Parents for prayers as prized girl fights for life
LAHORE – Arfa Karim Randhawa, the Pakistani girl who stunned the world by becoming the youngest Microsoft Certified Professional and was received and awarded by Microsoft owner Bill Gates in 2005, is fighting for life at Combined Medical Hospital (Lahore) for the last seven days. She is in a state of comma and is on ventilator.
The 16-year-old Arfa, also recipient of many other awards, is a student of Lahore Grammar School’s Paragon Campus in her second year of A Levels. On December 22, she suffered fits and was admitted to the hospital. She is unconscious since Dec 28. Arfa Karim was born in 1995 at Faisalabad. At the age of 9 years, she became the youngest MCP in the world — MCP involves building programs into broader systems for business. Arfa was invited by Bill Gates to visit the Microsoft Headquarters in the USA when she was only 10 years old. In August 2005, Arfa Karim also awarded the Fatimah Jinnah Gold Medal in the field of Science and Technology by then Prime Minister. She also received the Salaam Pakistan Youth Award, again in 2005 by then President of Pakistan.
Arfa Karim is also the recipient of the Presidential Award for Pride of Performance. It is to be mentioned here that Arfa is till the youngest recipient of that award. She also represented Pakistan on various international forums. She was invited by the IT Professionals of Dubai for a stay of two weeks in Dubai. A dinner reception was hosted for her there, which was attended by the diagnostics of Dubai including the Ambassador of Pakistan.
During that trip, Arfa was presented with various medals and awards. She also flew a plane in a flying club in Dubai at the age of 10, and received the first flight certificate. In November 2006, Arfa was invited by Microsoft to be a part of the keynote session in the Tech-Ed Developers conference held in Barcelona. The theme of the conference was “Get ahead of the game” and Arfa was presented as a true specimen of being ahead of the game. She was the only Pakistani among over 5,000 developers in that conference. Arfa’s father Col (R) Amjad Karim Randhawa has appealed the masses to pray for her swift recovery.
She died yesterday. One of her questions to Bill Gates in regards to Microsoft was "why do not women work here?" Does that imply she was being brainwashed to grow up to be a feminist?
Moreover, how much coverage media would give, how many prayers would you pray, if it was no child prodigy, if it was some regular teaboy off the block, if it was some kiteboy from some village? huh. I guess prayers only exist for the influnetial or the lucky or the prodigies.
Last edited by CosmicPathos; 01-15-2012 at 04:06 PM.
Help me to escape from this existence
I yearn for an answer... can you help me?
I'm drowning in a sea of abused visions and shattered dreams
In somnolent illusion... I'm paralyzed
innalillahiwainnailahirajiuun... Makes me hurt in the inside to see someone that is close to my age dying. She has gotten a lot of Nimah from Allah S.W.T.. A reminder for the youth that death comes at any time, any where and any place.
inna lillahe wa inna elayhe rajion she passed away yest nite..
Allah made everyone different thats what makes them special,so no matter what ppl say just remember you're SPECIAL!! "You are with the one you love"
Nem0
brother cosmic pathos, let us not give a warped view of Islam to ourselves first and the world next,
women are allowed to work in Islam if necessary, but the rules of modesty etc must be upheld.
the problem in the west is women being forced into work via inflation and economic warfare on the family.
the problem in some "Muslim countries" is that they don't seem to grasp the concept of the fact that women can work if the husband is unable to provide etc,
asma (ra) the daughter of Abu Bakr (ra) - the wife of zubair (ra) used to work until the Prophet (pbuh) gave them a servant.
there were sahabiyyat who were among the best fighters too,
let us not go to the opposite extreme just because of the situation we see in the west,
our way is complete and from Allah,
yes, maybe you're right and she may have been exploited by "feminist" movements as a mascot to further their own ends, but her job (what i know of it) was not Haraam in and of itself.
she could on the same note have been shown as an example of an intelligent Muslim woman by ourselves.
her ability was a shining example of Allah's gifts to mankind, i feel it would be a loss to the Ummah if she was headed in the right direction.
May Allah swt forgive her bad deeds and magnify her good.
brother cosmic pathos, let us not give a warped view of Islam to ourselves first and the world next,
women are allowed to work in Islam if necessary, but the rules of modesty etc must be upheld.
the problem in the west is women being forced into work via inflation and economic warfare on the family.
the problem in some "Muslim countries" is that they don't seem to grasp the concept of the fact that women can work if the husband is unable to provide etc,
asma (ra) the daughter of Abu Bakr (ra) - the wife of zubair (ra) used to work until the Prophet (pbuh) gave them a servant.
there were sahabiyyat who were among the best fighters too,
let us not go to the opposite extreme just because of the situation we see in the west,
our way is complete and from Allah,
yes, maybe you're right and she may have been exploited by "feminist" movements as a mascot to further their own ends, but her job (what i know of it) was not Haraam in and of itself.
she could on the same note have been shown as an example of an intelligent Muslim woman by ourselves.
her ability was a shining example of Allah's gifts to mankind, i feel it would be a loss to the Ummah if she was headed in the right direction.
