Article: The Ten Principles of An Efficient Muslim Sister

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent.

After offering salutations and salaams on you in the best of manners, I picked up my pen to address myself and you, with these lines of advice in these days of ignominy and confusion.

In the past, the Ulamā used to say: “If you live long, you shall see of life it’s amazing and surprising things, if your heart is alive and it has not been corrupted.”

MY BELOVED MUSLIM SISTER;

There is no doubt that a Muslim woman who holds unto the injunctions of Allah is the richest treasure-throne contained in this Dunya after the sweetness of Imān tasted by the Pious Servants of Allah. I am sharing with you certain points of wisdom taken from the scrolls of our Ulamā in the library of the Islamic archives.

Know that the life of a Muslim is a life of submission and surrendering to the injunctions of Allah. There is no Islam in the presence of conditional acceptance, and that which makes a Muslim is his full hear-and-obey attitude to the wordings of Allah (Ta’ala) and His messenger (SAW). Did Allah not say: “It is not for any believer; male or female that when Allah and His Messenger have decided an affair that they should have a choice in their matter. And whosoever disobey Allah and His Messenger has become misguided far astray” AHZAB 36

Struggle to realize that this principle of submissiveness to the injunctions of Allah is one principle upon which all Muslims are agreed; and anytime we talk of Islam then, let this cross your mind.

Our sheikh and Mentor, the Allāmah shaykh Abdulkarim bn Sālih Al-Humayd – may Allah free him from the prison- in his book “Ihsānu Sulūki Al- Mamlūk ila Malaki Al-Mulūk” said: “We are most ignorant of ourselves and our Lord……and it will become clear that every servant is in dire need of two clear facts; knowing himself and knowing his Lord. So that, his subservience and Ibādah to his Lord for which he was created may be sound.” Pg. 4

Thus my sister, this is the very first thing we must realise while discussing any issue that relates to Islam. The Imāms described Islam as: “Surrendering to Allah with TAWHID, submissiveness to Him with OBEDIENCE and purification from SHIRK and its people.”

Then, understand also that Allah (Ta’āla) said in the Qur’ān(  إِنَّ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْقَانِتِينَ وَالْقَانِتَاتِ وَالصَّادِقِينَ وَالصَّادِقَاتِ وَالصَّابِرِينَ وَالصَّابِرَاتِ وَالْخَاشِعِينَ وَالْخَاشِعَاتِ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَالْمُتَصَدِّقَاتِ وَالصَّائِمِينَ وَالصَّائِمَاتِ وَالْحَافِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَالْحَافِظَاتِ وَالذَّاكِرِينَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً وَالذَّاكِرَاتِ أَعَدَّ اللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْراً عَظِيماً   ) : “Indeed the Muslims who are submissive (to Allah) male and female; And the true believers-Male and Female; and the obedient believers-Male and Female; and those who attest to the truth and live by the truth-male and female; and those who fear Allah-male and female; And the patient believers-male and female; And those who fear Allah-male and female; And the truthful ones-male and female; and those who observe the fast-male and female; And those who safeguard their chastity-male and female; and those who are oft-remembering of Allah-male and female: Allah has promised them forgiveness and a great reward.”Ahzab 35

In this verse, Allah has mentioned 10 qualities of those to whom He has promised forgiveness and great reward:

1. SUBMISSIVENESS TO HIS COMMANDS AS MUSLIM
2. FIRM BELIEVE IN HIS VERSES AND HIS SIGNS
3. OUTRIGHT AND UNCONDITIONAL OBEDIENCE TO HIS INJUNCTIONS
4. BE-AFFIRMING HIS MESSAGE THROUGH HIS MESSENGER AND LIVING BY IT
5. PATIENCE ON HIS COMMANDS AND HOLDING UNTO HIS WORSHIP, BEEN PATIENT UPON THE TRIALS THAT COME FROM HIM AND BEEN PATIENT IN REFRAINING FROM WHAT HE FORBADE.
6. THE FEAR OF ALLAH, HUMILITY AND DEJECTION TO HIM IN CLINGING UNTO HIS OBLIGATIONS AND IN DISTANCING FROM HIS FORBIDANCES.
7. TRUTHFULNESS AND PIETY
8. OBSEERVING PURITY, REFRAIN FROM ENGROSSING IN THE DETESTFUL THINGS, RELIGIOSTY AND FASTING.
9. PROTECTING THE DISIRES AS A WHOLE AND PREVENTING ITS FALL IN TO THE FORBIDANCES; PRESERVING THE CHASTITY.

