Here I am meeting you again in the same place to serve Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) be praised for allowing us to meet one another for the purpose of serving You. I feel joy every time I see that people are ready to meet for the sake of Allah (SWT) and to serve Him. This means that hope and goodness still play a big role in our lives.
As long as there are people that still feel that Allah (SWT) has a distinct meaning in their lives, there is hope and a beam of light. We should not be pessimistic in these hard times we are going through, full of desperateness and frustration. As long as there are young girls and women who want to hear about Allah (SWT) there is hope. Many think that we are going through the end phase, which we will call the “sunset”. But for the last 100 years, the earth has been experiencing an exceptional phase. Originally, the earth was created so that we can worship Allah (SWT), as this is the original aim in creating it. Allah (SWT) didn’t create the world so that we can travel into space and invent the dish and the mobile; although this is important, it’s not the original aim of creating the world nor was it the main purpose for our presence on it.
From the Islamic point of view, we were created to know, to love, and to worship Allah (SWT). From there on, we enter either paradise or hell according to our deeds. This is the philosophy of this universe and Islam’s standpoint relating to our existence. It wouldn’t be rational if Allah (SWT) had left this earth without religion, although religion has been absent for the past 100 years. The last 100 years were not the origin. It was the exception. It’s similar to the solar eclipse, and not the sunset, which we mentioned earlier. When a solar eclipse takes place and the skies darken, the birds enter their nests, but they don’t sleep. They know by intuition that this isn’t the sunset and it’s not the end, but that it’s an extraordinary occurrence (event) and it’s not the fundament. During the solar eclipse, there stays a weak beam of light and the birds stay attached to that weak beam of light. They don’t sleep until the daylight returns, and then they go on with their lives. We are not at the “sunset” stage. Islam is the original state for this earth, and one day you will revive our nation to be just as precious as it once was.
It’s important to mention that the nicest moment of darkness is not in the middle of the night. It is indeed directly before sunrise. But, we ask, what is the beam of light that is still available? The young people that are starting to draw near to Allah (SWT). The young ladies have left what is disposable for them for actions for the sake of Allah (SWT). For example, watching non-Islamic channels or surfing inappropriate sites on the Internet, or even having dates with someone they like.They have willingly abstained from all of that for the sake of Allah (SWT), for their love to Allah (SWT), and for the desire to serve Him, and the need to worship Him. This is the beam of light. That is the evidence that there is hope and it shows that the “sunset” is not due yet. As long as there are youngsters that still want Allah (SWT), there is hope. But, when the youngsters refuse religion, and they are not seen in Islamic lectures, only then can you assume that there is no more hope. Our religion can be compared to the sun and the moon; when they disappear, it’s a sign for the doomsday. Likewise, when religion and the believers disappear it’s doomsday. When there is no more belief on this earth, then it has to be doomsday.
We have to be determined and stable in serving and obeying Allah (SWT). Every one of us has to be committed to the belief that he will serve Allah (SWT) and will serve others for His sake. This cannot happen by force; it will happen by following the Fundamentals of our religion, behaving in an Islamic manner, and the determination to invite others to Islam.
I would like to talk about the importance of women in our society, which mainly include these two topics:
1- You should have hope and should not be pessimistic
2- You are responsible for the society.
1- Hope and optimism:
You should know that those who want Islam to be honourable and flourish in this world are relying on you. Relying on your efforts as Muslim women. You should know that if women are keen and persistent on the path of Allah, this wish will be fulfilled. But, if she thinks that religion oppresses her, treats her badly and only interferes with her freedom, which she would naturally refuse, then everything is over. You are the one who will determine our future for the upcoming 100 years. Not only men! Why? Because, the woman are half of society and she is responsible for raising the second half. So either she raises children like Salah El-Din or she raises children that live without an aim or value in life. Therefore, I am very happy that this lecture is only for women, all though, this isn’t a new invention. The Prophet (PBUH) used to also hold lectures for women only. A woman named Rafida went to the Prophet PBUH, and said “Oh Prophet of Allah, did the men gain you for them?” He said, “Tell me what you wish” “We wish for us women to have lectures just like the men.” He said, “Yes!” From then on, the woman used to come to the lecture for both men and women and the lecture held especially for them without the men. But why do you think the Prophet (PBUH) did that if it wasn’t important and effective? Can you relate to this meaning? We don’t necessarily mean that a woman should be restricted to just praying and worshipping only and not being successful in her life. What is really meant is to link between religion and being successful in life. When this happens, and the women feel that they are responsible for Islam and that the prosperity of the nation is in their hands, the nation will change completely, and there will be a flourishing change in the society during the next 20 years to come. The key is in the hands of the women. Enemies of Islam have foreseen that the key to diminish religion and this nation is possible when the women are drawn away from Islam. From then on, the Muslim women have gone astray from religion, and that’s what made the nations fall. But in the last 15 years, we have seen women coming back to Islam, which affected the society, and led the people to come nearer to Allah. The women were the motivation for their husbands to turn back to religion.
