Who is Oppressing Women?

Islam is a religion that provides the complete solution for all of humanity’s problems. In it, there is great stress on respecting, honouring and showing kindness towards one’s fellow human beings. Islam makes many such acts an obligation on mankind so that when a person honours another, in effect he elevates his own position before Allah.

“And indeed We have honoured the Children of Adam...”

[al-Isra 17:70]

However, there is someone who is working round the clock to dishonor and degrade man. Do you know who that is? Do you know who is your greatest enemy?

It is none other than Satan (Shaytan; Iblis). And it is no surprise that Allah (SWT) has warned us about him time and time again in the glorious Qur’an.

“Indeed, he (Satan) is to you a clear enemy.”

[al-Baqara 2:208]

And what was the promise of Satan to Allah (SWT)? What has he sworn to do? What is the mission of his life? This has been mentioned to us in the Qur’an also, in Surah al-A’raaf, ayat 16 & 17:

“… Surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left…”

[al-A’raaf 7:16-17]

So the question for us now is; what did Satan wish to gain from the first mistake that he made man do? If you recall, it was when he made Adam and Hawwa (peace & blessings of Allah be upon them) eat from the tree. Why did he make them do that? What was his agenda? We find from the Qur’an that as a direct consequence of this mistake that Satan made them commit, Adam and Hawwa were made uncovered and exposed.

“Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was hidden from them of their shame (private parts) became manifest to them and they began to cover themselves with the leaves of Paradise (in order to cover their shame).”

[al-A’raaf 7:22]

This is in fact the real weapon and the true agenda of Satan; to make man stripped of his clothing, naked and unprotected. As Allah the Almighty, has mentioned in Surah al-A’raaf, ayah 27:

“O Children of Adam! Let not Shaytan deceive you, as he got your parents (Adam and Hawwa) out of Paradise, stripping them of their garments, to show them their private parts.”

[al-A’raaf 7:27]

Regarding Satan, Allah the Exalted has mentioned that he (Shaytan) orders mankind towards indecency and immorality.

“He (Shaytan) commands you only what is evil and sinful”

[al-Baqara 2:169]

The relationship between a person and his modesty (haya) is so well intertwined that it is embedded in the very fabric of his being. Once a person loses his modesty, he then feels no shame or hesitation in committing any transgressions against Allah.

Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasized on the importance of modesty by saying:

“Emaan (faith) and Haya (modesty) are like twins, they go hand in hand.”

[Hakim]

This means that both faith and modesty are so deeply related to one another that if one of them goes, the other goes too. Satan realizes this; and those who carry his agenda and follow in his footsteps realize it too.

Leaders & Followers

The question is, who do we need to follow? Do we follow those who degraded the status of women to mere posters and ad campaigns? Those who hindered and degraded the high status of women merely for the satisfaction of their own lusts & desires? Those who turned the honourable figure of the mother to that of a slave, who can be thrown into an Old People’s Home when she has fulfilled her duties? Those who exploited women to serve as marketing gimmicks, just so they can earn a few extra dollars in their trade?

And the Jews, upon whom is the Wrath of Allah, took this to a whole new level by blatantly abusing the woman, her beauty and her body for their own evil ends, giving birth to the multi-billion dollar industry we know today as pornography.

The same filth was carried to the doorstep of every Muslim country. Wherever they went, the first plan of attack against the people was to completely extinguish their inherent modesty.

An evident example from the pages of history was the strategic, pre-planned placement of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in 1923, as the new leader of the young Turkish Republic. Of all the wonders that are associated to Ataturk, one of the greatest ones perhaps was his role in taking the crown and glory of the household, pulling her out of the privacy of her home, making her the glitter and glamour, the sparkle and dazzle of the bazaars and marketplaces.

For a woman to leave her home and work along with men was given the dubious title of “Women’s Liberation” whereas in reality this was not liberation, rather a way to further degrade the position of women in society.

Islam does not forbid the woman to step out of her house and work to earn for herself but this must always be done keeping in mind the limits set by Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ). We must seize to be blinded away from the truth and instead open our eyes and our hearts to see how our enemies have been slowly poisoning our communities. First the woman was plucked out of the four walls of her home, then she was instructed to doll up and beautify herself, then to mix freely with men who were non-mahrams, all this in the name of “Women’s Rights”. Whatever evils were left unfinished, the media made sure they took good care of them; guiding women on a daily basis, via gossip digests, magazines, dramas, talk-shows etc. on how to let no one get in the way of anything they wish to do outside of their house. Whether it the pursuit of a career or nurturing “friendships” or having a good time out. Even if it is the parents, the husband, the siblings or any other members of the family, all of them can be put aside for the sake of one’s own pleasures.

Thus when a woman steps outside her house, hiding away from the eyes of her father, brother, husband or son, beautified and dressed from head to toe in an attire that begs “look at me”, meeting freely and openly with men, an obvious question comes to mind. Is this woman fooling the world or has she herself been fooled by Satan?

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was once taking one of his noble wives from the masjid to her house at night when two of his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) passed by.

