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Status: Offline Posts: 5,550 Join Date: May 2005 Location: iN ThOuGhTs Way of Life: Muslim |  Re: *!* Women of Paradise! *!* ------- (450) -
10-10-2008
 Women of Paradise :Asmaa' bint Abi Bakr In the first issue, we learnt about the Black woman and her love for Allaah. Once again we will take a trip back in time and visit another great woman, Asmaa' bint Abi Bakr (ra), one of the Sahabah (female Companions) of the Prophet (saws). This journey requires that we free our minds from the ideas of modernists and pay special attention to the life this blessed companion led, and compare it to our own lives. As always, we will make this trip through the authentic narration from the Scholars of Hadith. Brace yourselves as we now journey back in time to the golden era at the time of the Prophet (saws). Asmaa' daughter of Abu Bakr (ra)said: "az-Zubair (Ibn al-`Awwam, the cousin of the Prophet (saws), through his aunt) married me. He had neither wealth, slave or anything else like it, except a camel (to get water) and a horse. I used to graze his horse, [provide fodder to it and look after it, and ground dates for his camel. Besides this, I grazed the camel], made arrangements for providing [it with] water and patched up [his] leather bucket and kneaded the flour. But I was not proficient in baking the bread, so my female neighbors used to bake bread for me [and they were sincere women]. And I used to carry on my head the stones (seeds) of the d~tes from az-Zubair's land which Allaah's Messenger (saws) had endowed him, and it was at a distance of two miles (from Madinah). "As I was one day carrying the stones of dates upon my head I happened to meet Allaah's Messenger (saws) along with a group of his Companions. He called me and said to the camel to sit down so that he should make me ride behind him. I felt shy to go with men and I remembered az-Zuhair and his gheerah (1), and he was the man having the most gheerah. When the Messenger of Allaah (saws) understood my shyness, he left. I came to az-Zubair and said: 'The Messenger of Allaah (saws) met me as I was carrying the stones of the dates on my head, and there was with him a group of his Companions, he said to the camel to sit down so that I mount it, I felt shy from him, and remembered your gheerah.' Whereupon he (az-Zubair) said: 'By Allaah, the carrying of dates' stone upon your head is more severe a burden on me than riding with him.' [And I led this life of hardship] until Abu Bakr sent afterwards a female servant who took upon herself the responsibility of looking after the horse and I felt as if she had emancipated me (2)." Remember that Asmaa' was the sister in law of the Prophet (saws)! Asmaa' reported: "I performed the household duties of az-Zubair and he had a horse, I used to look after it. Nothing was (more) for me than looking after the horse. I used to bring grass for it and looked after it, then I got a servant as Allaah's Messenger (saws)had some prisoners of war in his possession. He gave me a female servant. She then began to look after the horse and thus relieved me of this burden. A person came and he said: 'Mother of Abdullah, I am a destitute person and I intend that I should start business under the shadow of your house.' I (Asmaa') said: 'If I grant you permission, az Zubair may not agree to that, so you come and make a demand of it when az-Zubair is also present there.' He came accordingly and said: 'Mother of Abdullah, I am a destitute person. I intend to start small business in the shadow of your house. I said: 'Is there not in Madinah (any place for starting the business) except my house?' Az-Zubair said: 'Why is it that you prohibit the destitute man to start business here?' So he started business and he (earned so much) that we sold our slave-girl to him. Az-Zubair came to me while the money was in my lap. He said: 'Give this to me.' I said: '(I intend) to spend it in charity.'" [Muslim] Notice how Asmaa' had been in favor of allowing that person to start business under the shadow of their house, but she did not like to do anything which could be a source of annoyance or disgust to her husband. She, therefore, posed a question in order to solicit the opinion of her husband and when his reaction was found favorable, she agreed to this proposal. Dear Sister, Allaah (T) has made you a protected jewel in Islam whom the liberalists are trying to make an object of trade, and the modernists [among Muslims] are trying to strip you of your modesty and shyness. Read these ahadith carefully, over and over, and ponder on them very deeply. They contain a gold mine for both women and men. Asmaa' (ra) had the following credits to her personality (among others): 2 be continued! .
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Say (O Muhammad): ‘Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allâh alone, the Lord of all that exists. He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims
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