(An Excerpt from the Book “The Ideal Muslimah: The True Islâmic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’ân and Sunnah”, Pp. 451-459)
By Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Hishimi
Translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab and Revised by Ibrahim M. Kunna and Abu Aya Sulaiman Abdus-Sabur Copyright and published by the International Islâmic Publishing House (IIPH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1999.
The Muslim woman calls people to the truth
The true Muslim woman understands that mankind was not created in vain, but was created to Fulfill a purpose, which is to worship Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala):
“I have only created Jinn and men, that they may serve Me.” (Qur’an 51:56)
Worshipping Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) may be done through any positive, constructive action undertaken to cultivate and populate the world, to make the word of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) supreme on earth, and to apply His laws in life. All of these constitute part of that truth to which Muslim men and women are required to call people.
Hence the true Muslim woman is aware of her duty to call as many other women as possible to the truth in which she believes, seeking thereby the great reward which Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) has promised those who sincerely call others to the truth, as the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to ‘Ali (radhiallahu anhu):
“By Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) if Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) were to guide just one man through you it would be better for you than red camels.”[1]
A good word which the Muslim woman says to other women who are careless about matters of religion, or to a woman who has deviated from the guidance of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) will have an effect on them, and will come back to the sister who calls others to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) with a great reward that is worth more than red camels, which were the most precious and sought-after wealth among the Arabs at that time. In addition, a reward like that of the ones who are guided at her hands will also be given to her, as the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Whoever calls people to the truth will have a reward like that of those who follow him, without it detracting in the least from their reward.”[2]
The Muslim woman does not think little of whatever knowledge she has if she is calling other women to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). It is sufficient for her to convey whatever knowledge she has learned, or heard from other peoples’ preaching, even if it is just one ayah from the Book of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). This is what the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to tell his Companions to do:
“Convey (knowledge) from me even if it is just one ayah . . .”[3]
This is because whether or not a person is guided may depend on just one word of this ayah which may touch her heart and ignite the spark of faith, so that her heart and her life will be illuminated with the light of guidance.
The Muslim woman who is calling others to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) does not spare any effort in calling other women to the truth – and how great is the need for this call in these times – seeking the pleasure of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and spreading awareness among those women who were not fortunate enough to receive this teaching and guidance previously, and thus proving that she likes for her sister what she likes for herself. These are the characteristics of the woman who calls others to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) that distinguish her from ordinary women. They are noble, worthy characteristics that were highly praised and encouraged by the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam):
“May Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) make his face shine, the one who hears something from us and conveys it as he hears it, for perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed will understand it better than the one who conveyed it.”[4]
The Muslim woman who is truly guided by the Qur’an and Sunnah is like a lighted lamp that shows travelers the way on the darkest night. She cannot conceal her light from her sisters who are stumbling in the darkness when she has seen the great reward that Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) has prepared for true, sincere callers to the truth.
She enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil
The duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil (al-amr bi’l-ma’ruf wa’l-nahy ‘an al-munkar) is not confined only to men; it applies equally to men and women, as is stated in the Qur’an:
“The Believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice 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)
Islam gave women a high social standing when it gave her this great social responsibility of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil. For the first time in history, women were to be the ones issuing instructions, whereas everywhere else except in Islam they had been the ones to receive instructions
In response to this responsibility, which in fact is a great honor , the Muslim woman rises up to carry out the duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, within the limits of what suits her feminine nature. Within the limits of her own specialized field, she confronts evil – which is no small matter in the world of women – whenever she sees it, and she opposes it with reason, deliberation, wisdom and a clever, good approach. She tries to remove it with her hand, if she is able to and if doing so will not lead to worse consequences. If she cannot remove it by her actions, then she speaks out to explain what is right, and if she is not able to do so, then she opposes it in her heart, and starts to think of ways and means of opposing and eradicating it. These are the means of opposing evil that were set out by the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam):
“Whoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue, and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.”[5]
When the alert Muslim woman undertakes this duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, she is in effect being sincere towards her wayward or negligent Muslim sisters, for religion is sincerity (or sincere advice), as the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) explained most eloquently when he summed up Islam in one word: nasihah. If that is indeed the case, then the Muslim woman has no option but to enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong, in order to fulfill the definition of sincerity as stated by the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam):
“Religion is sincerity (nasihah).” We asked, “To whom?” He said, “To Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) to His Book, to His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk.”[6]
The Muslim woman’s speaking out to offer nasihah and to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil in women’s circles will lead to the correction of many unIslamic customs, traditions and habits that are prevalent among some women. How many such practices there are among women who neglect or deviate from Islam; the Muslim woman who confronts these customs and explains the correct Islamic point of view is doing the best thing she can for her society and ummah, and she is one of the best of people:
A man stood up whilst the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was on the minbar and asked: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is the best?” He said, “The best of the people are those are most well-versed in Qur’an, those who are most pious, those who most enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and those who are most respectful towards their relatives.”[7]
The alert Muslim woman is a woman with a mission. She never remains silent about falsehood or fails to uphold the truth or accepts any deviation. She always strives to benefit her sisters in the Muslim community, and save them from their own shortcomings, backwardness, ignorance and deviations. She undertakes her duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, in obedience to the command of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and His Messenger, and to protect herself from the punishment of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) which befalls those societies where no voice is raised to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil.