      POINT OF BENEFIT; NOTE THAT IN THE CASE OF A WOMAN, ALLAH DID NOT SAY “AND THOSE WHO SAFEGUARD THEIR PRIVATE PARTS” RATHER HE (TA’ALA) SAID: “AND THOSE WHO SAFEGUARD…..”

And this is because – and Allah knows best – the woman have the bigger obligation of safeguarding everything between the gaze and the toes of the feet in combination with bashfulness and overwhelming humility.

10. REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH IN ALL OCCATIONS BY THE ADHKĀR AND BY PONDERING OVER THE CREATION AND HIS SIGNS. IS IT NOT THAT THE ONE WHO ALWAYS REMEMBERS ALLAH WILL FEEL HIS CLOSNESS AT ALL TIMES? AND WHOSOEVER THAT IS HIS CASE WILL NOT TRANSGRESS HIS LIMIT? SO, STRIVE TO GRASP THAT IF YOU DISIRE TO BE PRAISEWORTHY.

In these TEN things are commentaries on the details of the SUBMISSIVENESS we are talking about as ISLAM. It is not in the definitions of PEACE given by the people of ignorance who desire that ISLAM bends in accordance with their passions.

If ISLAM is peace, then it is peacefulness and tranquillity of heart between a MUSLIM and ALLAH. Did Allah not say about Ibrahim in Suratul As-Saffat?

            ‘’ When he came to His Lord with a heart full of tranquillity ’’

But my sister, if you want and desire to know those principles that will make a woman fit to be called a MUSLIMAH and which will make marriage to her the dream of every man that knows the true meanings of Islam, then know:

That of what the Ulama of Islam and the people of wisdom have formed a consensus about is that; The Attribute of a pious and effective Muslim woman who is worthy of choice are TEN;

1. RELIGIOSITY

By which is meant the weighing of all things in the lights of the sharia-ah coupled with a deep sense of spiritual life in the obedience of Allah.                    Are they not good woman those who wake their husbands at night to observe QIYAMULLAYL?

Allah – said about Zakariyyah – and his wife in the Qur’an:(  وَالَّتِي أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهَا مِن رُّوحِنَا وَجَعَلْنَاهَا وَابْنَهَا آيَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ  ) “They used to hasten to the doing of good and call upon us in hope and in fear and they indeed displayed to us Khushu (Fear and humility) ‘’ Anbiya 90

And in the same verse, Allah – had said firstly:

‘’And we made good for him his wife’’

And that is because without Allah granting her rectification and excellence, then her religiosity would not have risen to that extent. May Allah grant us such woman. And beforehand Allah had mentioned about the wife of Imran:

‘’And when the wife of Imran said O my lord I have purified and sacrificed for you that which is in my womb so accept it from me for you are indeed the All-hearer and the All-knower’’ Al-Imran. 35

Meaning that, her submissiveness to Allah, necessitates that she pray to Allah to put His barakah (blessings) in her womb even before she put to bed. And Allah did, but the verses between Imran 34-58 are verses that require serious pondering and meditation O Sister. Though our ref intent here is to point out that the deep religiosity of these women was what made them fit to be the wives of those pious men and worthy of mention in the Quran: and we did that. Did He Allah (SWT) not say about them?

“And we made them Imams guiding by our command; and we revealed to them the doing of good and the establishment of salat and the observance of Zakat. And they were indeed to us pious servants.’’ Anbiya 73

So, ponder over that if you wish to be praiseworthy.

2. HUMILITY

O sister the talk of humility is an attribute which a Muslim woman cannot go without, for with it Allah brings good relationship with Himself and with people. Remember that there is humility to Allah and humility to His creation and both are obligatory upon us. If not for that then PIETY cannot be attached.

