Islamic Articles, - * Bigots Disrespect Women by Saying that They Inhibit a Faithful Life

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Almighty God places great importance in the protection and loving of women. In the Holy Quran, He compares them to flowers and commands everyone to prioritize, respect, protect and love women. He makes it very clear that genders are equal and any discrimination will not be accepted.
However, as in every other aspect of life, bigots attempted to discredit women with respect to a faithful life and claimed through fabricated hadiths that women could inhibit one’s practice of religion.
Were there no women, God would be worshiped properly. (Suyuti, Sahih Bukhari, Ibn-i Adiyy, Abu Khatim, Ibn-i Jawzi, Muhammed Nasuriddin and Ibn-i Hibban all accept this hadith.) (Silsilat al-Ahadisuzzaif: 74, Tenzihusharia: 1/62, Al-Leali: 2/59)
Were it not for women, all men would go to paradise. (Ibn-i Arrak and As-Saqafi do not accept the hadith. [Jamiussaghir: 2/113])
Let us first of all recall one very important point; the misogynistic mindset described in the false hadiths appears absolutely nowhere in the Qur’an.
Moving on to the content of the fabricated hadiths above, it is not women or other blessings of this world that prevent people who are weak in, or devoid of faith, from living by religious moral values, but their own weakness of conscience, mind and will. God has created this world as a test. In the same way that people are tested throughout their lives with troubles, difficulties, diseases and weaknesses, so they are also tested by blessings and good things. Women are one of the blessings and jewels of this world. Like every blessing, however, how that blessing is evaluated depends on the moral values of the person possessing that blessing. God reveals in the Qur’an that the blessings of this world are created as a test:
To mankind the love of worldly appetites is painted in glowing colors: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. The best homecoming is in the Presence of God. (Surah Al ‘Imran, 14)
Like women, children, gold, silver, splendid animals, farmland and wealth are all blessings of this world and provided for people to enjoy. However, a person who has faith will also be aware that all these blessings really belong to God, that all the blessings found in this world are transitory, and that the most and finest forms of all blessings are to be found in paradise. None of these blessings therefore turn such people away from God or prevent them striving on His path. If a person falls into heedlessness on account of any of these blessings and no longer seeks God’s approval in all things, then this is something stemming from his own weakness of faith; it is not the fault of the blessings, but of the person himself. It is therefore the person himself who will have to face the consequences, so long as he does not correct himself. It will do no good to a person trying to blame someone else in the hereafter.
Therefore, a man who seeks to hold women responsible, on the basis of these false hadiths, for all his own errors, sins and evil deeds, is merely deceiving himself. According to the Qur’an, faith means that a person must serve God properly, no matter what the conditions or circumstances. Nobody will be able to use the idea that, “I was unable to worship properly because of women” as an excuse in the hereafter. As we are told in a verse, “... man will be clear proof against himself in spite of any excuses he might offer” (Surat al-Qiyama, 14-15)
In other words, no matter what excuses a person may come up with, he is still perfectly aware of the truth. Some people who blame women for their own lapses on the basis of these false hadiths are of course perfectly well aware that they are being hypocritical and making up the whole idea up. Ignoring the fact in this world will change nothing in the Presence of God, where “… Every self will be paid in full for what it earned. They will not be wronged. ” (Surah Al ’Imran, 25)








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Islamic Articles, - * Bigots’ Despicable Description of Women

