Failing to help those who are stricken by disasters on the grounds that this is the will of Allaah

Disasters, and they do not move or feel motivated to help them, nor do they urge others to do that, on the grounds that what has happened is the will of Allaah and it is not right for us to help them when Allaah is punishing them!  Some people, when they are told to do good to the poor and needy, they say, how can we do good to them when Allaah has willed this for them? Allaah has made them poor and you want to make them rich? Or they say, if Allaah wanted to, He could make them rich without our help. What is the Islamic view concerning such comments?

Praise be to Allaah. 

These and similar comments are undoubtedly false speech, which is indicative of great ignorance or despicable negligence. The will of Allaah can never be grounds for committing sin or neglecting obligatory duties.

 Moreover, Allaah has commanded us to help Muslims who are in dire straits and to help the needy. He denounces those who fail to do this duty, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Nay! But you treat not the orphans with kindness and generosity (i.e. you neither treat them well, nor give them their exact right of inheritance)!

And urge not one another on the feeding of Al-Miskeen (the poor)!

And you devour the inheritance — all with greed.

And you love wealth with much love”

[al-Fajr 89:17-20]

 Not feeding the poor is one of the causes of a person entering Hell. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“ ‘What has caused you to enter Hell?’

They will say: “We were not of those who used to offer the Salaah (prayers),

Nor we used to feed Al-Miskeen (the poor);

[al-Muddaththir 74:42-44]

 Wealth belongs to Allaah; if He willed, He could take it away from the person who says these things. Would he, in that case, when he is in desperate need for food, like to have said to him what he is saying to others?

 This view is seriously mistaken and is a great misguidance. The one who says this is like those of whom Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);

“And when it is said to them: ‘Spend of that with which Allaah has provided you,’ those who disbelieve say to those who believe: ‘Shall we feed those whom, if Allaah willed, He (Himself) would have fed? You are only in a plain error’”

[Yaa-Seen 36:47]

Al-Eemaan bi’l-Qadaa’ wa’l-Qadar by Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Hamad, p. 140

Wearing my niqab is a choice freely made, for spiritual reasons

I put on my niqab, my face veil, each day before I leave the house, without a second thought. I drape it over my face, tie the ribbons at the back and adjust the opening over my eyes to make sure my peripheral vision is not affected.
Had I a full-length mirror next to the front door, I would be able to see what others see: a woman of average height and build, covered in several layers of fabric, a niqab, a jilbab, sometimes an abayah, sometimes all black, other times blue or brown. A Muslim woman in 'full veil'. A niqabi.
But is that truly how people see me? When I walk through the park with my little ones in tow, when I reverse my car into a parking space, when I browse the shelves in the frozen section, when I ask how to best cook asparagus at a market stall, what do people see? An oppressed woman? A nameless, voiceless individual? A criminal?
Well, if Mr Sarkozy and others like him have their way, I suppose I will be a criminal, won't I? Never mind that "it's a free country"; never mind that I made this choice from my own free will, as did the vast majority of covered women of my generation; never mind that I am, in every other respect, an upstanding citizen who works hard as a mother, author and magazine publisher, spends responsibly, recycles and tries to eat seasonally and buy local produce!
Yes, I cover my face, but I am still of this society. And, as crazy as it might sound, I am human, a human being with my own thoughts, feelings and opinions. I refuse to allow those who cannot know my reality to paint me as a cardboard cut-out, an oppressed, submissive, silenced relic of the Dark Ages. I am not a stereotype and, God willing, I never will be.
But where are those who will listen? At the end of the day, Muslim women have been saying for years that the hijab et al are not oppressive, that we cover as an act of faith, that this is a bonafide spiritual lifestyle choice. But the debate rages on, ironically, largely to the exclusion of the women who actually do cover their faces.
The focus on the niqab is, in my opinion, utterly misplaced. Don't the French have anything better to do than tell Muslim women how to dress? Don't our societies have bigger problems than a relative handful of women choosing to cover their faces out of religious conviction? The "burka issue" has become a red herring: there are issues that Muslim women face that are more pressing, more wide-reaching and, essentially, more relevant than whether or not they should be covering with a niqab, burqa or hijab.
At the end of the day, all a ban will do is force Muslim women who choose to cover to retreat even further - it is not going to result in a mass "liberation" of Muslim women from the veil. All women, covered or not, deserve the opportunity to dress as they see fit, to be educated, to work where they deem appropriate and run their lives in accordance with their principles, as long as these choices do not impinge on others' freedoms. And last time I looked, being able to see a woman's hair, legs or face were not rights granted alongside "liberté, egalité et fraternité".
As a Muslim woman living in the UK, I am so grateful for the fact that my society does not force me to choose between being a practising Muslim and an active member of society. I have been able to study, to work, to establish a writing career and run a magazine business, all while wearing a niqaab. I think that that is a credit to British society, no matter what the anti-multiculturalists may say, and I think the French could learn some very valuable lessons from the British approach.
So, three cheers for those women who make the choice to cover, in whatever way and still go out there every day. Go out to brave the scorn and ridicule of those who think they understand the burka better than those who actually wear it. Go out to face the humiliating headlines. Go out to face the taunts of schoolchildren. Go out to fight another day. Go out to do their bit for society and the common good. Because you never know, if Mr Sarkozy and his supporters have their way, there could come a day when these women think twice about going out there into a society that cannot bear the way they look. And, who knows, I could be one of them.
And, while some would disagree, I think that would be a sad day.
Na'ima B. Robert is the founding editor of SISTERS , a magazine for Muslim women and author of 'From My Sisters' Lips ', a look at the lives of British Muslim women who cover.

Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6584782.ece

Courtesy: Islam-Upon the Understanding & Methodology of the early Muslims < islamicknowledge.co.uk@googlemail.com >

The Concept of Charity in Islam

Charity,  preached by every religion of the world,  is a way of bringing justice to society. And justice is the essence of religion. Islam has therefore made charity, that is, zakat,  obligatory and binding upon all those  who embrace the faith; it  has been made into an institution in order to give it permanence and regularity.

 All human beings, according to Islam, have been created by one and the same God,  and for this reason they belong to one great brotherhood. All being descendants of the same progenitor, Adam and Eve, they should naturally be each other’s  well-wishers. They must willingly come to one another’s  assistance, like  members of the same large family. Islam has, therefore,  laid the greatest of emphasis on the support of destitute and disabled members of society. It is a sacred duty of the wealthy to give part of their  possessions to fulfill the needs of the deprived sections of the community.

 A society can flourish only when its members do not spend all their  wealth on the satisfaction of their  own desires but reserve a portion of it for parents, relatives neighbours, the poor and the incapacitated.  As the saying goes: Charity begins at home. A true believer is thus always prepared, after meeting the needs of his family, to assist other people in need of his help.

There are two forms of charity in Islam—obligatory and voluntary, called zakat and sadaqa respectively. Zakah,  from the verb zaka, which signifies “to thrive,” “to be wholesome,” “to be pure”  means purification. Giving up of a portion of the wealth one may possess in excess of what is needed for sustenance, is to “purify” or legalize it so that the remainder may lawfully be used by the alms giver.

Deducting zakat from one’s earnings is a material acknowledgment of the fact that the actual giver is Allah. Since the giver is Allah, the recipient is duty bound to spend it in His cause.

The law of zakat is to take  from those who have wealth and give it away to those who do not. This rotation of wealth is a way to balance social inequality.

Islam has established this institution  to make concern for the poor a permanent and compulsory duty. This means an annual contribution of two and a half percent of one’s income to public  welfare. The rate  on other types of wealth such as agricultural produce and jewelry is more. It is incumbent on minors and adults, males and females, living or dead.

Islamic law empowers the Islamic State or Community to collect such contributions and keep a separate account of them. The funds thus accumulated must be spent on the eight categories specified in the Qur'an (2:177)  namely, the poor and the destitute, the wayfarer, the bankrupt, the needy, converts,  captives, the collectors of zakat, and in the cause of Allah. The last category allows such funds to be used for the general welfare of the community— for the education of the people, for public works, and for any other need of the Muslim community.