When Abu Bakr (radhiallahu anhu) became the khalifah, he ascended the minbar, praised Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) then said, “O people, you recite the ayah, ‘O you who believe! Guard your own souls: if you follow [right] guidance no hurt can come to you from those who stray . . .’ (Qur’an 5:105) and you are misinterpreting it. Verily I heard the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say: ‘Those people who see some evil and do not oppose it or seek change will shortly all be punished by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala).’”[8]
The Muslim woman who is sincere in her Islam, whose faith is strong and whose mind is open to the guidance of Islam, is always active in the cause of goodness, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, offering sincere advice and reforming corrupt situations. She does not accept negativity, passiveness, negligence or vacillation in herself, and never accepts any compromise or deviance in matters of Islam and its rituals. Religion and ‘aqidah are serious matters; it is no joke, and it is not permitted to remain silent about any deviance or error in religious matters, otherwise we will end up like the Jews, who earned Allah’s wrath when they vacillated and became careless with regard to their religion:
“Among the people who came before you, the children of Israel, if any one of them did wrong, one of them would denounce him so that he could say that he had done his duty, but the next day he would sit and eat with him as if he had never seen him do anything wrong the day before. When Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) saw this attitude of theirs, he turned the hearts of some of them against others and cursed them by the tongue of Dawud and ‘Isa ibn Maryam, because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses [cf. Qur’an 5:78]. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you must enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and you must stay the hand of the wrongdoer and give him a stern warning to adhere to the truth, otherwise Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) will surely turn the hearts of some of you against others, and curse you as He has cursed them.”[9]
She is wise and eloquent in her da’wah
The Muslim woman who seeks to call others to Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) is eloquent and clever in her da’wah, speaking wisely and without being pushy to those whom she calls, and taking into account their intellectual levels and social positions. With this wise and good preaching, she is able to reach their hearts and minds, just as the Qur’an advises:
“Invite [all] to the Way of your Rabb (Cherisher and Sustainer) with wisdom and beautiful preaching . . .” (Qur’an 16:125)
The sister who is calling others is careful not to be long-winded or boring, and she avoids over-burdening her audience. She does not speak for too long, or discuss matters that are difficult to understand. She introduces the idea that she wants to convey in a brief and clear fashion, using attractive and interesting methods, and presenting the information in stages, so that her audience will understand it easily and will be eager to put their new knowledge into practice. This is what the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to do in his own preaching, as the great Sahabi ‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radhiallahu anhu) tells us. He used to preach a little at a time to the people, every Thursday. A man said to him, “I wish that you would teach us every day.” He said, “What prevents me from doing so is the fact that I would hate to bore you. I show consideration towards you by choosing a suitable time to teach you, just as the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to do with us, for fear of making us bored.”[10]
One of the most important qualities of the wise and eloquent da’iyah is that she is gentle with the women she is calling. She is patient with the slowness or inability to understand on the part of some of them, their ignorance of many matters of religion, their repeated mistakes and their many tedious questions, following the example of the master of all those men and women who call others to the way of Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) – the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) – who was the supreme example of patience, kindness and open-heartedness. He responded to questioners like a tolerant, caring guide and gently-correcting teacher, never frustrated by their slowness to understand, or irritated by their many questions and the need to repeat the same answers many times until they understood and left him, content with the lesson they had learned.