Humility (Khushu) to Allah necessitates feeling His presence at all times and observing His commands as if you see him;

‘’That you should render IBADAH to Allah as if you see Him for if you do not  see Him then He sees you.’’

As it has come in the hadith of Umar bn Khattab

Allah – SWT – said: ‘’Indeed Allah does not like every arrogant boaster’’ Lukman18

So beware My Beloved sister and know that arrogance (KIBR), self-conceit (UJUB), Ostentatious display of religiosity (RIYA) and boasting (FAKHR) are all opposites to the HUMILITY about which we talk.

In the Hadith of Abdullah bn Mas’ud

‘’He will not enter Jannah the one in whose heart there is an atoms weight of arrogance and /or pride.’’(MUSLIM)

Do not forget that humility saves and arrogance kills. It was for it that IBLIS preferred to be accursed by Allah, and due to it the wives of NUH and LUT fell into the nests of Shaytan and in the end they were Kuffar.

There is no good in Muslim woman that lacks humility; marriage to her like is like bringing a hyena into the house, may Allah save us from that.

So strive to be among the humble ones whom Allah praised in His book:

“And Allah Strikes the similitude for those who believe of the wife of Fir-awn who she said ‘’O my lord build for me a house with you in Jannah and save me from Fir-awn and his deeds, and Save me from the oppressing ones’’ Suratul At-Tahrim.

And that was because she – even though the wife of Fir-awn-had accepted the message of Musa and humbled herself to the level of the poor people from the people of BANI ISRAIL.

The keys to arrogance are: Pride in ancestry: Wealth; Authority and social standing. But beware that at times it springs from knowledge (ILM) as Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi-

Mentioned in is Talbisu Iblis. So pay heed to that and do not be among the heedless.

3. DETERMINATION

 One of the wise people of the past used to say that ‘’There is no tyranny of circumstances that imprison a determined mind.’’

It is true that nobody attained success and achieved a goal unless that he first had a dream (an ambition) and thereafter summoned up enough courage and determination to achieve it. But it is not possible to be determined in the presence and company of the weak and poor sported and realise that women of greatness have passed before you in this Dunya but they did not allow themselves to lose focus and determination.

The Rasul-saw- said: ‘’Be determined and keen towards earning that which will benefit you and seek  Allah’s  assistance and do not be weak then if something befalls you do not say ’’had I done such’’ because that opens the gate for the Shaytan’’

One of our sheikhs used to say that many of the youth waste their time in rectifying things which may not be rectifiable. Don’t you know that experience has shown that those who spend their effort in something are better than those who spend their efforts distributed around everything?  Allah (SWT) said

“And Hasten to forgiveness from your lord and to Jannah whose span is the expanse of the heavens and the earth which was promised to the righteous.” Al-Imran: 133

And remember that time fleets, do not slacken as long as you have realised that something will be the beneficial thing for you, hasten towards it and struggle to see that you earn it for this den is not established but by that. Imam ash shafi’I (RAH) said: “Allah refuses to establish this Deen but on the shoulders of the people of determination.”

If the Deen is today in pains and turmoil, then the determination on that saves is that which is not broken by trials and the distractions of the Dunya.

And of course, women have a great role to play in the revival that we seek thus my sister, strike to be among the front liners in this great assignment and do not allow the waves and storms of Jahiliyya go away with you.

Imam Muslim (RAH) transmitted from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Rasul (SAW) said whole talking about determination and the use of opportunities. “Hasten to the doing of good deeds before a fitnah which be like pieces of a dark night; in it morning will meet a man as a believer and evening will meet him a kafir; And evening will meet him as a believer and morning will meet him a kafir for he will sell his DEEN for a meagre price of the Dunya.”

Muslim

And how many a people procrastinated and failed, or postponed and regretted because they did not realise that the work of today is not put off for tomorrow as Umar bn Al-Khattab (RA) used to say. And the song of Maymun bn Qays A’isha Qays in our history is not far from you. So, reflect.

4. PATIENCE

As for patience, then it is the hallmark of the people of greatness and in it is training for the hearts which have not been cultured. Was it not by it that the wife of Fir ’awn attain victory and greatness

It was through it that the wife of Ibrahim and the wife of Zakariyyah attained greatness.