I would like to pose an important question. Why are most reproaches directed towards Islam especially about women? I have rated all the reproaches directed to Islam on one day, and found out that 60% of those reproaches were against women. All of them were falsified facts, because Islam has not done this to the women. They were interpreting facts of Islam falsely so that it seemed like it was against women. But why 60% about women? Because the aim was to make her feel that religion oppresses her so that she begins underestimating her role. But how can you think that the Prophet (PBUH) underestimated your value when he is the Prophet of humanity and knows your role exactly. There must be a misunderstanding. We will move to the second part.
2- You must understand that you are responsible for your society:
You are responsible for the society. With your family, with your children, on the streets (in public), at your job, with your relatives and your neighbours, these are all your responsibility. Take the decision that you will dedicate your life to Islam for the next 20 years. The women were the hope of Islam in the days of the Prophet (PBUH). Make for yourself an aim that you are responsible for Islam. Even if your religious background and knowledge are limited, try to transmit what you know to others. Listen to religious tapes and discuss them with people, be a role model with your Islamic behaviour. Even if you don’t wear a veil, don’t let this hinder you from talking about religion with others. Talking about religion might help you take the step to start wearing it.
If women don’t start feeling their importance, the nation will be lost in the next coming 100 years too. It’s not enough that men take the responsibility alone, because the key is in your hands. This is the truth, and you have to be up to this responsibility Allah (SWT) has given you. Al-Muthana bin Haritha was one of the Islamic leaders in the Islamic battles against the Persians. In one of those battles, the army was divided into 4 parts: Right, left, rear and front. And each of those parts was allocated a tribe. The right part had a tribe, the left part had a tribe, the rear part had a tribe and the front part also had a tribe. The tribe that was responsible for the right side was Bani-Bakr. Their wives were with them to supply the wounded, as women used to do in the wars for Islam. The battle started, and the Muslims were winning except for the right side, where Bani-Bakr’s tribe was situated. Their spirit wasn’t high at all. Every time the Muslims won, the Persians smothered them from the right side. There had to be an improvement and a tactic alteration on the right side so that the Muslims could win. Al-Muthana wrote a paper and gave it to a man and told him to read it to the women of Bani-Bakr, although the men were the ones that were fighting. The letter consisted of only one line, which read: DON’T bluff the Muslims! Don’t bluff the Muslims! The men of Bani-Bakr changed their attitude instantly and the victory came from the right side and the Muslims won the battle because of Bani Bakr and with the sharp thinking of Muthana who knew the real meaning and value of a woman. He knew that the women were an important factor in influencing the men. If this is to prove something to us, then it’s to prove that the women have been depended on since the rise of history.
They accuse the Qur’an of directing its speech in the masculine form; therefore, some assume it is talking only to men. In actual fact, the Qur’an talks in the singular form, which is masculine, and that’s because the grammatical rules of Arabic demand that. It would be impossible to speak to both (in plural) in every verse. When Allah says in the Qur’an, what can be translated as, “..and Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe….” (TMQ, 66:11), what do we expect? We expect that He mentions Prophet Noah or Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (peace and blessings of Allah be upon them) or the believer in Surat Yasin; any of the great men. But, in the Qur’an Allah says what can be translated as, “And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the wife of Fir'aun….” (TMQ, 66:11) and this Aya is liable to answer the accusations that are directed to religion which presume that religion says that women are deficient in intelligence and religion.
Without doubt, we understand the Hadith as it is meant to be understood. For the simple fact that there cannot be a contradiction in what the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) says and what Allah (SWT) says. Allah (SWT) forbids. Where Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, He means to clarify for equally both men and women to follow an example in beliefs. The Aya is meant to be an example to all humanity. When he gives the second example, we expect that example to be a man.