Zakat in spirit is an act of worship while in its external form it is the carrying out of social service. It is thus not just the payment of a tax as it is generally understood but is rather an act of  religious significance. Its importance is underscored by the fact that the Qur'an treats it at par with salat (prayer).  The Qur'an frequently enjoins the believers ‘to perform the worship and pay the zakat.’ It goes to the extent of saying that one cannot attain righteousness unless one spends out of one’s  wealth for the love of Allah: “By no means shall you attain righteousness, unless you give of that which you love.” (3:92)

So the test of charity lies not in giving away something we have discarded but the things that we value greatly, something that we love. It is unselfishness that Allah demands. It may be in any form—one’s personal efforts, talents, skill, learning,  property or possessions.

The demand of Islam that all its followers should spend their  wealth freely on the common good of society cannot be fully met by the payment of the obligatory levy of zakat alone. According to a hadith the Prophet observed: “In ones’s wealth there is a due  (to God and His men)  besides zakat.” Hadrat Ali,  the fourth Caliph,  explained this hadith thus: “God has ordained that the rich are to pay out of their wealth  to that extent which is sufficient for the needs of the poor;  so that if they do not  find food and clothing, or any other need remains to be fulfilled, it would be because the rich are not doing their duty, and for this God will take them to task on the Day of Judgement.”

According to Abdullah ibn Umar, the great religious scholar of the first phase of Islam, “If the zakat levy is insufficient to meet the needs of the poor, then it is the duty of the rich of every town to put the poor on their feet.”

Abu Zar Ghifari, a companion of the Prophet, reported that the Prophet, while sitting in the shade of the Kabah wall,  said, “They are the losers.” Abu Zar enquired, “who are they, O Messenger of God?” The Prophet replied: “Those  who pile up  heaps of wealth and (pointing in all directions with his hands) do not spend like this and this.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

There are many verses in the Qur'an and many traditions of the Prophet making it quite clear that there is a due over and above zakat and that the wealthy are not relieved of their duties solely on payment of zakat.

The Qur'an uses the word ‘haq,’  the right of the poor;  so what the wealthy man is asked to give is not charity but that which should come back to the poor, as a matter of right.

All the expenditure of people in need in an Islamic society is covered by sadaqat (meaning literally ‘righteousness’ from the root sadaqa, to speak the truth, to be true) — a very wide term used in the Qur'an. (In Islamic literature,  this is referred to as sadaqat al tatawwu, or spontaneous alms-giving). According  to Ibn Arabi (Akham al-Quran, 2/946-7), alms-giving is called sadaqat to indicate  the sincerity (sidk) of the giver’s  religious belief. He goes on to say that sadaqat is a voluntary act of worship, a choice made of one’s  own free will. If the act is other than voluntary, it has no religious merit. “For man makes it obligatory for himself, just as God makes mercy obligatory for Himself towards those who repent.” The only  difference between  sadaqat and zakat (the latter being a term widely used in the Quran and the hadith)  is that while both kinds of alms-giving are necessarily voluntary (that being the reason for the word sadaqat covering both forms of contribution) the former is the result of an inspiration on the part of the donor as befits certain sets of circumstances, whereas zakat is given on the basis of a fixed percentage of the donor’s  wealth, (nisab) so that the amount given will vary not according to the needs of a particular donee, but according to the earnings of the donor. In the case of zakat there is also a system of collection set up under Islamic law and there are persons appointed as collectors of these dues. The money thus collected is meant for the general benefit of the community. In the case of sadaqat, the bequest is made directly and spontaneously from one individual to another and the amount given is at the discretion of the giver.

If a very high standard has been set for charity, it is because zakat and sadaqat are performed by believers not just as moral obligations to society, but as sincere endeavours to gain God’s pleasure. In his commentary on the Quran, Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes:

(1)  “It must be  in the way of God (2) It must expect no reward in this world (3)  It must not be followed by reference or reminders to the acts  of charity (4) Still less should any annoyance or injury be caused to the recipient e.g.  by boasting that the giver relieved the person in the hour of need.”

Thus the spirit of kindness and well wishing is the essence of charity. The giver is not to expect any reward  from the beneficiary as there awaits for him an abundant reward from God—material, moral, and spiritual — what God deems it best to confer on His servant.