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As the bigots know no boundaries in their misogyny, they even dared call women ‘crooked’. One of the fabricated hadiths they use for this purpose is as follows:
Woman has been created from a rib and will in no way be straightened for you; so if you wish to benefit by her, benefit by her while crookedness remains in her. And if you attempt to straighten her, you will break her, and breaking her is divorcing her. (Sahih Muslim, Book 8, Hadith 3467; an-Nasai)
The creation of human beings is described in detail in the Qur’an:
We created man from the purest kind of clay ; then made him a drop in a secure receptacle; then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature . Blessed be God, the Best of Creators! (Surat al-Muminun, 12-14)
No verse of the Qur’an says anything about woman being created from a rib bone and being crooked. In contrast to these terms employed by fanatics, our Almighty Lord reveals that men and women were created “in the best of forms:”
It is God Who made the earth a stable home for you and the sky a dome, and formed you, giving you the best of forms , and provided you with good and wholesome things. That is God, your Lord. Blessed be God, the Lord of all the worlds. (Surah Ghafir, 64)
The words “ if you attempt to straighten her, you will break her ” in the false hadith in question implies that she is crooked in both body and mind and can never be put right; however, no such words appear in the Qur’an. This shows the basis of the fanatics’ anger-filled attitude toward women.
The lesson we receive from the Qur’an is this; everyone, man or woman, has flaws and can make mistakes. According to the Qur’an, these flaws should be corrected by pointing them out in kindly language, showing the person what is right and wrong, and addressing the conscience of the person in question. Nobody has the right to cast anyone aside and say, “This person can never be put right.” Someone who does that and regards himself as superior may see that the person he regarded as “incorrigible” is actually in a better position than him in the hereafter. Only God knows who is on the true path.
The fanatics’ superstitious belief that women are flawed and deficient right from the outset has been strengthened by the idea that it is also impossible for them to change subsequently. Many false hadiths therefore contain false information to the effect that good women are very few in number and that most women are not worthy of paradise.
Hadiths and Claims Fabricated to Debase Women
A pious woman among other women is like unto a raven marked with a white leg. (Nahj al-Fasahah, p.20)
One out of 99 women is in paradise, the rest are in hell. (Sahih Bukhari)
O womenfolk, you should give charity and ask much forgiveness for I saw you in bulk amongst the dwellers of hell. ... (Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 142)
The false hadiths in question make it clear how women are belittled and regarded as second-class citizens in societies made up of fanatics. Following the fabrication of these hadiths, some Islamic communities turned into societies of fear and fanaticism that despised and belittled women and shut them up indoors. Women being regarded as second-class citizens led to communities developing a terrible lack of civilization, cultural deformities, lack of taste and emptiness; the representatives of that fanatic mentality never grew or developed. Many countries in the Middle East today are in the middle of that cultural deformity and lack of quality produced by that terrifying perspective. Yet the religion in the Qur’an is lovely, plain, high-quality and peaceable.
The fanatics in question have completely failed to grasp that God attaches great value to women, the jewels of paradise, in both this world and the hereafter. Most important of all, they never sought guidance from the Qur’an.
None of the terms in the false hadiths in question appear anywhere in the Qur’an. God described people with impaired morals, who do evil and commit unlawful deeds in detail in the Qur’an, and none of these descriptions say anything about them referring particularly to women.
For example, God reveals in the Qur’an that a great many people will not believe, and that a great many of those who do will ascribe equals to Him:
Alif Lam Mim Ra. Those are the signs of the Book. And what has been sent down to you from your Lord is the Truth. But most people have no faith . (Surat ar-Ra’d, 1)
Most of them do not have faith in God without associating others with Him . (Surah Yusuf, 106)
In another verse, God reveals that despite His creating all possible means for people to learn from, the majority of people still do not learn, but continue with the same moral degeneration:
We have variegated it for them so they might pay heed but most people spurn anything else but disbelief . (Surat al-Furqan, 50)
As we have seen, neither these nor any other verses of the Qur’an say anything about people with poor morals and behavior being women, in the way that fanatics allege. People who behave immorally are not classified on the basis of their gender in any verse. There is nothing in any verse saying that women are more immoral or less women will enter paradise. The information in false hadiths is all fraudulent and fabricated in order to spread hostility toward women. The Qur’an absolutely and definitively refutes the false hadiths in question.








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Islamic Articles, - * The Prophetic Hijrah: A Turning Point in History