Rather, Allah (Ta’ala) made it the inseparable characteristics of the people of Jannah when He said

“Peace be upon you for the endurance and patience you have displayed what a blessed place of abode. “Ra’d: 24. That is what Allah said about what will be said to the people of Jannah as they are admitted into it. He (TA’ALA) said: “And we made from among them some of them IMAMS guiding by our command, after they displayed patience and they had certainty on our verses.” Sajdah: 24

The Muhaddith Imam Sufyan At-thawri (RAH) said:  “It is with patience and certainty that you will attain Imamaship in the Din.’’                                                                                                                                                         That is patience to ride along despite the odds, and certainty that Allah will give recompense in full measure.                                                                                                                                                                                            Then know-may Allah have mercy upon us altogether-that by patience, three things are meant;

1. patience in doing the commands of Allah (sabru Al-Imtithal)
2. patience in refraining the limbs from the forbiddances of Allah(sabru Al-Ijtinab)
3. patience in bearing the destinations of Allah (As-sabru Ala Aqdari llah)

You must excel in them all- may Allah have mercy upon you –if you wish to be among the great servants of Allah. ‘’And say: assist me o soul with the patience of an hour for at the appointed time of meeting, the toils of weariness will cease. And it is nothing but an hour and then it will end                                                                                 and the possessor of sadness will become happy and delighted”. Is that not so?

Be patient in fasting the voluntary fasts! Be patient O sister in reciting the Qur’an in tartil with your beautiful voice, trying to please your Lord. Be patient in distancing yourself from the stain-fill deeds and the time-wasting deeds that the soul loves. Be patient in keeping the vigil, divorcing your bed at night when the matrass is sweet and when the heedless people are snoring out themselves in their heedlessness. Be patient in the earning of good deeds! This is what raises your status before your Lord, the Majestic.

5. HARDWORK

And by hard work, the pith is separated from the chaff. Hard work brings determination and patience as its tool. Real people who were trailblazers worked for years before they earned what they did. If the journey of a thousand miles begin with an inch, then know also know that the hope to earn Jannah Firdaus begins with the good deeds. Many single molecules of sand make a mountain. Is this not why the Rasul (SAW) said: “Indeed knowledge is earned by bit of accumulation; and surely forbearance and tolerance is earned by striving to earn tolerance.”

Women who are hardworking impact excellence in their offspring, even their husband reflect the type of women they are. Do not forget that the essence of a trustworthy wife is to correct the husband when it errs and to remind him when he forgets.

So, strive in hardworking, for it is the ingredients we need in our society of Islam today. Remember that the more effort you invest in something the more it yields something tangible.

Rasul (saw) said in the hadith of Shadad bn Aws that was transmitted by Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah “The Intelligent one is the one who makes accountability for himself and works hard against what is after death; and the weak one is the one whose soul follows his desires and holds false hopes on Allah.”

6. ERUDITION

My Sister! By it, is meant the yearn for knowledge, studies and its implementation, Allah (SWT) has praised the people of knowledge who put it into practice in such a way that one would long for it.

Do not slacken and remember how great women of the past were. About them, the Ulama used to say; “Had the women been like the one we have mentioned, then, women would have been preferred over men.”

And that was true, for we have had excellent women in the past. Imam Adh-Dhahab – one of the most erudite Ulama to walk the surface of the earth, and a student to Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – had over 130 of his teachers as women. It is modern times that the zeal of women in learning has grown weak and they do not race to the greatness that was craved by the generation of old.

Abu Ad-Darda said: “Allah provides knowledge for the successful ones and forbids it to the wretched ones.”

One of the Ulama said: “What is honour is what is possessed by the people of knowledge, for they are milestones and signposts for those who seek the guidance, and a person is overtaken by that which he takes as good. And the ignorant ones are enemies of the people of knowledge. So, prosper with knowledge, you shall live by it forever by it. The people are dead and the people of knowledge are alive.”