May Allah swt forgive her bad deeds and magnify her good.
It is forbidden for women to go and fight along with men in the war. If some sahaabiyat were good fighters, it is because they developed and learnt those skills during the time of jahiliya. Islam came to finish that off. These women might have to develop fighting skills because was bloodshed was common in arab tribes so perhaps they wanted to kill men from other tribes. Hardly Islamic.
Surely, nothing wrong with a Muslimah working as long as all the criteria of workplace are met. But Aarfa's question highlights the feminist agenda "why dont women work here?"
Moreover, you have not addressed my examples of teaboys and kiteboys.
Help me to escape from this existence
I yearn for an answer... can you help me?
I'm drowning in a sea of abused visions and shattered dreams
In somnolent illusion... I'm paralyzed
i don't like to cut and paste so much but the topic forced me to clarify: Umm 'Umarah - Nusaybah bint Ka'b The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Allah! Make this family my friends in Paradise."
Umm 'Umarah was also an Ansariyyah.
She was from the famous Banu Najjar tribe.
Her two sons had been martyred and her brother 'Abdullah bin Ka'b was a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Battle of Badr. She was renowned for her courageous exploits in the battlefields. She was a faithful and loyal wife, and a loving mother, and had remarkable patience and forbearance. Also she was very learned in the Quran and Hadith. Her life makes pleasurable and instructive reading for the growth and development of one's faith. The fortunate Ansar in Al-Madinah who converted to Islam by the teachings of Mus'ab bin 'Umair went to a particular mountain pass to pledge allegiance to Allah and His Messenger for the second time. There were about seventy-two men and two women. One of the women was Umm 'Umarah and the other was Umm Muni' Asma' bint 'Amr bin 'Adi. The former narrates that her husband, Ghazyah bin 'Amr, told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that these two women also wanted to swear allegiance on his palm. He said it was all right, but for these women too the terms would be the same as for the men. He said that the only difference would be that he took the men's palms in his palm, but he did not shake hands with women. This incident of the swearing of allegiance is called Bay'atul-'Aqabah Ath-Thaniyah (second oath) in Islamic history. When Umm 'Umarah returned to Al-Madinah after taking this oath of allegiance, she devoted herself to the education and training of women in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Umm 'Umarah was married the first time to Zaid bin 'Asim Al-Mazni. and she bore two sons by him named Abdullah and Habib both of whom were among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). A boy Tamim, and a girl Khawlah, were born from her second marriage which was to Ghazyah bin 'Amr Mazni.
Umm 'Umarah took part in the Second Bait-ul-'Aqabah, the Battle of Uhud, the Battle of Hunayn, the war of Yamamah, and the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. Her skill with the sword in the battle of Uhud astonished those who saw her. The Prophet said that in whichever direction he turned in the battlefield he could see her defending and protecting him. She herself describes a very critical stage in the battle of Uhud. The Mujahidin of Islam were on the verge of defeat and they were scattering. She, along with her two sons, and husband tried to surround the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in order to ward off and repel any attack on him. She had a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. If the enemy had been on foot and not on horseback, they would have slain all of them. When one of the enemies attacked her she warded off the attack with her shield; she then pulled at the bridle of the horse to turn it around. Taking this opportunity, she plunged her sword into the horse's back. The wounded horse fell, taking the rider with him. Seeing this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called out to 'Abdullah bin Umm 'Umarah to help his mother. And together she and her son finished off the enemy soldier.
'Abdullah bin Umm 'Umarah relates how during the battle of Uhud the enemy made a forceful thrust against them. The Mujahidin scattered before them and he and his mother moved close to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to defend him from all quarters. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) it called out to him to attack the enemy. He threw a stone at the disbeliever; it hit the eye of the horse he was riding. The horse fell to the ground somersaulting. He threw another heavy stone and the enemy died. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) looked pleased, and then he noticed that Umm 'Umarah was bleeding from the shoulder; he asked 'Abdullah to bandage his mother's wound and said that they were a truly great family. He invoked Allah's blessings on them, and prayed that they should be his friends in Paradise as well. Both Umm 'Umarah and 'Abdullah were overjoyed when they heard these auspicious words from the lips of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). At the same time they were inspired to greater heights of heroism and returned to the attack with renewed vigour. His next victim injured him on the left arm with his sword, and a fountain of blood gushed out. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him to immediately bandage his wound. When Umm 'Umarah saw her son bleeding profusely, she bandaged his arm and told him not to lose courage but continue with his attack on the enemy.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled when he saw the heroism and courage of both mother and son, and said,
'From where can anyone get courage like you, O Umm 'Umarah?'
