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| Legitimate Mixing Between
Men and Women Dr.Yusuf Al Qaradawy Some words which have existed in the
language for a long time have acquired new significance and even weight.
Among these is the term "mixing (or mingling)", which refers to
mixing of men and women in one place. During the Age of the Prophet
(blessings and peace he upon him), the Age of the Companions which
succeeded it, and the age of their followers, Muslim men and women met at
different gatherings, religious or otherwise, and this was not forbidden
at all. Under the right circumstances and for good reasons, it was
legitimate and natural for them to meet. Nor was it called
"mixing" then. In our age, however, the word has become
very common. Nor do I know when it came into use with the new connotations
unsavoury for Muslim men and women, since mixing one thing with another
suggests a dissolution, the way sugar or salt is dissolved in water, a
metaphor that would have unpleasant suggestions if applied to male-female
relations. Anyway, the purpose is to point out that not every kind of
socialisation is prohibited as some may imagine and as other hard-liners
argue. On the other hand, not all forms of mixing are acceptable as
propagators of Westernization claim. In the second volume of my book
Contemporary Legal Opinions (Fataawa Mu'aserah), I answer questions on
this and several other related matters such as greeting women,
handshaking, treatment of women by male doctors and the reverse, in
addition to other questions. A careful Muslim should refer to these legal
opinions if he or she wants to learn about the rules of the Islamic
teachings (sharīah). Here, nevertheless, I would like to make the
point that it is our duty to adhere to the best guidance which is that of
the Prophet Mohammed (blessings and peace be upon him), his righteous
successors and enlightened Companions whose pious paths he recommends
sticking to, avoiding the two extreme routes of Western permissiveness and
severe Eastern asceticism. By examining this guidance of the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him), we find that the woman was not caged or
isolated as happened later during the age of Muslim abatement. The women
attended the major congregational prayers on Fridays at the Prophet's
mosque, including the night (Al-Esha) and dawn (Al-Fajr) prayers. The
Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) would direct them to form rows
behind the mens rows, and the more to the back the better so that they
would not see the sensitive parts of men's bodies that might have shown
due to the fact that only a few were familiar with trousers and underwear,
and there was no partition between the men and women. Moreover, in the early stages of
congregating for prayer, men and women would go through the same entrance
where crowding would occur. The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
said, "If only we left this entrance to the women". [
Transmitted by Abu Dawud on the authority of Ibn Umar (462) (463).] So
they allocated the entrance for them from that time on and it became known
as the "women's entrance." As for the Friday congregation, women
during the Prophet's Era attended the prayer and listened to the sermon to
the extent that one of them could learn the Surah of because the Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) recited it frequently from his position
on the sermon pulpit. They also attended the two Bairam (a religious
celebration) congregations and took part in these big Islamic celebrations
that involved all people, old and young, male and female, in the open
outskirts where they would chant the name of Allah. Um`Ateyya, a witness
of the Prophet's Era, said, "We were frequently instructed to go out
for the Bairams." In another version she said, "The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) instructed us, the
maids, and the ones in their menses to go out. The women menstruating
would stay away from prayer and witness the good (of the day) and Muslim's
prayer (to Allah). So I said, `O Messenger of Allah, there may be one of
us who does not have a jilbab (dress)." He replied, `Let her sister
(in Islam) give her one. [Sahih Muslim "The Prayers of the Two Eids"
(890).] This is one of the aspects of Muslim life
that are ignored by Muslims in most of their countries. Some, however,
such as the devotional retreat in the last ten days of Ramadan and the
attendance of the Bairam congregation by women, are in the process of
coming back to life through the efforts of the youth of the modern Islamic
awakening. Women always attended the teaching sessions
of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). They would address Aisha
with the questions they found awkward or too bold to ask. The Prophet's
wife, Įisha (may Allah be pleased with her), praised the women of the
Ansar whose shyness did not prevent them from seeking knowledge of the
religion and asking questions about major issues such as impurity (full
sex or ejaculation preventing one from performing some forms of worship),
night ejaculation, washing from impurity, menstruation and other such
matters. This, however, was not enough for them
compared to the men's completely enfolding the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him); so they demanded a special day of teaching be
allocated to them without vying with a crowd of men, and said openly,
"Messenger of Allah, the men have taken complete possession of your
company, so devote one of your days to us." The Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) promised to give them a day and he preached and
gave them instruction. [ Transmitted by Bukhari in The World (Al-Alam)
1/34 on the authority of Abu Said.] This kind of female activism was also
revealed during battles when women served in the army with the mujahedeen
(warriors who struggle to keep Islam alive) in a way that suited them and
brought out the best of their abilities, such as attending the wounded,
giving medical aid, nursing the injured fighters, in addition to cooking,
procuring water and the like. Um `Ateyya asserted, "I went on seven
military expeditions with the Prophet (greetings and peace be upon him); I
would guard the fighters, provisions, make their food, treat the injured
and nurse the ill ones". [Transmitted by Muslim (1812).] Anas, one of the Prophet's Companions,
narrates, "On the Day of Uhud, `Aisha and Um Salim, their sleeves
rolled up, would carry water in skin bags on their backs and empty the
contents into the soldiers open mouths". [Transmitted by Muslim
(1811).] The fact that `Aisha was still in her teens renders incorrect the
claim that female participation in military expeditions and battles was
confined to old women. Realistically speaking, this defies logic, as such
work would be unduly onerous for the aged when considering the physical
and psychological exigencies of war. In the same line, Imam Ahmad recalls, `six
believing women were in the army that besieged Khaibar, their task being
to hand arrows to the fighters, prepare food, procure water, treat the
wounded, spin yarn and help in (the promotion of) the cause of Allah.
