. To burn the peel of garlic or onions.
40. Not to help a person in trouble at night.
41. It has been mentionedby some pious personsthat to be intimate with
the wife on Saturday after sunset till Sunday morning and on Tuesday
after sunset till Wednesday morning is not regarded as a good time.
They said that if the wife becomes pregnant in this time they there is
a risk of sickness and bad habits in the child.