For the second time, the role model we should take example of is a woman named Maryam (Mary), the daughter of Imran. But why does Allah want the good example of a believer on this earth to be
of a woman? And why was the figure to resemble perfect submission to him to be that of a woman? Because the two main problems that lead to a corrupt world, are: 1) money and fame 2) Chastity.
These are two main factors that mislead men and, eventually, the world. That’s why Allah (SWT) has given us those two examples.
1- The wife of Pharaoh where she says what can be translated as, “she said: "O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to Thee, a mansion in the Garden….” (TMQ, 66:11). She says a mansion in paradise, not a castle in paradise, as she used to live in a castle on the Nile River. And her husband used to say, “Am I not the king of Egypt and all those rivers run under my feet.”
She was not interested in the fame and money of Pharaoh. She refused money, glory and fame and preferred a house in Paradise. She resisted against the temptation of money and fame, and thus, is better by Allah (SWT) than most men. Because of her resistance to the temptation of money and fame, she became an example for those men who let money and fame tempt and corrupt them.
2- Mariam the daughter of Umran that kept her virginity. She is an example for libidinal men and woman who are tempted by the other sex. This is our religion, which heightens the value of the woman.
Therefore please take responsibility for Islam. We need you and Islam is your duty! If we look at history closely, we see that women rescued the Muslims in very hard situations. In the battle of Yarmouk, the great leader Khaled Ibn Al Walid couldn’t put a war plan. Only after he put a central role for the women because the Muslims were thirty thousand and the Romans a hundred thousand, he asked the women to make the last row behind the Moslem men, and he ordered every woman to hit every passing-by man (who was attempting to run away) with the stick of the tent. And that’s what they really did. Alzubair Ibnul-Awam, who is the bravest of the brave said, “By Allah, the Romans were not harder on us than the Muslim women”. And it seems that Khaled in his genius thinking, realized that the Muslims would run, and their numbers did not outstand those of the Romans. And indeed, around one hour after the battle started, the man began to run away. To their surprise found the women hitting them with tent sticks. Who do you think was leading the women? It was Hind, the daughter of Outaib, the one who ate the liver of Hamza. She was the one that had malice and bitterness in her heart for Islam, but she was the one who defended Islam so bravely. She used to scream at the top of her voice, “Where are you, oh protectors of Islam? Are you running away from paradise?” Her words hurt them more than the sticks. And she approached her husband Abu Sufyan and said, “Where are you running to Abu Sufyan, isn’t it enough what you did to the Prophet of Allah? Do something for Allah so that he may forgive you your bad deeds!” She was the same one who said, “Kill that fat keen man”, when her husband said, “Whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan is secure…” Watch the change in her life.
Abu Sufyan went on fighting until he lost his eye in the battle. When he came to her with only one eye, she said to him, “Now you can go to the Prophet of Allah (PBUH) and tell him that you have tried to do good deeds so that Allah may forgive you for the bad ones”. From there, we see that the hard battle of Yarmouk to open Syria, Damascus, and Jordan was a victory because of the women. The victory in Iraq, as well, in the battle of Al-Muthanna Ibn-Haritha the Muslims were victorious because of the women. Allah (SWT) has granted the women a beautiful trait when they are bound stronger to Allah (SWT) and live for an aim in their lives and live the Islam, as it should be. She becomes stronger and more beneficial than a hundred men. On the other hand, when she is far away from Allah (SWT) and lives for fashion and beauty, it becomes easier to move a mountain than to soften her heart to walk the path of Allah SWT). Her emotions are so strong and therefore she is steady on what she is directed to.
A man has his own many calculations and weighs everything in this life differently. The hardships of life and the fear of supplying his family take up a lot of his time and affect his way of thinking. But a woman has an enormous ability to motivate her surroundings with her emotions. Therefore, I ask you to please think what you can do so that your home and your surroundings can be connected with Allah (SWT). Your neighbours, your family and your relatives are your duty. It shouldn’t be a problem if your religion information is limited…. bring someone to teach you the Qur’an, invite your neighbours once a week to learn Qur’an. Tell your husband, like the friends of the Prophet (PBUH) used to say, “By Allah, worship Allah through us, we can bear hunger and cannot bear the forbidden”. Let it be your wish that your son is Salah Ed-Deen (Saladin), and if he isn’t Salah EdDeen himself, let him be one of his proud descendants. If you are working, try to motivate your friends to endear Allah (SWT), and if you are not a talented speaker, you can always give them a cassette as a present, or do deeds which will help them remember Allah (SWT). Let your manners and your religion make you say the best of what can be said without having to use words. When women carry the issue of Islam in their hearts, they can, in one move, change the nation by twenty years worth of flourishing. A man, on the other hand, needs twenty years to achieve the same result.
