A Reminder To Myself And My Sisters
﷽
All praises are due to Allāh and may the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muḥammad, his household and his companions.
Before you is a piece of advice specially dedicated to the Muslimāt. Allāh, The Almighty, mentioned:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَائِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌ شِدَادٌ لَا يَعْصُونَ اللَّهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ
O you who believe! Ward off yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded.
Sūrah At-Taḥrīm:6
ʿAlī bin Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) mentioned explaining this Āyah (verse); "Meaning, equip your own selves and your families upon goodness"
Narrated by Al-Ḥākim in his Mustadrak and it is sound.
Allāh, The Exalted and Majestic, commanded the believers to place a barrier between themselves and their families from the punishment of Allāh. Indeed the greatest of obligations and responsibilities upon us all, male and female is to study our Dīn (religion), act upon it, and then teach it to our families. The Muslimah whether she is: a mother, daughter, sister, or wife is in great need of worshipping Allāh upon guidance and insight (knowledge).
The female has rights that she must fulfil just as the male has rights upon him. She is in great need of someone who will teach her and guide her to the rulings of her religion, be it: her father, brother, husband or others of her Maḥārim (males it is forbidden for her to marry). If none of her guardians is able to teach her, then it is upon her to consult the people of knowledge, from the scholars and known students of knowledge and seek knowledge from them; following the well-known principles laid down in the Sharīʾah (legislation), and all praises are due to Allāh alone. The Muslimah dedicating her time to seeking knowledge of her Dīn (religion) carries a great reward, especially for her guardian; who exerts efforts in aiding her towards this great act of worship.
There is a beautiful statement from Ibn Jawzī (رحمه الله ) regarding the condition of the Muslimah and her need for knowledge, he mentioned; "And I carry on to advise people to strive upon seeking knowledge (he was referring to knowledge of the Sharī.ʾah (legislation)), because it is the light that leads to guidance, except that I hold the view that the females are foremost in need of their attention called to this (seeking knowledge) than the males".
Do take time to reflect upon this my noble sisters, may Allāh grant you success, this was in the time of Ibn Jawzī, how much more in need are the women in our time of striving to seek knowledge of the religion of Allāh?
Excerpt from: Aḥkāmu-n-Nisā' of Ibn Jawzī
So, the Muslimah which Islām encourages all our sisters to strive to be is one who seeks beneficial knowledge, which will later be acted upon, and disseminated among her sisters. Indeed the women from the Salaf-uṣ-Ṣāliḥ (Pious Predecessors) were keen upon learning matters of their religion. It was reported from the companion Abū Saʾīd Al-Khudrī (رضي الله عنه) that the women said to The Prophet (ﷺ): "The men have overpowered us over you, so give us a day too (to learn the religion from The Messenger of Allāh). So The Prophet promised them a day that would meet them to give them admonitions.
Ḥadīth in the Ṣaḥīḥ of Imām Al-Bukhārī and other than him.
Ibn Ḥajar mentioned in his commentary of Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Bukhārī;
"The Ḥadīth portrays to us what the righteous women were keen upon, and their striving in learning matters of the Dīn (religion)".
This is how the Muslimah should be, keen on learning and understanding her religion. Upon us is to call the attention of our women, our sisters, and our daughters to likewise strive to understand the religion of Allāh, knowing the matters of ʿAqīdah (creed) and Tawḥīd (Islāmic Monotheism) and the opposite of Tawḥīd, Shirk, matters of the Sunnah and its opposite, Bidʾah (religious innovations), knowing affairs of the Sharīʾah (legislation), rulings regards to worship, rulings of intimate relations, Islāmic manners and the etiquettes of this great religion.
It should be noted that seeking knowledge is an obligation upon both men and women because knowledge of the Sharīʾah (legislation) consists of having knowledge of what Allāh has legislated upon both the male and the female. Why? In order to preserve Islām and to clarify the rulings of this great religion, likewise to eradicate ignorance and to benefit others.
Imām Ibn Al-Qayyim (رحمه الله ) said:
"Whosoever seeks knowledge to preserve Islam indeed he is from the truthful ones, (which is) the next level after prophethood"
Miftāḥ Dār-us-Sa'ādah
Reflect upon this statement of the noble Imām. Why is such an individual from the Ṣiddiqūn? That is so because knowledge is the inheritance of The Prophets. Upon us is to seek knowledge so that its effects can be seen in all areas of our lives. We should ponder over this deeply.
It is also upon the male to pay attention to the affairs of our women and to spare time for them to give them admonition, teach them the legislation of Allāh, clarify to them the rulings of the religion and respond to their challenges. Upon us is to pay much attention to our women, wives, sisters, daughters, and mothers. This is an obligation upon us all. When we attend study circles, upon us is to teach them and convey to our families what we have attained of knowledge, following the command of Allāh the Exalted we quoted at the beginning. So strive to encourage your womenfolk to seek knowledge and remain patient upon fulfilling what Allāh has obligated on them.
My noble sisters frequently remember these Aḥadīth:
Narrated Muawiya (رضي الله عنه):
Allāh's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whoever Allāh intends good for, he gives him an understanding of the Religion (i.e. Islām).”
Sahih al-Bukhari 3116
Narrated by Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه):
The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said, “Whoever treads a path seeking by way of it knowledge (Islāmic knowledge), Allāh will make the path to Jannah easy for him (or her).”
Sunan Abī Dāwūd 3643 | Authenticated by Shaykh Al-Albānī
May Allāh grant us success.
Abū Firdaus ʿAbdur-Raḥmān Al-Ghānī
16 Ramaḍān 1444 / 7 April 2023.
