Women! have had their ranks raised in Islam, their status upheld, and their achievements celebrated! Throughout the history of Islam, we have been taught from a young age the importance and the high status of women. The first time being, the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) telling us the importance of our mothers. It was narrated from Mu’awiyah bin Jahimah As-Sulami, that Jahimah came to the Prophet ﷺ and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I want to go out and fight (in Jihad) and I have come to ask your advice.” He said: “Do you have a mother?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Then stay with her, for Paradise is beneath her feet.” (Sunan an-Nasa’i 3104)
Mothers have played an important role in nurturing their children, building them up to be important people in the society and while building a home. Being good to our mothers, being kind to them and most importantly respecting them grants us the highest rank in paradise, In Shaa Allah.
Islam even goes on to encourage us in loving our daughters and respecting our mothers and wives, that when a girl is born in a household, she becomes the door to Jannah for their parents and when she gets married she helps her husband complete half of his religion. The hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) about raising girls is beautiful and amazing.
Aisha reported: A woman came to me along with her two daughters asking for charity, but she found nothing with me except one date. I gave it to her and she divided it between her two daughters. She did not eat anything herself, then she got up and left. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came in and I told him what happened. The Prophet said, “Whoever is tested with daughters in any way and treats them well, they will be their shield from Hellfire.” (Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 5649, Sahih Muslim 2629)
In the Quran, Allah has set aside a whole Surah/chapter dedicated to women alone, An Nissa, while the entire surah does speak about community values and household values, it does speak about women, the word Nissa itself does translate to women.
One thousand four hundred and forty three years ago, Islam had given women rights that other counterparts would not have possibly even imagined, Islam did give women, just to name a few, the right to inheritance, the right to accept or deny a marriage proposal, the right to own their businesses while in fact the first wife of our beloved Prophet (S.A.W), Khadija bint al-Khuwalid was a renowned business woman and a very successful one.
Women had sought the highest level of education some even building educational centers , Islam did encourage it, we know of Fatima Al-Fihri who was the founder of the first university in the world! Yes, you read that correctly, a Muslim woman was the pioneer of the first highest level of education in the world!
Women are the light and moral compass of our society, when we educate them we educate the whole of society. Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“The most complete of believers in faith are those with the best character, and the best of you are the best in behavior to their women.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1162)
We need to follow the teachings and actions of the our beloved Prophet Muhammad (MayThe Mercy of Allah be upon him), and be the best to our female family members, friends, colleagues and those we meet on a daily basis. Let us be there to support them! Encourage them! Protect them! And most importantly CELEBRATE them!
To strong women!
May we know them!
May we raise them!
And may we be them!
– Nadia Osman.