The Prophet (ﷺ) stopped them and said, listen this is my wife Safiyya bint Huyayy. The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said that O Messenger of Allah, would we even think this way about you? The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:

“Satan flows inside man like blood.”

[Sahih Bukhari]

So who would now guide us better than the guidance we have already received from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? Similarly, he (ﷺ) also said:

“Whenever a man is alone with a woman, the third with them is Satan.”

[at-Tirmidhi]

The Condition of Women before Islam

The condition of women before the arrival of Islam was not much different in terms of their degradation than it is today. It was common practice to call out the names of someone’s sisters or daughters in events and gatherings and recite disgraceful poetry about them to the attendees. Fornication was not considered to be a sin. The woman was a toy at the hands of man after divorce, whereby the man could divorce her as many times as he wanted and likewise, get back together with her whenever he wanted. During her menstrual cycle, the woman was considered filthy and as a result was confined to a room where only her basic necessities were provided to her.

Even in those times, women were forced to dress up and beautify themselves so that others may fulfill the lust & hunger of their eyes. The biggest ignorance was that in order to falsely claim to defend the honour of women, infant girls were even buried alive!

Islam came to elevate the status of women in society, to give them unparalleled respect and most importantly, to give them their due rights in every aspect of life.

In the form of the hijab the woman was given the ultimate fortress; a shelter for her, protecting her day in and day out from the constant attacks of Satan, those of the ever watchful evil eyes and against those in whose hearts there is a disease of corruption and immorality.

In the form of the mother she was granted the status of the most honoured in the world. As a sister she was the gentle, kind and compassionate caregiver. As a good wife she was given the distinction of the best of what the world has to offer! And as a daughter, a man was promised the good news of paradise if he raised her up well with a good Islamic upbringing.

The woman was educated about her role in society, towards her children and her home and thus was made to be the queen of her household. The entire responsibility of caring for her needs and providing for her was put as an obligation on her husband.

The woman was commanded that her dressing up, beautification and sensuality was exclusively between her and her husband. This not only developed a sweet, pure and ever-lasting love between the husband and wife but also prevented society from being corrupted and falling into great temptations and fitna.

Women of Islam please think!

What are we preferring for ourselves? The respect and honour given to us by Islam or the objectification under the guise of liberation given to us by the non-believers?

Do we prefer to be the coolness of the eyes for our husbands or the items of lust in the eyes of strangers? Do we prefer to be the comforting shade under which our children can grow or the society butterflies, judged by the way we look?

Which traditions are we following? Which nations are we imitating?

Is it our desire to be turned away in our old age, left at the mercy of Old People’s Homes and be deprived of the genuine love and care of our children?

Lets think and reflect.

What is it that is causing the women across the US and Europe to rush towards Islam? What is it that is causing the women in France to put their future on the line and fight for their right to wear hijab? What is causing women to come to the shelter of Islam in the modern world we live in today? What is causing women to give up the non-Muslim names given to them at birth and adopt names like Amina, Hafsa, Khawla and Khadija?

If we reflect for a while, if we take some time to ponder, we will realize that it is the established honour, the immense respect, the high status, the true human rights, the God-given protection, the spiritual comfort and the complete peace of mind, body and soul that Islam provides which is attracting women by the thousands towards this beautiful deen of Allah!

Come let us also become daughters of Islam. Let us relive the personalities Zainab and Fatima. Let us revive the memory of Asma and Ayesha.

Lets us be of those who will never let the religion of Allah be tarnished; rather be those who will always brighten, glorify and honour the name of Islam for as long as we live!

[Adapted & translated from an Urdu post written by Brother Abdul Jabbar Bilal, may Allah bless & reward him for his efforts.]

Supercharged Ramadan!

Rev up your Emaan | Turbocharge your Taqwa | Boost the Rewards!

Here’s a question. Let’s see if you can answer. What are the only things that we can take with us after we leave this world? Is it our money? Or maybe a favourite book, game or toy? Interestingly enough, the only things that we can take with us, are none other than our deeds. In fact, they will be the only currency worth anything on the Day of Judgment. Rupees, dollars and dirhams won’t work. Just our plain old good deeds.

The month of Ramadan is a very special month. It only comes once a year and presents us with an excellent opportunity to earn good deeds by the truckloads! Allaah opens for us the gates of Paradise, locks away the devils and multiplies all goods deeds we do countless times over! So the same good deed done in any other month, carries a lot more weight when done in Ramadan. This is how special this month is. So what do you say, should we not prepare to earn plenty of good deeds and get ourselves into Supercharge mode?!

Now I am going to give you a list. Write it down, memorize it or put it up in your room because it contains some great ideas on how you can make the most of this month!

Fasting: This is what this month is all about! But remember, fasting does not just mean starving yourself. It means being extra careful of all the commands of Allaah, like praying on time, being kind to others and not wasting time in useless activities. This best part is that if you do this right, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said, all of your past sins can be forgiven!