Eventually, the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) allocated shares
in the spoils to them. [Transmitted by Ahmad 51271,7/371; And Abu Dawud
(2729).] It is also established that some of the
Companion's wives took up arms in some expeditions and battles. The deeds
of Um `Imarah Nasba bint Ka'b on the Day of Uhud are well known and were
of such effect as to make the Prophet say, "Her manner excelled that
of such and such people." On the day of the Battle of Hunain, Um
Salum, for her part, kept a dagger to stab any enemies who would come
within her reach. This story is told again by her son Anas, "On the
Day of Hunain, Um Salum had a dagger; when she was seen by her husband,
Abu Talha, he told the Prophet, `Messenger of Allah, Um Salum is keeping a
dagger with her." When the Prophet asked her about it she answered,
`It is to stab the abdomen of any of the Pagans who might come near
me," at which the Prophet laughed. [Transmitted by Muslim (1809).] But the women of the Prophet's and
Companion's Eras had ambitions that went beyond the participation in the
expeditions into adjacent areas. They were also keen to take part in the
Muslim conquests of distant lands to help disseminate the message of
Islam. Anas narrated, "One day, the Prophet (blessings and peace be
upon him) took his siesta in the house of Urn Hiram. When he woke up, he
laughed. So she asked, `What makes you laugh, Prophet of Allah?" The
Prophet said, `I have seen some people from my nation, who were out to
fight for the sake of Allah, riding the sea. There were kings seated on
their thrones." So she replied, `O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah
that I may be one of them." He did. [Sahih Muslim (1912)] During the
reign of `Uthman (the third caliph), Um Hiram set sail with her husband,
Ubada ibn As-Samit, to Cyprus, where she was killed while she was on
horseback (in a battle) and was buried there, according to biographers and
chroniclers. A whole section is devoted to highlighting woman's roles in
the battles and military expeditions. In the sphere of social life, the Muslim
woman played her part, preaching of good deeds, enjoining what is right
and forbidding evil, in conformity with Allah's statement: "The
believers, men and women are "Auliya" (helpers, supporters,
friends, protectors) of one another, they enjoin (on the people) what is
right Al-Ma`ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to
do), and forbid (people) from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of
all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden). [Surah 9:71] A well-known story depicts a woman
reasoning with `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in the mosque over
the issue of the amount of bridal money paid to the bride. It also
illustrates how `Umar (the third caliph), being convinced of her argument,
reversed his opinion to that of hers in public. His comment on this was
"everybody's knowledge is better than mine". [Tafsir Ibn Kathir
1/468] The story is cited by no less an authoritative register than Ibn
Kathir's Tafsir, where Ibn Kathir states its ascription to `Umar is
correct. In another version `Abdul-Raziq cites `Umar as saying about
himself, "A woman debated with `Umar and outdid him in the debate.