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The Arabic noun Hijrah literally refers to the act of abandoning or relinquishing. Hence, the derived word Muhaajir, as mentioned in a Hadeeth, is a person who renounces what Allah The Almighty prohibited. This is not confined to a certain time or place; anyone who abides by the commands of Allah the Almighty and abandons sins, is considered a Muhaajir.
However, the Hijrah of the Prophethas a different dimension to it; it refers to his emigration, seeking the satisfaction of Allah The Almighty, despite his attachment to his homeland and affinity to its natural and social environment. That longing for Makkah was also fervently expressed by the Muhaajiroon – those who emigrated with him– particularly during the first melancholy days.
That was so, because Hijrah required adapting to the new atmosphere of Madeenah, in terms of a differing climate, which caused some of the Muhaajiroon to suffer from fever; as well as economy, since it was agriculture-based here, whereas it was commerce-based back home in Makkah, where they had left behind property and wealth.
However, Hijrah was a Divine obligation to be obeyed and all difficulties endured in its undertaking. When it began, processions of the Muhaajiroon successively set out to the new land – the abode of emigration. Women also took part in this blessed event, such as Umm Salamah Hind bint Abu Umayyah, may Allah be pleased with her, who was exposed to great harm at the hands of the disbelievers in Makkah. In an effort to prevent her from Hijrah, they had pulled her newborn from her until his hand was dislocated; but she persisted and succeeded in emigrating, despite the danger and hardship.
Another woman was Asmaa' bint Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with her, who immortalized her name in history, earning the title, Thaat An-Nitaaqayn (the one with two waistbands), because she tore her waistband in half, in order to carry provisions for the two pursued emigrants, i.e., the Prophetand Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him. Later, the sporadic Hijrah of women continued until it became an obligation; Allah The Almighty Says (what means):{O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them.}[Quran 60:10]
The commandment was general for all believers, as Quranic verses were intermittently revealed, pointing out the merits for performing the Hijrah; this occurred since the beginning of emigration,well until the year 8 AH, when it was revoked after the conquest of Makkah. This was in accordance with the declaration of the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:"There is no Hijrah after the conquest of Makkah; but, [there is] Jihaad and good intention [to perform good deeds]. So, when you are commanded to set forth [for Jihad], you must immediately."
As for Madeenah being the destination of Hijrah, Allah The Almighty Himself had specified it, revealing it to the Prophetwho said:"I have seen in my vision that I am migrating from Makkah to a land with palm-trees. At first, I thought it was Al-Yamaamah or Hajar, but it was Madeenah (Yathrib)."
It would later become clear that this city, already burgeoning with faith, had required the mass arrival of Muslims, to safeguard it from the lurking enemies among Quraysh, the Jews and the Bedouins, against whom Jihaad was ordained. Thus, Allah The Almighty revealed motivational verses for emigrants, Saying (what means):
•{Indeed, those who have believed and those who have emigrated and fought in the cause of Allah - those expect the mercy of Allah.}[Quran 2:218]
•{And those who emigrated for [the cause of] Allah after they had been wronged - We will surely settle them in this world in a good place.}[Quran 16:41]
•{And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many [alternative] locations and abundance.}[Quran 4:100]
True to His noble Promise, the Muhaajiroon attained great honor in this life, apart from reward from Him. By being the first people to establish a Muslim state, they gained the Pleasure of Allah The Almighty and closeness to Him, as He Says (what means):{And the first forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhaajiroon and the Ansaar and those who followed them with good conduct - Allah is pleased with them.}[Quran 9:100]
Thus, Allah The Almighty memorialized them in the Quran, which is, and will be, recited by Muslims as worship to Him until the end of time.
Hijrah: a norm of the Prophets, may Allah exalt their mention
The Prophetwas not the first to emigrate for the cause of Allah The Almighty. Many prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, underwent such a trial. Allah The Almighty informed us that Ibraaheem (Abraham) emigrated from his homeland to Egypt and other countries, preaching Tawheed (monotheism); Ya‘qoob (Jacob) and Yoosuf (Joseph), may Allah exalt their mention, went from Palestine to Egypt; Loote, may Allah exalt his mention, abandoned his valley because of its corruption and disregard of his message; and Moosa (Moses), may Allah exalt his mention, emigrated with his people from Egypt to Sinai in order to escape with their religion from the tyranny of Fir‘awn (Pharaoh).
Thus, Hijrah is a custom of the prophets, with the emigration of the Prophet Muhammadbeing the last and most significant in its impact.
Hijrah: A Turning Point in History
The Hijrah brought about the establishment of a Muslim state in Madeenah, that consolidated the society on the basis of solidarity, love, brotherhood, freedom, equality and guaranteeing of rights.
The Prophetwas the head of government, the commander in chief, the supreme judge and the foremost mentor. Hegradually implemented the Islamic Sharee’ah, as it was revealed to him, verse by verse. The Companions would study it and apply it to themselves, after learning its interpretation from the Prophet.
Hence, they formed a God-conscious generation that was able to merge the worship of Allah The Almighty with inhabiting this worldly life. They worked under the motto: work for your life as if you will live forever and for your Hereafter as if you will die tomorrow.
Within a decade, most of the Arabian Peninsula united under this banner of Islam that swathed large areas of land, extending from As-Sind in the east, to the Atlantic in the west, with most of the people embracing Islam and its Sharee‘ah. They formed a flourishing civilization that produced its fruit for many centuries in the fields of legislation, education, cosmography and physics.






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