Night prayer: See if your father or uncle can take you to pray taraweeh at the masjid. It is not compulsory that you go every single night but still keep in mind that it holds immense rewards with Allaah and this is the only month when you can get a chance to do this!

Charity: Give as much as you can this month. Be it in the form of money, old toys or clothes or even books. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to start giving in charity even before the month started and increased his efforts many times over all throughout the month.

Feed the poor: Save some pocket money to give iftaar to a fasting person. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that the one who does so will get the reward exactly equal to the one who is fasting!

Read the Qur’an: The Qur’an was revealed in this month and what better way to earn good deeds than by taking out time to read the book of Allaah. Give yourself a target that you must complete before the end of the month, like reading certain portions every day, or reading the translation and tafsir (explanation), or memorizing certain surahs. The choice is yours but do give yourself a challenging target and make sure you achieve it!

Duas: If there was ever a time to get your prayers fulfilled, that time is now. Every Muslim, every day and every night, will have a prayer that is answered by Allaah! So go ahead and make dua as much as you can, morning, afternoon, evening and night.

No arguing or fighting: If someone is arguing or fighting with you while you are fasting, don’t fight back and ruin your fast. Just step away and tell the person twice, very clearly, that you are fasting. In-sha’Allaah if they are wise, they will back away too.

Last 10 days: This is very important! Save your strength especially for the last ten days of Ramadan, then pull out that Nitrous Oxide and go into hyper drive! These are very special nights and one of them is Laylatul Qadr, the night that is better than a thousand months! That means over 83 years! For most people that’s a lifetime. So worshipping Allaah in this one night is better than a lifetime of worship! It’s amazing how Allaah gives us so many opportunities to earn tons of good deeds yet how few actually make the most of it!

Finally, remember that the purpose of this month is to instill taqwa (Allaah consciousness) in our hearts. If we can stay away from food & drink all day because we know Allaah is watching, how about also staying away from all the bad deeds throughout the year? Is Allaah not watching us then? Think.

The Last Day on Earth

Do you have a good imagination? Yes? Then try imagining this. Imagine a day, a quiet, peaceful, normal day, just like any other day. Suddenly a loud deafening sound is heard by everyone across the planet; as if a huge trumpet has been blown! The earth begins to rattle and shake fiercely and all things living find themselves dead. Then there is complete silence. Not a word. Not even a whisper.

BOOM! Another loud sound is then heard and slowly people begin to rise from their graves. When we look towards the sky we find it red and torn apart. Stars come crashing down and the sun is not where it used to be. When we look towards the earth, we see mountains floating about as if they are weightless; seas turning violent, gushing forth and overflowing. Wild animals that were once predator and prey, on that day are herding together in groups; while human beings are running away from one another. A father running away from his son, a husband from his wife, a brother from his brother and a mother leaves her infant behind. Can you imagine what would cause people to behave this way? What would be scaring people so much? Their hearts would be beating out of their chests and their eyes lowered in fear and humiliation. Everyone will only be worried about themselves and themselves alone.

Today, right this very minute, people are stressed about their jobs or businesses, some are worried about homework or school exams, some are planning weddings and yet others are planning vacations to their favourite holiday spots. But on that day, all these thoughts and worries will disappear and the only thought that will be on the minds of everyone will be the question: What will become of me? Will I be sent to live forever in paradise or will my final resting place be the fires of hell?

"Then, for him who transgressed all bounds (in disobedience to Allaah). And preferred the life of this world; Verily, his abode will be Hell-fire. But as for him who feared standing before his Lord, and restrained himself from impure evil desires, and lusts. Verily, Paradise will be his abode."

[an-Naziat 79:37-41]

Very clearly, people will remember each and every thing that they did in their lives; whether it was good or bad, big or small. They will remember all the times when they obeyed Allaah and those times when they did not. Many will feel great regret that day, thinking, I wish I had done more to please my Lord. I wish I had not been in the company of those who took me away from the path of Allaah. I wish… I wish… I wish…

As strange as it may sound, this is not fantasy. This is not a fairytale or a horror story. This is a day that is sure to come. A day that has already been planned. A day that is without a doubt, a reality. No one can escape it. No one can ask for timeout. No one can be absent on that day. A day witnessed by all.

The question for us to think about is: what have we prepared for that day? Allaah asks us in the Qur’an:

“O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous?”

[al-Infitar 82:6]

This is Allaah’s beautiful way of asking us why we have become so obsessed with this worldly life and have forgotten all about Him. Isn’t it time now that we turn our attention towards our Lord and Master? The One who created us and gave us everything that we have in this world? Wouldn’t it be better to live our lives according to what He has commanded us to do rather than to do whatever it is that we ourselves desire?

Those from among us who choose to become good Muslims and remain obedient to Allaah; surely Allaah will give them peace in this life and a huge reward in the next. A reward so grand that it can not even be imagined, no matter how hard we try! And finally, on the day when all others would be scared and worried, the true believers would be smiling happily, under the complete protection and mercy of Allaah, the Most High!