That is true, but remember that the Ulama referred to are those who lead the Ummah in its struggle against the tyranny of Kufr; they are those that speak out the truth and put to practice the slightest of what they learnt to the details; for the Din and Intellect are at a consensus, that which is placed on the MIZAN (scale) on the Day of Qiyama is the deeds and not the knowledge; so, woe be upon those who accumulate knowledge and are nowhere in lifting Islam from the lowliness in which Islam finds itself today.

But for you My Dear Sister! It is for you to learn so that you may know where Islam got lost by our people, so that you may realise what is right and what is wrong and so that you may replace the current KUFR order with the Islamic Sharia’ah. So struggle, may Allah be merciful to you.

7. INTELLIGENCE

It helps one in erudition and increases one’s ability to contribute to the society and solve tangled puzzles (Mu’dilat) in day – to – day life. Some measures it with the assimilative and relative quotas of the brain while others measure it with the speed of the brain. Whichever it is, know that it is that thing which made the women of the past excel in the sands of time such as Aisha (RAH).

But remember that all of intelligence and understanding are understood ONLY within the confines of the SHARI’AH; and Allah (SWT) said: “And no one is intelligent enough to understand it, but the learned ones.”

8. SACRIFICE

By sacrifice, ideologies are established, theories are made into realities and civilizations are erected. If societies are built upon civilizations and civilizations are the making of ideologies, then, ideologies remain in the Scrolls of books or in the hard drives of computers until it has gotten MEN who have been POSSESSED by it and who are ready to become fuels for it. Our Deen – ISLAM – will remain only an ideology existing only in CYBERSPACE if it is not sacrificed for.

When Karl Max the communist propounded his book: THE CAPITAL, it would have remained as such but for LENIN and his club who came to sacrifice for it and implemented it.

When the Rasul (SAW) launched the ideology of TAWHID at Mecca, he needed the sacrifices of Ammar bn Yasir, the Yasir’s family, Bilal bn Rabah, Mus’ab bn Umayr and the rest of the sahabah (may Allah be pleased them all) to establish ISLAM.

Realise O Sister! That Islam’s problem today is not the absence of books nor is it in the absence of knowledge, but it is in the absence of people – youths especially – who are ready to sacrifice thick and thin to make Islam a living reality.

But know O Sister! Some people in this era have already risen to the challenge and are working day and night to uplift the Ummah from this mess and bring Islam into practical reality, this is because, this Din, for it to be a reality, it must take a practical form in a society which is led by a supreme leadership that refers every single thin and thick – even an issue as weightless as the weight of a mustard seed – to the Book of Allah and the sunnah of the Rasul (SAW); under the divine Shari’ah of Allah. Did Allah not say: “Never! By your Lord they have not believed UNTIL they make you the judge in everything that transpires between them; And then they do not find any discomfort in their hearts about what you have judged, and they submit wholeheartedly.”Q4vs65

Some of them are fighting in Afghanistan, some in Somalia, some in Yemen, some in Iraq, pray that Allah strengthens them. As for yourself – O Sister – struggle to sacrifice and be prepared to give off everything for the sake of the Din; and remember the story of Sumayyah the wife Yasir and the mother of Ammar

9. NEATNESS

Together with cleanliness and tidiness, neatness defines how excellent a Muslim Sister is. For people’s discomfort around people – especially women – that lacks these attributes is a thing agreed upon by all people of Sanity. Islam is here to preserve lofty virtues. The Rasūl – SAW – Said: “Indeed I was sent to perfect the lofty characters” Al –Bayhaqi & Al – Bazzar.                                                                                                                                                            Islam has never for once supported dirtiness, rowdiness and uncleanliness. Do not compare that with “Badhdhādha” and “Zuhd” for these are two different from the command of uplifting neatness and its family. Remember that he is misguided, the one who merges different chapters into one. Do not forget also that the command to observe the “Jilbab” is different from the command to observe neatness. So don’t mix them, may Allah be merciful on us altogether.

• DISDAIN FOR MATERIALISM

Allah (SWT) said: “O mankind indeed the promise of Allah is true, so do not be deceived by the life of the Dunya and do not be deceived regarding Allah by any deceiver”

They destroy family and Din, these women who pile the Dunya and compare themselves and their families with others in competition for the material gains of this Dunya. Woe upon such women! They have forgotten that they will be questioned about all of this.