[ Tafsir Ibn Kathir 7/180] Also during his caliphate, `Umar
appointed a woman, Al-Shifa bint Abdullah as the market-place
superintendent. By examining the Qur'an's discourse on
woman's affairs and by looking onto the lives of the Prophets, we hardly
find such an iron curtain, as is drawn by some people, between men and
women. Thus in the prime of his youth, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)
is depicted talking to the two daughters of the old man of Madyan. He asks
them questions and gets their answers without any particular feeling of
guilt or embarrassment and magnanimously helps them. One
of them returns soon after with an invitation from her father for
Moses to come to their house. One of them even suggests her father hire
Moses, as he is a strong and honest man. This is how the Quran puts it:
"And when he arrived at the water of Midian (Madyan) he found there a
group of men watering (their flocks), and beside them he found two women
who were keeping back (their flocks). He said, "What is the matter
with you?" They said, "We cannot water (our flocks) until the
shepherds take (their flocks). And our father is a very old man." So
he watered (their flocks) for them, then he returned back to shade, and
said: "My Lord? Truly, lam in need of whatever good you bestow upon
me!" Then there came to him one of the two women, walking shyly. She
said: "Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having
watered (our flocks) for us." So when he came to him and narrated the
story, he said: "Fear you not. You have escaped from the people who
are Zalimun (polytheists, disbelievers, and wrongdoers)." And said
one of them (the two women): "O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best
of men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy. [Sūrah 28:23- 26] In the story of Mary, every time Zachariah
comes to her chamber he finds much food, so he inquires about it: Another story is that of the Queen of
Sheba, who is cited by the Qur'an as consulting her people about how they
should respond to Solomon's message to her: "She said, "O
chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I decide no case till you are
present with me." They said: "We have great strength, and great
ability for war, but it is for you to command; so think over what you we
command." She said: "Verily! Kings, when they enter a town
(country), they despoil it, and make the most honourable amongst its
people low. And thus they do. [Sūrah 27:32- 34] Later then she arrives in Solomon's palace,
she converses with Solomon as follows: Nor is it right to say that the revealed
codes of preceding nations do not apply to us, since their stories were
only cited in the Qur'an for reflection and guidance. Hence the
correctness of the claim that the revealed code of preceding nations which
is given in the Qur'an and the Sunna (traditions of the Prophet Mohammed)
is also a code for us as long as no code of ours renders it null. Allah
said to his Messenger:" They are those whom Allah had guided. So
follow their guidance". [Sūrah 6:90] Moreover, the fact that in the early stage
of Islam the initially revealed punishment for a woman who committed
adultery was to confine her to a house until she died or until Allah made
a way out for her: "And those of your woman who commit illegal sexual
intercourse, take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against
them; and if they testify, confine them (i.e. women) to houses until death
comes to them or Allah ordains for them some (other) way. [Sūrah 4:15]
meaning it is illogical from the point of view of the Qur'an, and Islam in
general, to make house-confinement a characteristic of a decent and chaste
Muslim woman, which would be to punish her without any perpetration.
Later, of course, the punishment changed to flogging for the unmarried
couple who commit adultery and stoning to death for the married ones In summation, the encounter of men and
women is not prohibited in itself. Quite the contrary, it is allowable or
even required if done in pursuit of a noble cause like gaining knowledge
or performing good acts in which the joint efforts of both men and women
are necessary. Pseudo-arguments for unrestricted mixing This is the position of Islam on man-woman
relations, and their common involvement on charitable and righteous lines
is what we call legitimate mixing; yet "intellectual
imperialism" has managed to create in our countries people who turn a
deaf ear to the ruling of Allah and His Messenger. These people call on us
to give the woman free rein to assert herself, promote her personality,
enjoy her life and her femininity. They want her to mix with men freely,
experience them closely where they would be together and alone, travel
with them, go to cinemas or dance till midnight together. She is supposed
to find the "right man" from all those she has known. In this
way, it is said, life is supposed to be more secure and have greater
stability in the face adversity. These people who may well be thinking of
themselves as unblemished seraphs, tell us not to worry about the man or
woman as a result of this "decent" communication, innocent
friendship and upright contact. The frequency of their contact will pacify
