Great Women (Part 3)

.
As'Salâm Alaikum Wa'Rahmatullâhi Wa'Barakâtuh

Great Women

By: Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin Al-Qaasim

Source: Khutbah; 26, Rabee'uth-Thaanee 1426 (3, June 2005)

Transcription: Islaamic Propagation & Education Committee
Al-Madeenah Al-Munawwarah (Sermons of the two Holy Mosques)

~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~* ~*




All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam), his household and companions.

Dear brethren!


Sawdah bint Zam'ah is another of the Prophet's
noble wives. She was pure-hearted and the
first woman he married after the death of
Khadeejah. She was his only wife for about
three years. She was gracious and noble,
and the purity of her heart manifested
when she gave her days with the Prophet
to 'Aaishah out of consideration for her husband's
feelings and in order to earn reward of her LORD.



Another great woman in the Prophet's household is
Hafsah, daughter of 'Umar. She was given to
observing prayers in the night and performing
supererogatory fasting. She grew up in a house
in which the cause of Islaam was supported and
truth was given prominence. Seven members
of her family participated in the battle of Badr.

'Aaishah said of her,

"She was my only competitor among the
Prophet's wives."



There is also Zaynab bint Khuzaymah al-Hilaaliyyah
who was very generous and hastened to perform
righteous deeds. She lived with ALLAH's Messenger
for only two months and then died.



Another distinguished woman in the house of Prophethood is
Umm Habeebah daughter of Aboo Sufyaan, the
emigrant and the one who was given to performing
meritorious deeds. She was the closest to the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam) of his wives in terms
of blood relation. There was no one among his wives
who was more generous than her as far as charity
giving is concerned. She migrated to Abyssinia, escaping
with her religion. The king of Abyssinia paid her bridal gift
on the Prophet's behalf and got her ready for him.



Another outstanding wife of the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam) was Umm Salamah,
the patient and noble woman. Her name is Hind
bint Abee Umayyah, one of the earliest emigrants.
When she wanted to migrate to al-Madeenah with her
husband Aboo Salamah, her clan separated between her
and her husband and son.

She said,

"Every morning I would go to Abtah [a valley in
Makkah] and I would keep weeping until evening.
I did so for a whole year or close to a year. They
later pitied me and gave my son back to me."

Her sure faith in ALLAH was firm-rooted.

When her first husband died, she said the
invocation that ALLAH's Messenger taught her,
so Allaah gave her a better husband in the person
of ALLAH's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam).

Umm Salamah narrated that the Messenger of ALLAH
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam) said,

"If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says
what Allaah has commanded him," We belong to
ALLAH and to Him shall we return; O ALLAH,
reward me for my affliction and give me
something better than it in exchange for it,"

ALLAH will give him something better than it
in exchange."

When Abu Salamah died she said:

'Which Muslim is better than Abu Salamah whose
family was the first to emigrate to the Messenger
of ALLAH (sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam)?'

I then said those words, and ALLAH gave me
the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam)
in exchange."

(Muslim)


Make this supplication your treasure during
afflictions, ALLAH will provide you with what
is better.



Dear brethren!

There is a woman among the Prophet's wives
known as Mother of the Poor. She is Zaynab
bint Jahsh whose mother is the Prophet's aunt.
She enjoyed nobility of birth and character.

She was described by Aboo Nu'aym as, 'devoted
and contented woman'. ALLAH married her to
His Prophet through an explicit verse from His Book,

"So when Zaid had accomplished his desire
from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to
you in marriage."

(Al-Ahzaab 33:37)

Her marriage to the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam)
is a blessing to the Muslim women till the day of
Resurrection, for it was after her marriage that
ALLAH ordained hijaab for the women so that
it could serve as a symbol of protection for their
honour, chastity and purity.

Zaynab was extremely generous to the poor and
the weak. She was highly charitable. In spite of
her nobility and high status, she used to work with
her hands, tanning and making beads. And she
would spend the proceeds for the poor.

'Aaishah said,

"I have not seen a woman better in her
adherence to religion, more pious, kinder
to the kith and kin and more generous in
giving charity than Zaynab."



Juwayriyyah bint al-Haarith from the tribe of
Banoo al-Mustaliq is another of the Prophet's
distinguished wives. Her father was the
influential chief of his tribe. She was in herself
blessed as she was blessed to her tribe.

'Aaishah said,

"I have not seen a woman who is greater
in blessing to her people more than her."

She was given to performing much acts of worship
for her LORD. She sincerely and devotedly worshiped
her LORD. She would sit down in her prayer place
remembering her Lord after Fajr until mid-noon.

She said,

"The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam)
came to me one morning while I was glorifying Allaah.
He then went out for some of his needs. When he came
back just before mid-noon he said, 'Are you still there
remembering Allaah?' And I said, 'Yes.'"

(Muslim)



Another honourable wife of ALLAH's Messenger
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam) is the beautiful Safiyyah
bint Huyayy, a descendant of Prophet Haaroon [Aaron].
She was a noble and intelligent woman. She was highly-placed, religious, deliberate and peace-loving.

The Messenger of ALLAH (sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam)
told her,

"Indeed, you are a daughter of a Prophet [meaning Aaron],
your uncle is a Prophet [meaning Moses]; and you
are also married to a Prophet."

(At-Tirmidhee)

The feast of her marriage to the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam) comprised only of butter,
cottage cheese and dates. But the marriage was blessed.



Maymoonah bint al-Haarith al-Hilaaliyyah,
the woman who was given to being kind to the kith
and kin is another eminent wife of the Prophet
(sallallaahu 'alayihi wa sallam). She was one the
greatest women. ALLAH endowed her with pure
heart and performance of much acts of worship.

'Aaishah said about her,

"She was one of the most pious and most generous
to the kith and kin among us."


Verily, ALLAH S.W.T. knows BEST!


~* ~* ~*

AlhamdulilLAH 'ala kulli hal...


Bint Haji Yusof:

To be continued by ALLAH's will.

with THE FINAL PART - 4-

Asifi 'ala kulli hal.

Inni al faqiir ila ROBBI.

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatulLAHI wabarakatuh.

A humble servant of ALLAH S.W.T.,
Bint Haji Yusof,
10 Muharram 1427H, Juma'at,
Auckland, NEW ZEALAND.