Forgotten Heroines - The Housewifes' Lament

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Money is tight. The kids are demanding. Skin is raw from all the cooking, cleaning and chores that have to be done every day. There's absolutely no time to spare for anything else, whether it's pursuing further education or volunteering for a special cause.

Does this sound familiar?

There are Muslim women all over the world who find themselves at home, living life as domestic stay-at-home mums and housewives. It's a physically and emotionally demanding job and it's also a pretty thankless one.

How can spending all day serving others, instead of being involved in some kind of noble, public cause, ever be truly fulfilling and worth recognition - not just by people, but by Allah Himself?

Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad (saw) is known to be one of the four most perfect women in the entire world.

"Prophet Muhammad (saw) drew four lines and said to the Companions, "Do you know what these are?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger (saw) know best". He said, "The best women from the women of Paradise are Khadijah (ra) bint Khuwaylid, Fatima (ra) bint Muhammad (saw), Maryam bint Imran and Asiyah bint Muzahim (the wife of Pharaoh)". 

(Ahmad)

Yet when we look at the biography of Fatima (ra) bint Muhammad (saw), one could say that in comparison to others amongst the early Muslim women, her life was relatively unremarkable. She grew up during a difficult time for her parents, when her father (saw) was being publicly mocked and derided for preaching his message; she lost her mother at a relatively young age and she married her cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) when she was about fifteen years old. Some of the most well-known ahadeeth related by her mention how physically demanding her lifestyle was, such that her hands would crack and bleed from the wheat grinding that she used to do.

What made Fatima (ra) so special? So special, in fact, that she will forever be known as one of the greatest women of Paradise?

Fatima (ra) bint Muhammad (saw) is not known for an act of dramatic courage such as that displayed by Nusaybah bint Ka'b (ra) during the Battle of Uhud, but she too provides an example for a situation that many Muslim women around the world live and continue to face: the everyday drudgery of life as a wife and mother.

Fatima (ra) may have been the most beloved daughter to the Prophet (saw), who was also the head of the Islamic State and leader of the Muslim army, but that didn't mean that her life was one of luxury or ease.

Quite to the contrary, Fatima (ra) was the mother of two young boys and ran her household single-handedly. Life was difficult back then, with none of the technologies that smooth our way through tedious tasks today. 

She used to grind the wheat for her bread with her own hands, to the point that her hands would crack and bleed. Her husband, Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra), was an employee of one of the Ansaar, but the income was meagre and they struggled to survive on a daily basis.

One day, weary and despairing of the toll that their lifestyle was taking on her, Fatima (ra) decided that she would approach her father, the Prophet Muhammad (saw). At the time, the Muslims had won a battle and, as a result, had captured several prisoners and other spoils of war.

With the reasoning that as a member of the Ummah, she was entitled to some relief, Fatima (ra) went to visit one of the Prophet's (saw) homes. She did not find her father present, but seeing her stepmother Aisha (ra), Fatima (ra) shared the story of her bleeding hands and her wish for a maidservant to take a share of the burdens.

Fatima (ra) went back to her home, and the when the Prophet (saw) returned to his own house, Aisha (ra) told him about his daughters visit. That same night, the Prophet (saw) slipped into his daughters home, where she and Ali (ra) were already lying in bed.

Ali (ra) narrates, "I wanted to get up, but the Prophet (saw) said, "Remain in your place". Then he sat down between us until I felt the coolness of his face on my chest. The Prophet (saw) said, "Shall I teach you a thing which is better than what you have asked me? When you go to bed, say Allahu Akbar 34 times, Subhanallah 33 times and Alhamdulillah 33 times, for that is better for you both than a servant".

After this, Fatima (ra) never repeated her request for a maid ever again.

It may seem to be a small and insignificant thing, but this was one of the reasons for which Fatima (ra) earned her position as one of the queens of Jannah. Her life was spent quietly serving her Lord, through her sincere intentions behind caring for her husband and children.

Around her, there were many Sahabiyat (female companions) whose lives seemed much more exciting, full of adventure and grandeur. Her stepmother, Aisha (ra), was a great scholar; her great aunt Safiyah bint Abdul Mutallib (ra) was fierce in battle and the women of Madinah were renowned for their boldness in approaching any matter.

Nonetheless, for Fatima (ra), the path to Paradise was simple - though never easy. For every stay-at-home mother and housewife who feels that her life is too consumed by daily drudgery, who worries that her life is too dull to be of consequence, the quiet strength of Fatima (ra) is an inspiration and a reminder that no deed, however small or insignificant, is overlooked by Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Just.

And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.
(Surah Hud - Verse 115)

Jannah is not only for the Prophets, the martyrs, the ascetics or the scholars; Jannah is attainable by every Muslimah, no matter her occupation or station in life. In the eyes of Allah, every sincere Muslim woman who pledges her life to pleasing her Lord is a heroine of Islam.