desire. The two sexes will supposedly find satisfaction in the mere look,
conversation or, in the extreme, dancing together, which is only a form of
elevating artistic impression. Sensual pleasure would have no place. It is
a clean vent for energy, nothing more. This is said to be what the
advanced West did after they rid themselves of complexes and privation. Pseudo-arguments disproved In answer to this line of thinking, we must
say that we are Muslims first and foremost. We do not sell our religion in
imitation of the vagaries of Westerners or Easterners. Our religion
forbids us from promiscuous mixing with its showiness and seductiveness:
"Then we have put you (O Mohammed, blessings and peace be upon him)
on a plain way of (Our) commandment like the one We commanded Our
messengers before you (i.e. legal ways and laws of the Islamic
Monotheism). So follow you that (Islamic Monotheism and its laws), and
follow not the desires of those who know not. Verily, they can avail you
nothing against Allah (if He wants to punish you). [Sūrah 45:18] " Verily, the Zalimun (polytheists,
wrongdoers, etc.) are "Auliya" (protectors, helpers, etc.) to
one another, but Allah is the Wali (Helper, Protector, etc.) of the
Muttaqun [i.e. pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain
from all kinds of sin and evil deed which He has forbidden) and love Allah
much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained.)]" [Surah
45:18-19] In addition, the West itself, enamoured by
these ideas, is suffering the consequences of dissipation and decaying
morality that has corrupted its youth and doomed its civilisation to ruin
and collapse. In the United States, in Sweden, and in other countries
where sexual freedom is the norm, statistics show that feverish lust is
not alleviated by freedom of talk and contact, nor by whatever may follow
that. On the contrary, the more people taste, the thirstier they become. It would be better if we studied the
consequences of this freedom or what may as well be termed looseness and
abandonment of virtues and traditions in modern civilised Western
societies. Effects of promiscuous mixing Numbers and events that fill statistics and reports provide a more convincing indictment of this point. Sexual freedom and the sexual revolution has borne its bitter fruit with the dissolution of the barriers separating men and women and the resultant effects are set forth as follows. Moral decay The consequences of sexual promiscuity have
been the disintegration of morality characterised by the tyranny of desire
and the triumph of bestiality over humanity, the loss of sense of chastity
and any sense of shyness and reserve by both men and women giving rise to
an internally disturbed society. In a famous speech in 1962, President
Kennedy said that American young people were loose, indulgent and
decadent; six out of seven young men were not fit to join the army because
they were up to their ears in lustfulness. He warned against the ills of
such youth leading the country. In a book by the Harvard Research Centre
director, entitled The Sexual Revolution, the author firmly states the
United States is heading towards a catastrophic situation of sexual
anarchy, akin to that of the Romans and Greeks. He adds that Americans are
beset the by dangers of sexual intemperance that would overwhelm their
culture and all aspects of their life. While the communists were more reticent on
these matters, and general restrictions existed on media coverage, in
1962, Khrushchev declared that the Soviet youth had deviated and had been
spoilt by luxury. He threatened to open concentration camps in Siberia to
rid the society of the decadent youth that posed a threat to the future of
the Soviet Union. Illegitimate children The rapid increase in the numbers of
illegitimate children is directly related to the unlimited rein given to
desire and the removal of barriers between young men and women. Statistics
on the ratio of pregnant school girls in the United States revealed
dreadful dimension. In a newspaper report, one third of the infants born
in 1983 were illegitimate. Most of them were born to young women under
nineteen. The total number of illegitimate children was 112,353 with a
percentage of 37% of the births for that year. Drop in Marriage Rates The availability of sex without any
liability of marriage and family has led youth take the route of spending
their youth between different partners, enjoying change without commitment
to a "monotonous life" and without having to provide the costs
of a responsible married life and the liabilities of fatherhood. Thus a
huge number of young women are deprived of the opportunity to have a
husband, and settle with a modicum of peace and security, because of the
illicit yearnings of easy relationships. Similarly, there are a lot of
young men who are also deprived of a peaceful life. Statistics published
in the United States show, for the first time since the beginning of the
century, the majority of the inhabitants of San Francisco are celibate;
fifty-three per cent are not married. For Bruce Chapman, who announced the
findings, this was probably an indication of the obsolescence of the
traditional family pattern. He added that these social changes were good