There is a strange story during the time of Musa. A lot of men were killed in battles, and the nation wouldn’t have been stable if it weren’t for this woman…the whole nation became steady because of this woman. And this woman is the hairdresser for the daughter of Pharaoh; a simple lady, not rich, and not well educated. We know that she was poor because although she was a believer, she used to work as a hairdresser for the daughter of Pharaoh to supply her four children. One day the comb fell from her hand, and without realizing it, she picked it up from the floor and said, “in the name of Allah”. Although she didn’t mean to say it loud, the words slipped out because “the pot shows what is in it”. When the beauty of belief is in the heart the tongue blurts it without realizing. When the daughter of Pharaoh heard her she asked, “Dad?” The hairdresser couldn’t avoid the confrontation and said, “ My God and your God is Allah and your father’s God is Allah. The daughter of Pharaoh said angrily “Do you have a God apart from my father…I will tell on you!” We realize here that a woman in general differs in her reactions from a man, and her emotions move her. Pharaoh called her and asked, “Do you have a God apart from me? The hairdresser said, “Yours and my God is Allah” He said,” Ok, ok does she have children?” They said, “four children”. He said, “Bring them to me”. Then he said, “Bring a barrel of bronze and put it on fire”. And he asked her, “Do you have a God apart from me?“ The hairdresser said, “Your God and my God is Allah!” They took her eldest son in front of her eyes and they threw him into the bronze barrel, his screams getting louder and he fainted and within seconds, he was ash. The brave woman was still insisting, “Your God and my God is Allah”. They took the rest of her children one after the other but she was still keen on her verse: Your God and my God is Allah. Until they came to her fourth son, a toddler. She couldn’t bear it anymore until the rescue came from Allah and the toddler spoke and said, “Mother you are following the truth, don’t be scared! Her fourth son was taken and thrown into the fire in front of her eyes. She was still insisting, “My God and your God is Allah.” He finally said, “Kill her” and this is a sign of Allah’s compassion with her; that she follows her sons. That’s the brave story of the hairdresser who was finally thrown into the fire. And here she stays a sign for the whole nation. This story is a clear sign for those who neglect performing their morning prayers on time and those who don’t wear the veil. But the story of this woman is not finished yet; after thousands of years, when the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was raised to the high skies in the journey of Israa and Miraj, he smelled a beautiful scent that filled the sky. He asks Jibril (AS) “Gabriel”, “What is this beautiful smell that is filling the skies?” Jibril answered;“ This is Rashiha, the hairdresser of Pharaoh, and her four children. Allah has exchanged the smell of burning for this beautiful smell that fills the entire sky”.
We will all die, but some of us will have a rotten smell, and with some, their scents will stop after they die. There are some whose names will never be mentioned after their death. Others, when mentioned after their death, will reflect a nice scent that will fill the sky. Some children are told what their fathers and mothers were like, and if they are being told, it is a sign that their parents were, Insha’ Allah, good parents. And there are some women who will come back to the path of Allah (SWT) and will die and He will keep her offspring in His guidance and her kids will be religious, her grandchildren will be religious until the seventh or sixth grandchild, and this is mentioned in the Qur’an in what can be translated as, “Offspring, one of the other; and Allah heareth and knoweth all things.” (TMQ, 3:34). There is no hope if our relationship with religion is limited to listening only. We have to change from listeners to active people.
There are many ideas for doing so:
• You can be responsible for orphans and introduce them to Allah and show them the right path.
• Those of you keen on living Islam and the Sharia can seek to invite her friends and help in awakening her colleagues, friends, and men and invite them to walk the right path. With that, she will be like Hind bint Otaiba. Others can aim to make a Salah el-Din out of her son. Another can invite her neighbours and there are many, other examples.
In summary, I would like you to take care off the following:
1. Have hope and know very well that we are depending on you .
2. Feel the responsibility towards Islam.
3. The Hijab.
4. The families.
LECTURES DELIVERED ABROAD
A SPECIAL SERIES BY AMR KHALED
Comments
Post a Comment