Ideal Muslimah
Lecture # 15
(From
the book Ideal Muslimah by Dr. Muhammad Ali al-Hashimi)
Chapter
1: The Muslim Woman and Her Rabb (cont.)
1. She enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil
p. 52
The
Muslim woman who understands her religion reads the ayah:
(The
Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is
just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity,
and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His Mercy: for Allah
is Exalted in Power, Wise.) (Qur'an 9:71) -
which
Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala)
revealed fifteen hundred years ago, and she finds herself on the highest
level of intellectual and social status that any woman of any nation or
race has ever known. Islam has stated that women are fully human, and
are legally competent and independent. There is no difference between women and
men when it comes to owning property, buying or selling, or arranging a
marriage.
When
Islam gave women the duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is
evil, it gave her the status of a human being who, for the first time in
history, was giving orders whereas under other systems she was the one to whom
orders were always given.
Our
history is filled with women whose words and deeds reflect their noble Islamic
character. They spoke the truth, and felt that they had a responsibility before
Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) to do
so, and were never afraid to do so.
2.
She
reads Quran often
In
order to reach a high level of obedience, righteousness and taqwa, the
Muslim woman has no choice but to seek guidance in the blessed Book of Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala),
sheltering herself in its shade every day. She should read Qur'an regularly,
reciting it carefully and thinking about the meaning of the ayat.
So she
should read Qur'an whenever she has the opportunity, and her days and
nights
should be filled with recitation of its ayat and reflection upon its
meaning.
The
Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) said: "Read the Qur'an, for it will
come forward on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its readers."
[Muslim]
And he
(salla Allahu alihi wa sallam) said: "The one who reads the Qur'an
fluently is with the honourable pious scribes (the angels who write down our
deeds) and the one who reads the Qur'an and struggles to read it even though it
is difficult for him, will receive a double reward." [Bukhari and Muslim]
Knowing
this, how can any Muslim woman fail to read the Qur'an, no matter how busy she
is with household duties and the role of wife and mother? Can she neglect the
Qur'an and deprive herself of its great blessing and the reward which Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala) has
prepared for those who read it?
In-sha’Allah,
we will talk about some of the virtues of reading Quran.
Chapter 2: The Muslim Woman and Her Own Self
The
Muslim woman does not neglect her appearance, no matter how busy she is with
her domestic chores and the duties of motherhood. She is keen to look good,
without going to extremes, because a good appearance is an indication of how
well she understands herself, her Islamic identity, and her mission in life.
The outward appearance of a woman cannot be separated from her inner nature: a
neat, tidy and clean exterior reflects a noble and decent inner character, both
of which go to make up the character of the true Muslim woman.
1 - HER BODY
Moderation
in food and drink
The
Muslim woman takes good care of her body, promoting its good health and
strength. She is active and not overweight. So she does not eat to excess; she
eats just enough to maintain her health and energy.
The
Prophet (salla Allahu alihi wa sallam)
also advised moderation in food and drink:
"There
is no worse vessel for the son of Adam to fill than his stomach, but if he must
fill it, the let him allow one-third for food, one-third for drink, and
one-third for air." [Ahmad and Tirmidhi]
In-sha’Allah,
we will talk about some of the rulings concerning the above.
The
Muslim woman does not forget to maintain her physical fitness and energy by
following the healthy practices recommended by Islam. But she is not content
only with the natural, healthy diet referred to above: she also follows an
organized exercise program, appropriate to her physical condition, weight, age
and social status. These exercises give her body agility, beauty, good health,
strength and immunity to disease; this will make her more able to carry out her
duties, and more fit to fulfil her role in life, whether it be as a wife or
mother, young girl or old woman.
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