for the welfare of the city which had witnesses a forty per cent increase
in the number of youth between twenty-five and thirty-four during the
previous ten years. This, however, did not include the homosexuals of the
city who constitute fifteen per cent of the population. In the face of the sexual degradation which
is a predominant social phenomena on the Western world, it was natural for
Swedish women to stage a 100,000-woman demonstration in protest against
unlimited sexual freedom. It must have been woman's institutes and
awareness of their future life and where their interests lie that
motivated them to organise such a huge protest. High Divorce Rates and Destruction of the Family Not only is marriage beset by many
obstacles, it is also unsafe after its accomplishment. The family
collapses and bonds break with occurrence of the slightest problem. In all
Western countries, divorce rates are skyrocketing. Spread of Lethal Diseases The outbreak of sexually transmitted
diseases, as well as neurotic, mental and psychological diseases, the
spread of complexes and disturbances that claim hundreds of thousands of
patients are among the acknowledged effects of sexual promiscuity. One of
the most dangerous, and in many cases lethal diseases is AIDS, which is
caused by the HIV virus. This virus is responsible for the body's loss of
immunity leaving it vulnerable to all factors of decay. Millions of people
have succumbed to this menace, a fact that provides a modern piece of
evidence for the words of the Prophet Mohammed (blessings and peace be
upon him) that, "Lechery never appears in a community, but with its
proclamation, plague and affliction appear throughout, which did not exist
in bygone generations". [ Tranmitted by Ibn Majah on the authority of
Ibn Umar (4019) ; Al-Zawa'ed, Hadith Sahih; and Al-Hakim and Al Dhahaby
4/540, 541 and others.] Notwithstanding the neurosis and
psychological disturbances which have taken Western societies by storm and
have filled hospitals and asylums with patients. Freud and his followers in psychoanalysis
argued that the lifting of traditional restrictions on sexual instincts
would relieve the nerves and consciousness, undo complexes and give souls
a sense of comfort and ease. The restrictions have been lifted, the
desires have been released and the complicated souls are only worse off;
nerves are tenser and anxiety is the disease of the age. Not even the
opening of a million clinics have helped. It is hard to believe this is the picture
the proponents of unrestricted mixing would like to see of us when Allah
has protected us against its evils. Or is it only (that they do not know? The Woman as Mother The first contact with a woman is with
one's mother, who suffers in the pregnancy, delivery, nursing and rearing
of her child. History does not recall a religion or a
system which honours the woman as a mother and which raises her as Islam
does. Islam repeatedly commends the woman, and this comes directly after
the command to worship and believe in the Oneness of Allah. Allah has made
honouring one's mother a virtue, and He puts forth the mother's right over
that of the father for what she endures in pregnancy, delivery, nursing
and raising her children. This is stated and restated in the Qur'an, in
multiple chapters, to imprint this notion in the child's mind and heart as
per the following verses: "And we have enjoined on man (to be dutiful
and good) to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship
upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years-give thanks to
Me and your parents,-unto Me is the final destination. [Surah 31:14] and
"And We have enjoined on man to be dutiful and kind to his parents.
His mother bears him with hardship and she brings him forth with hardship,
and the bearing of him, and the weaning of `jim is thirty (30) months. [Surah
46:15] A man came to the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him) asking, "Who is most deserving of my care?"
He said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" He
said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Then who?" He
said, Your mother." The man asked (the fourth time), "Then
who?" He said, "Your father. [ Transmitted by Bukhari and Muslim
on the authority of Abu Huraira The Pearl and the Coral (Al-Lu'lu'
wal-Marjan) (1652)] Al-Bazzar recounts that a man was
circumambulating the Ka'bah carrying his mother. The Prophet (blessings
and peace be upon him) asked him, "Have you repaid her?" The man
said, "No, not even for one of her moans (i.e. one of the moans of
labour, delivery and so on) [Transmitted by Al-Bazzar (1872)]. As to being
good to her, it means treating her well, respecting her, humbling oneself
in front of her, obeying her without disobeying Allah, seeking her
satisfaction and pleasure in all matters, even in a holy war. If it is
optional, he must have her permission, for being good to her in a type of
jihad. [Jihad is the struggle (physical, mental, psychological, spiritual,
etc.) to preserve the purity and practice of Islam. (editor's note)] A man came to the Prophet (blessings and
peace be upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I want to fight
and I want your advice." He asked him, "Have you a mother?"