It was mentioned by one of the companions of the prophet – SAW – that in his house, there was nothing that met the eyes. The women of today will run helter and skater inciting their brothers, their sins and their husbands towards the amassing of wealth. Beware O sister! That is not the path of the people of greatness.

Remember that everything in this Dunya will go into extinction and only our deeds will remain before Allah on the Day of Qiyāmah. Indeed, Allah did not place anything in this Dunya unless as a way and means of assisting us towards purifying to him our Ibādah and establishing His Din on the earth; so do not turn the end into the means and the means into the end!

In this regard, I advise myself and you with the wordings of Rasūl – SAW – in the hadith of Imam Muslim from Abu Sa’id Al –khudri (RA) that he said: Indeed the Dunya is pleasant, attractive and captivating (to the mind); And Allah has placed you in it that He may see how you will act so fear the Dunya and fear women for indeed the first fitnah of Bani Israil is in women.”

That is the Dunya O Sister! It is just like a woman is to a man. It seduces and snares. Do not allow yourself to be overtaken by its whispers for they are very captivating.

And ponder over this Hadith for in it the Rasūl – SAW – has asked as to be careful and to display caution when dealing with women either because women are Dunyalistic or because they are part of the Dunya, we are supposed to be careful of or both altogether. If that is the case, then be careful that the enemies of Allah use u as a snare for men and as a tool to destroy us by it, since Allah fitnah them by it. Be modest and chaste, and remember that by it Allah choses Maryam – AS – and her Mother.

          Sheikh Abdullahi bn Fodio in his long poem said:                                                                                                     “   abundance The Dunya is like rainclouds and like Sophisms or say, it is a mirage whose abundance is raging thirst or it is the River of TALUT; those that drank became thirsty and their curiosity is not fulfilled. It is the imaginings of phantasy of a resting traveller, desiring to sleep at mid-day to whom someone cries out for help; the pleasant droughts of its honey has been with colocynth; And its incense and foul breadth are mingled; It is the sweepings of the dunghill, upon it are thrown the corpses of the dead; Its dogs are the traders. Or it is an unwholesome pasture , whose animals became destitute; whose dead ones lies stinking, It is an old hag , narrow hipped cloaked in a dyed robe. Then, she wraps herself in a green cloak, deceiving so that she catches inexperienced men with her snare”

And by Allah! It is like the river of TALŪT.

Do you know what the river of TALŪT is?

My Sister! That is the little I can say regarding these 10 attributes at the moment. Please sit yourself down and ponder over them, think and ask yourself, “where am I in all of these attributes?”

Make accountability for yourself and then struggle to reach the heights. But remember that it is with seriousness and efforts that greatness is achieved. Struggle my Sister! Get up at night, ask Allah for His forgiveness! Raise up and dust yourself all stains of evil. Efforts my Sister, Efforts, may Allah be merciful on you.

“O commodity of Allah! You are not cheap

  Rather! You are expensive for the LAZY

O commodity of Allah! Where it not to be

That you are surrounded by all that man detests

There would have not been anyone sitting behind (showing lethargy)

And the reward of the abode of the hereafter wouldn’t have been sealed

Rather! It has been surrounded by every hardship and efforts

To ward off the LAZY and the DENIER

And to be attained only by the HIGH Aspirations and Determinations

Which reach the Lord of Exalt by the will of AR – RAHMAN?”

Do you know what the commodity of Allah is?

“Indeed the Commodity of Allah is expensive; Indeed the Commodity of Allah is JANNAH”

If that is the case, then strive among those who strive.

Allah (SWT) said “And for that reason, let those who would compete, compete”

O My Beloved Sister! This is what my heart has conceived about these issues in this short while by which I advise myself and you. Pick from it that which makes sense and benefits. Ask Allah to forgive me for my shortcomings and to have mercy upon me.

“O ALLAH! THE ONE THAT GRANTS STEADFASTNESS TO THE HEARTS, MAKE OUR HAERTS STEADFAST UPON YOUR DEEN. O ALLAH! THE ONE THAT DIRECTS THE HEARTS, DIRECT OUR HEARTS TOWARDS YOUR OBEDIENCE.”