(Sisters Magazine)

Wasalaam!

Hazrat Fatima's (ra) Tasbeeh

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Hazrat Ali (ra) once said to one of his pupils:

"Shall I tell you the story of Hazrat Fatima (ra), the dearest and most loved daughter of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)?"

When the pupil replied in the affirmative, he said:

"Hazrat Fatima (ra) used to grind the grain herself, which caused blisters on her hands. She carried water for the house in a leather bag, which left a mark on her chest. She cleaned the house herself, which made her clothes dirty.

Once, some war captives were brought to Madinah. I said to her, "Go to the Prophet (saw), and request him for an assistant to help you in your housework".

She went to him, but found many people around him. As she was very modest, she could not be bold enough to request the Prophet (saw) in the presence of other people. 

Next day, the Prophet (saw) came to our house and said, "Fatima! What made you come to me yesterday?" 

She felt shy and kept quiet.

I said, "O Prophet (saw) of Allah! Fatima has developed calluses on both her hands and chest, on account of grinding and carrying water. She is constantly busy in cleaning the house, and in other domestic jobs, causing her clothes to remain dirty. I informed her about the captives, and advised her to go to you, and make a request for a servant".

It has also been reported that Hazrat Fatima (ra) made a request - "I and Ali own only one bedding and that also is a skin of a goat. We use it in the morning to put the feed of the camel".

The Prophet (saw) said, "Fatima! Be patient. The Prophet Musa (as) and his wife owned only one bedding, which was the cloak of Prophet Musa (as). Fear Allah, acquire taqwa, keep doing your service to Allah and attend to your domestic jobs. When you go to bed, recite Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times and Allahu Akbar 34 times. You will find this more helpful than an assistant."

Hazrat Fatima (ra) remarked, "I am happy with what Allah and His Prophet (saw) would be pleased with".

In this Hadith, the prescribed zikr is before sleeping. 

In other Ahadith, the Prophet (saw) is reported to have advised Hazrat Fatima (ra) to recite after every salah:

Subhanallah 33 times

Alhamdulillah 33 times

Allahu Akbar 34 times

and the following once, which is:

Wasalaam!

The Story of Prophet Yunus (as) and Ayat -e- Karimah

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Ayat -e- Karimah is in Surah Ambiyah, Verse 87.

 

There is no God except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrong doers.

To speak about the Ayat-e-Karimah, we have to tell the story of Prophet Yunus (as). He was also called Dhun-Noon. Why? Because it means the Companion of the Big Fish or of the Whale.

 Allah sent the Prophet Yunus (as) (Jonah) to people who lived near Iraq, to tell them about the oneness of Allah, and to warn them about the punishment of the previous people. But his people were not listening to him.

And so his patience with them started running out, and he decided to leave and go somewhere else in the hope that other people may accept his message. But Allah hadn't given him permission to leave. 

So, the Prophet Yunus (as) went so far that he reached the coast, and found a goods ship about to depart. He boarded it and it set off.

Whilst they were sailing in the sea, they were met by a large storm and the ship started to sink. The people decided to get rid of their goods to lighten the ship – so they threw everything out, and even then the ship was still sinking!

Then, they started to look at the people on the ship, and they said to be fair, we need to draw lots e.g. names in a hat. Whoever’s name comes out, must be thrown overboard to lighten the ship. The first name that came out was Prophet Yunus (as) but the people refused to throw him overboard because they knew he was a good and blessed man. They tried again, and his name came out again, and then they tried again and his name came again. So they told him that he had to jump out.

As he jumped out, Allah commanded a whale to swallow him. So a whale came and swallowed him whole. He was now unconscious in the belly of the whale. After a while, he gained consciousness.

Allah says in the Quran - Surah Ambiyah, Verse 87:

And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, "There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers."

 Prophet Yunus (as) thought that he was going away for the right reason i.e. to call other people to Allah – but remember Allah hadn't told him to leave – he left by himself!

When he awoke, he realised where he was – in the stomach of the whale. He fell prostrate and did sajdah in the belly of the whale, in the darkness of the sea, in the darkness of the night, and he admitted that he was wrong to have left the people.

What dua did he make?

He made such a powerful dua that it is mentioned in the Quran, and we as Muslims are allowed to use this dua because Allah says about the dua “that is how we will save those who believe”.

So We responded to him and saved him from the distress. And thus do We save the believers.

(Surah Ambiya - Verse 88)

 Prophet Yunus (as) admitted he was wrong, and he humbled himself in front of Allah. This is a lesson for us today that whenever we commit a sin and we repent to Allah, we need to admit that we are wrong, and that we need Allah. We need to be humble in front of Him and realise that we are the slaves and He is our Master.