The man said, "Yes." He said, "Do not leave her because
Paradise is under her feet. [ Transmitted by Al-Nisaai, 6/11; Ibn Majah,
1/278 and Al-Hakim. It is amended and approved by Al-Dhahaby, 4/151, on
the authority of Muaaweya Ibn Jammah.] Some religious laws before Islam neglected
the mother's relations, making them insignificant. With the advent of
Islam, it recommended caring for uncles and aunts, both on the father's
side and the mother's. A man approached the Prophet (blessings and peace
be upon him) and said, "I committed an offence, could I atone for
it?" He asked, "Have you got a mother?" The man said,
"No." He asked, "Have you got a maternal aunt?" The
man said, "Yes." The Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him)
said, "Be good to her. [ Transmitted by Termithy in
"Righteousness and Relations" (1905); Ibn Hibban Charity (EI-Ehsan)
(435); and Al-Hakim who amended it on the terms of the two Sheikhs, agreed
upon by Al-Dhahaby, 4/155, all on the authority of Umar.] It is amazing that Islam commanded us to be
good to a mother even though she is an unbeliever! Asma'a bint Abu
Bakr asked the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him) about her
relationship to her unbelieving mother who had come to her. He said,
"Yes, be on good terms with your mother". [Transmitted on the
authority of Asmaa (agreed upon), The Pearl and the Coral (Al-Lu'lu'
wal-Marjan) (587).] An indication that Islam cares for motherhood, for the rights of mothers and their feelings is that a divorced mother has greater rights and is worthier of looking after her children than the father. `Abdallah ibn `Amr ibn Al-as transmitted that a woman asked, "O Messenger of Allah, this son of
mine had my womb as a container, my breasts for drinking, my lap to
contain him. His father has taken him from me." The Prophet
(blessings and peace be upon him) said, "You have more right if you
do not marry". [Transmitted by Ahmad in Al Musnad (6707). Sheikh
Shaker said its authenticity is correct. Transmitted also by Abu Dawud.] Imam Al-Khataby said in Landmarks of
Traditions (Maalem As-Sunna): "Container" is the name of the
place that contains a thing. This means that the mother is worthier as she
and the father shared in the begetting of the child, then she was singled
out for such things as nursing which the father had no share in. Therefore
she deserves to be the first when it comes to disputes about the child. On the authenticity of Ibn `Abbas who said,
"`Umar ibn Al-Khattab divorced his wife from Al-Ansar, the mother of
`Asim. He met her carrying the child in Mahser (a market- place between
Quba and Medina). The child was weaned and could walk. `Umar held out his
hand to take the child from her and disputed about it till the boy cried
out in pain. `Umar said, "I am worthier of my son than you "They
complained to Abu Bakr, whose verdict was that the mother should keep the
child. He said, "Her scent, her bed, and her lap are better for him
than yours until he grows up and chooses for himself ". [ Landmarks
of Traditions (Maalem as-Sunna) (2181).] The mother who is cherished that much by
Islam and given all these rights has a task to perform. She has to take
care of her children, raise them well, implant virtues, and make them
loathe evil. She has to teach them to obey Allah, encourage them to defend
what is truthful, not dissuade them from fighting for the sake of Allah
(one form of jihad) because of the motherly sentiments in her heart but to
favour the correct way over sentiment. We saw a believing mother, Al-Khansaa, in
the Battle of Qadesseyah eloquently urging her four sons to be brave and
steadfast. Then as soon as the battle was over and the news of their four
deaths came to her, she did not wail and carry on but said with certainty
and contentment, "Praise be to Allah who honoured me with their
martyrdom for His faith." Immortal mothers Out of Qur'anic guidance, we have been
supplied wit superb examples of good mothers who had influence and
position in the history of the faith in Allah. Moses" mother, for
example, responded to Allah's inspiration and calling when she cast the
apple of her eye into the river, assured of Allah's promise: "And We
inspired the mother of Moses, (saying): `suckle him (Moses), but when you
fear for him, then cast him into the river and fear not, nor grieve.
Verily! We shall bring him back for you, and shall make him one of (Our)
Messengers." [Sūrah 28:7] There is also Mary's mother, who promised
what she had in her womb to be devoted to Allah, to be pure of any
polytheism or worship of anything other than Allah. She prayed to Allah to
accept her vow: "so accept (this), from me. Verily, You are the
All-Hearer, the All-Knowing". [Sūrah 3:35] When the child turned out
to be a female, which she had not expected, it did not prevent her from
fulfilling her vow, asking Allah to protect her from all evil: "and I
seek refuge with You (Allah) for her and for her offspring from Satan, the
outcast" [Sūrah 3:36] Moreover, the Qur'an has made Mary (may
Allah be pleased with her), daughter of `Imran and mother of the Prophet
Jesus (peace be upon him), an example of purity, humility to Allah and of
faith in His word. "And Mary, the daughter of `Imran who guarded her
chastity; and We breathed into (the sleeve of her shirt or her garment)
through Our "Ruh" (i.e. Gabriel), and she testified to the truth
of the Words of her Lord (believed in the Words of Allah "Be! and he
was; that is Jesus-son of Mary;-as a Messenger of Allah), and (also
believed in) His Scriptures, and she was of the Qanitun (i.e. obedient to
Allah). [Sūrah 66:12]
Source: Witness-Pioneer |