Umm 'Umarah was standing in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with a naked sword when the same man came before them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out to her that this was the man who injured her son. She struck a powerful blow cutting off his leg. The man fell face down; a few other Mujahidin leapt on him and killed him.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was very impressed with this display of strength and courage by Umm 'Umarah.
He smiled and thanked Allah who gave her that success and had soothed her grief and avenged her by the death of the enemy before her very eyes.
During this battle she sustained at least twelve major wounds; the deepest one, the one on her shoulder, it was so deep that she fainted; and it took a year for it to heal. When she regained consciousness her first question was about the well being of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), rather than about her own sons or husband. When she learned that he was fine, she thanked Allah. Besides the battle of Hunayn and the conquest of Makkah, Umm 'Umarah fought valiantly in the battle against Musaylamah Al-Kadthab.
She sustained eleven wounds and her arm was cut. Her son, Habib bin Zaid Ansari was martyred in this battle, slain by Musaylamah himself. Her other son, 'Abdullah bin Zaid was martyred in the Battle of Hurrat. This war was fought in the year 63rd, after Hijrah, on stony black ground (Harrah) to the east of Al-Madinah. 'Abdullah bin Zaid was that great Companion who took part in many wars and the one, who murdered Musaylamah Al-Kadthab with his sword. Wahshi bin Harb, who martyred Hamzah bin 'Abdul Muttalib was also among those who murdered Musaylamah Al-Kadthab. After the battle of Uhud when the Muslim troops returned to Al-Madinah under the leadership of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he announced that they should get ready to march to a place called, Hamra' Al-Asad, to chase the pagans. The Mujahidin spent just one night in Al-Madinah. Umm 'Umarah also got up to join them, energized as she was by her ardour to fight the pagans, but weakened by her serious injuries she could not make it. As soon as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned he asked her brother, 'Abdullah bin Ka'b Mazni about her sister's welfare. When he heard that her wounds were healing he breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Allah for His Divine Mercy. Umm 'Umarah and some other women also took part in a war with the Banu Quraythah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave them part of the booty taken during this war. These were the terms of equality practiced by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). She was also active during the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. She related how they set out from Al-Madinah to perform 'Umrah under the leadership of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They were stopped at Hudaybiyah because the Quraysh did not want the Muslims to enter Makkah. 'Uthman bin 'Affan was appointed ambassador and sent to Makkah to negotiate. Since his return was delayed, rumors spread that he had been martyred. At the command of Allah the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat under a tree and people started swearing allegiance to Allah and His Messenger. Those who were armed took hold of their weapons. Most people came unarmed as they set out for 'Umrah. Umm 'Umarah says she had a stick and she stuck a knife in her belt, to defend herself in case of enemy attack. As it turned out the news about the death of 'Uthman bin 'Affan was a false rumor. And a pact was made with the enemy that came to be known as the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. This treaty is mentioned in the Quran in the following words, "Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave the pledge to you under the tree: He knew what was in their hearts, and he sent down calmness and tranquility upon them, and He rewarded them with a near victory. And abundant spoils that they will capture. And Allah is Ever All-Mighty, All-Wise." [Noble Quran 48:18-19] Twenty women took part in the Battle of Khyber; one of them was Umm 'Umarah. Once again when the Muslim army triumphed women were given a share of the booty of war. Umm 'Umarah got expensive dresses and jewellery and two Dinars. In the Battle of Hunayn as well she had fought valiantly and received some part of the booty. A man of the tribe of Banu Hawazin entered the battlefield on camel back, waving a flag. She hit the camel from the back so violently that it stumbled and fell; the rider also fell, she attacked him so that he never recovered. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Umm 'Umarah's son, Habib bin Zaid as his representative to Musaylamah Al-Kadthab, in order to bring him to the right path. Breaking all norms of diplomacy, this low down man captured Habib and tied him to a pillar. He then asked him, "Do you testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah?" When he answered in the affirmative, he asked him if he also testified that he, Musaylamah, was also the messenger of Allah. Habib replied that he was deaf and could not hear him. He kept on repeating the question again and again. And Habib kept on repeating the same answer. Then this cruel man cut off each part of his body, one by one, and gradually martyred him. When Umm 'Umarah got this news about her son she displayed exemplary patience. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) consoled the family and prayed for them. During his caliphate, Abu Bakr Siddiq sent the army to test the challenge of the army of Musaylamah. Umm 'Umarah was also in the army. She was about sixty years old at the time, and her son 'Abdullah bin Zaid was also with her; he was one of those who finally killed this man. During this battle her arm was cut off and she sustained eleven injuries. Khalid bin Walid the General of the army boiled some oil and immersed her arm in it to cure her wounded arm; but for Umm 'Umarah her happiness at the death of Musaylamah, was much greater than her grief at the loss of her arm. During the caliphate of 'Umar bin Khattab, some beautiful and exclusive sheets were sent to him. One of these sheets was exceptionally beautiful and large as well. Some of the companions suggested that it should be sent as a gift to Safiyyah bin 'Ubayd, the wife of 'Abdullah bin 'Umar. But 'Umar bin Khattab said that he knew of someone even better than her and praised by no less a person than the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He then sent it to Umm 'Umarah. Once Umm 'Umarah told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that in the Noble Quran only men were mentioned and women were often deprived of any importance. Then this Ayah was revealed. "Verily, the Muslims men and women, the believers men and women, the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful, the men and the women who are patient, the men and the women who are humble, the men and the women who give Sadaqat (i.e. Zakah and alms), the men and the women who observe fast, the men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)." [Noble Quran 33:35] Umm 'Umarah held a very special place among the women Companions. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw the valour and sacrificing spirit of the whole family - husband, wife, and sons - in the most intense part of the battle of Uhud he prayed that Allah might have Mercy on that family. Umm 'Umarah requested him to pray that they should have the good fortune to be with him in Paradise. It was then that he prayed that they should be his friends in Paradise. "Allah will be pleased with them and they with Him." [Noble Quran 98:8] Source: "Great Women of Islam" - by Dar-us-Salam Publications
i do not post this to get one up on you brother, but to clarify in order that we may all grow in strength and help each other when we see something amiss,
please do not misunderstand me
^^ If that is true then why did not Umar (ra) send armies made up of Female soldiers to fight the Romans? If bravery in the battlefield were so common among the females, then I am sure Umar (ra) would have employed more female soldiers than male soldiers. But do you have evidence of that?
Help me to escape from this existence
I yearn for an answer... can you help me?
I'm drowning in a sea of abused visions and shattered dreams
In somnolent illusion... I'm paralyzed
actually, Khalid (RA) did, in the battle of Yarmuk (against the Romans) he gave each of the Muslim women a sword and made them take the rear,
he gave them instructions to cut down any Muslim who tried to flee, that motivated the men nicely
and the Prophet (pbuh) called him the Sword of God
Cosmic pathos posted about would we be as upset if this was only a common person one w/o a special skill set that had enabled her at a young age to have done many things uncharacteristic of her age. I can say I for one would have been just as upset. It is always a tragedy when parents have to bury their children and not the other way around. I have made du'a for her salvation and happiness in Jannah and would have done the same had the same article been on here about a person her age being hit by a car or any other tragedy.
May her family find peace and may Allah (swt) guide them through this ... Ameen.
Serena
actually, Khalid (RA) did, in the battle of Yarmuk (against the Romans) he gave each of the Muslim women a sword and made them take the rear,
he gave them instructions to cut down any Muslim who tried to flee, that motivated the men nicely
and the Prophet (pbuh) called him the Sword of God
evidence? you can pm it to me. I dont want to derail the thread. More than 60% of women in US army have experienced sexual harassment. If it was Muslim army, would you think the results would be different?
Last edited by CosmicPathos; 01-15-2012 at 09:52 PM.
Help me to escape from this existence
I yearn for an answer... can you help me?
I'm drowning in a sea of abused visions and shattered dreams
In somnolent illusion... I'm paralyzed
actually it's here too, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Yarmouk
and no, don't ask me for hadith, because it was during the time of the rashidun caliphates
some narrations say tent poles
More than 60% of women in US army have experienced sexual harassment. If it was Muslim army, would you think the results would be different? Prophet pbuh allowed mutah and misyar marriage during wartimes, now it is banned. While in the physical presence of Prophet, Muslim soldiers could not restrain their sexual appetites, you think they could control their appetites today in 21st century when you put female comrades along with them?
Last edited by CosmicPathos; 01-15-2012 at 09:56 PM.
Help me to escape from this existence
I yearn for an answer... can you help me?
I'm drowning in a sea of abused visions and shattered dreams
In somnolent illusion... I'm paralyzed
This young girl has passed away yet some buffoon just has to get on his high horse and sway waaaay off topic.
Either send your condolences or don't say anything at all
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جوري liked this post
innalillahiwainnailahirajiuun... Makes me hurt in the inside to see someone that is close to my age dying. She has gotten a lot of Nimah from Allah S.W.T.. A reminder for the youth that death comes at any time, any where and any place.
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