Allah says:

And had he not been of those who exalt Allah, 

He would have remained inside its belly until the Day they are resurrected.

(Surah As-Saffat - Verses 143 and 144)

This means that before this happened, Prophet Yunus (as) was always remembering and worshipping Allah, and that is why now that he called out to Allah, Allah helped him.

The lesson for us is that if you are close to Allah and remember and worship Him in times of happiness and ease, then He will be there for you in times of difficulty.

This is what happened to Prophet Yunus (as).

Allah says:

But We threw him onto the open shore while he was ill.

(Surah As-Saffat - Verse 145)

He was sick meaning that his skin had been affected by the inside of the whale, and he had no clothes.

And We caused to grow over him a gourd vine.

(Surah As-Saffat - Verse 146)

The plant grew, and so he covered himself with it and was cured through it.

And We sent him to [his people of] a hundred thousand or more.

And they believed, so We gave them enjoyment [of life] for a time.

(Surah As-Saffat - Verses 147 and 148)

Prophet Yunus (as) was then sent back to his people, and he was shocked when he went back. Whilst he had been away the punishment he had promised them started hovering above them as dark clouds, and they realised it was a punishment. So they all believed in Allah and in Prophet Yunus (as) This is one of the only prophets whose entire nation believed. Allah mentions the benefits of them believing – we diverted the punishment and we granted them joy for a little while.

So, the dua of the distressed is always heard and answered. Prophet Yunus (as) didn’t say cure me and get me out of here, he just said the Ayat -e- Karimah verse saying that he was wrong, and so Allah had mercy on him.

 The key is to admit your guilt. Allah knows what you want to say even though you can’t get the words out. He understands everything that you want even better than you do.

May Allah give us all the ability to act upon all the lessons that are learnt from the story of Prophet Yunus (as) - Ameen.

Wasalaam!

Tasbihaat To Recite

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

There are plenty of duas and tasbihaat for us to recite, that hold many virtues and rewards. They can be recited throughout the entire year; however what could be a better time to get into the routine than during the blessed month of Ramadan when the reward of all good deeds are increased immensely.

A few tasbihaat are mentioned below along with their rewards.

1. Recite abundantly the tasbihaat of:

Subhanallahi alhamdulillah la ilahi illah Allahu akbar la hawla wa la quwwata illah billah


It has been narrated in a hadith of Tirmidhi that saying Subhanallah 100 times in the morning and evening earns one the reward of 100 Hajj.

One who says Alhamdulillah in the morning and in the evening, it is as if he provided the Mujahideen (people going in Jihad) with horses or participates 100 times in Jihad.

One who says La ilaha illallah 100 times in the morning and evening, it is as if he frees 100 slaves belonging to the family of Hazrat Ismail (as).

While one who says Allahu akbar 100 times, nobody will be better than him on that day except one who says it the same number of times or more.

The above Arabic tasbih puts all the above together. Try and pray the above 100 times a day.

2. There is a more specific reward for reciting the Kalima:




La ilaha illallah

There is no God but Allah

Abu Darda (ra) narrates from the Prophet Muhammad (saw) that, "No person says La ilaha illallah 100 times without Allah raising him on the Day of Judgement with his face radiant like the full moon.
(Tabrani)

3. Sincere repentance (tawbah) should be done by either reciting:


Astaghfirullah

Or


Astaghfirullahal adheem aladhi la ila illah huwal hayyul qayyumu wa atoobu ilay

Set a daily target of how much Istighfaar to recite. 

Anas bin Malik (ra) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was on his journey when he said, "Seek forgiveness". So, we asked for forgiveness. He said, "Complete it 70 times". So, we completed it. The Prophet (saw) then said, "No man and no woman seek forgiveness from Allah 70 times in a day without Allah forgiving him of 700 sins. A man or woman committing more than 700 sins in a day is certainly in loss".

4. Another tasbih to recite is:

 
Subhannallahi wa bihamdihi

Jabir (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saw) said, "He who says the above dua, a date palm is planted in Paradise for him".
(Tirmidhi)

5. Another tasbih to recite:



La hawla wa la quwwata illah billah

This tasbih is described as one of the treasures of Paradise in a Hadith of Bukhari.

Abu Hurayra (ra) narrates that the Prophet (saw) said, "He who says the above, it will be a cure for him from 99 ailments, the lowest of them being worry".
(Hakim)

To end, always try to keep the tongue moist with the remembrance of Allah - whilst standing, sitting and lying down. As we are told in the Ahadith, the only regret that the people of Paradise will have after entering Paradise is the time they spent in the world in which they do not remember Allah.

Remember, a true believer is he who speaks and deals with the people, he laughs and smiles with those around him yet his heart is always with Allah. His mind is never absent from the presence of Allah.

May we all reach such a stage - ameen.

Wasalaam!