An example of this gentle approach is the account of the Sahabi Mu’awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami (radhiallahu anhu), who said:
“Whilst I was praying with the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), one of the men in the the congregation sneezed, so I said, ‘Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah have mercy on you).’ The people glared at me, so I said, ‘May my mother be bereft of me! What are you staring at me like that for?’ They began to strike their thighs with their hands, and when I realized that they were telling me to be quiet, I fell silent. The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), may my father and mother be sacrificed for him, finished the prayer, and I have never seen a better teacher than he, before or since. By Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) he did not rebuke me or strike me or insult me. He merely said, ‘This prayer should contain nothing of the everyday speech of men; it is just tasbih, takbir and the recitation of Qur’an,’ or words to that effect. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I am still very close to the time of jahiliyyah (i.e., I am very new in Islam). Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) has brought us Islam, yet there are some among us who still go to soothsayers.’ He said, ‘Never go to them.’ I said, ‘And there are some who are superstitious.’ He said, ‘That is just something that they imagine; it should not stop them from going ahead with their plans.’” [11]
Another characteristic of the successful da’iyah, and one of the most attractive and influential methods she can use, is that she does not directly confront wrongdoers with their deeds, or those who are failing with their shortcomings. Rather she is gentle in her approach when she addresses them, hinting at their wrongdoing or shortcomings indirectly rather than stating them bluntly, and asking them, gently and wisely, to rid themselves of whatever bad deeds or failings they have. She is careful not to hurt their feelings or put them off her da’wah. This wise, gentle approach is more effective in treating social ills and moral and psychological complaints, and it is the method followed by the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), as ‘A’ishah (radhiallahu anha) said:
“When the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) heard that someone had done something wrong, he did not say ‘What is wrong with so-and-so that he says (such-and-such)?’ Rather, he would say, ‘What is wrong with some people that they say such-and-such?. . .”[12]
Another important feature of the da’iyah, that will guarantee her success, is that she speaks clearly to her audience and repeats her words without boring them until she is certain that they have understood and that her words have reached their hearts. This is what the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to do, as Anas (radhiallahu anhu) said:
“The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to repeat things three times when he spoke, so that they would be understood. When he came to a people, he would greet them with salam three times.”[13]
‘A’ishah (radhiallahu anha) said:
“The speech of the Prophet was very clear. Everyone who heard it understood it.”[14]
Footnotes:
[1] Fath al-Bari, 7/476, Kitab al-maghazi, bab ghazwah Khaybar.
[2] Sahih Muslim, 16/227, Kitab al-’ilm, bab man sanna sunnah hasanah [?]
[3] Fath al-Bari, 6/496, Kitab hadith al-anbiya’, bab ma dhukira ‘an Bani Isra’il.
[4] Reported by Tirmidhi, 5/34, in Kitab al-’ilm, 7; he said it is a hasan sahih hadith.
[5] Sahih Muslim, 2/22, Kitab al-iman, bab bayan kawn al-nahy ‘an al-munkar min al-iman.
[6] Sahih Muslim, 2/37, Kitab al-iman, bab bayan an al-din nasihah.
[7] Reported by Ahmad and al-Tabarani; the men of their isnads are thiqat. See Majma’ al-Zawa’id, 7/263, Bab fi ahl al-ma’ruf wa ahl al-munkar.
[8] Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/233.
[9] Reported by al-Tabarani, 10/146; the men of its isnad are rijal al-sahih.
[10] Bukhari and Muslim. See Riyad al-Salihin, 374, Kitab al-adab, bab fi’l-wa’z wa’l-iqtisad fihi.
[11] Sahih Muslim, 5/20, Kitab al-masajid, bab tahrim al-kalam fi’l-salah.
[12] Hayat al-Sahabah, 3/129.
[13] Fath al-Bari, 1/188, Kitab al-’ilm, bab man a’ada al-hadith thalathan li yufham ‘anhu.
[14] Reported by Abu Dawud, 4/360, Kitab al-adab, 21; its isnad is sahih.