The Quran in verses 264 and 271 of the second chapter,  warns us against spending “to be seen of men.”  This is false charity.  Alms-giving with this motive is worse than not giving away anything at all. In verse 265 God gives a beautiful parable to illustrate the true nature of charity.  It is like a field with good soil on a hillside. It  catches good showers of rain and the moisture penetrates the soil. The favourable  conditions increase its output  enormously. So a man of true charity  is spiritually healthy. He is the most lkely to attract God’s  bounties. The Quran goes  on to give four parables to explain the truly spiritual  nature of charity (2:261-266) . These  parables explain how true  charity bears on the whole of our lives.

Since charity is purely for the sake of God, it has value only if something good  and valuable is given . It should be lawfully earned or acquired by the giver. It should  include such things as are of use and value to others. Charity is , in the words of the Prophet, to  place a thing in the palm of God. It  is therefore obvious that placing worthless things in the hand of God dishonours Him.

There are some people who think that acts of charity would ruin them. Abdullah Yousuf Ali comments on such doubts:  “No kind or generous act ever ruined one.” We have never heard of anyone who, due to his generosity to good causes, has been impoverished.  It  is because God has promised to shower such a person with greater bounties (2:268). On the other hand, false generosity, that is,  extravagant expenditure for show or self indulgence does lead people to ruin.

In verse 273 the Quran  states that “Charity is for those in need.” This is a general principle which enjoins us  to help people in need, be they good or bad, on the right path or not, Muslims or non-Muslims. We are not supposed to judge in these matters. The chief ends in charity, as reiterated here,  should be God’s  pleasure and our own spiritual  good. This verse in the first instance was revealed in Madina, but it is of general application. 

The concept of charity in Islam is thus linked with justice. It is not limited to the redressal of grievances. It   implies apart from the removal of handicaps, the recognition of the right that every human being has to attain the fullness of life.

This spirit of helping others to earn God’s  pleasure is best reflected in Muslim society in the field of education. Inspired by traditions of the Prophet that the greatest charity for a Muslim being  to learn something, and then teaching it to others (Ahmad) Muslims in large numbers have devoted  themselves to other’s education  generation after generation.

Knowledge is the most wonderful thing in the whole universe. That is why there is nothing greater than knowledge being imparted by one human being  to another. Muslims on a large scale have engaged themselves in receiving education and imparting it to others,  individually as well as by establishing maktabs and madrasas, that is, primary schools  and Colleges. These educational institutions established in the house of the teachers or in separate buildings, generally made no charges for instruction. During the medieval period, these madrasas flourished in tens of thousands throughout  the Muslim world. The wealthy people helped in running these madrasas, not only through zakat, but also by making endowments,  (wakf)  of their properties to these madrases. The income from these properties met the needs of these schools. The orphans and  poor people were given  stipends over and above free board and lodging (Promotion of Learning in India, by W.N. Law, H. 104-5)

Sadaqa in the form of wakf is known as sadaqa-e- jaria, i.e.  permanent alms. Helping someone to establish himself in business, giving someone a proper education;  helping someone recover from some disease by monetary assistance to looking after the orphans and the destitute; giving scholarships to students, all such charitable works come under sadaka jaria—that is why  so many centres of social welfare have  continued to function in the Muslim community. It is unfortunate that the figures of individuals assisting people in need are not available. There are such traditions as stress the importance of giving sadaqa in the holy month of Ramazan. Therefore, in this month of fasting, almost all those who can afford it help the poor people in one way or another. The reward for giving voluntary alms  in secret is seventy times that of giving it publicly (Al-Baydawi,  Anwar al-Tanazil, 2/211).

Sadaqat is a very wide term and is used in the Quran to cover all kinds  of charity. Its scope is so vast that even the poor who can have nothing tangible to give  can offer sadaqa in the shape of a smile or a glass of water to a thirsty person,  or they may even just utter a kindly word. Good conduct is frequently termed sadaqa in the hadith. Planting something from which a person, bird or animal later eats also counts as sadaqa. In this extended sense, acts of loving kindness, even greeting another with a cheerful face, is regarded as sadaqa. In short, every good deed is sadaqa.

The Practice of Sadaqa

Inspired by the verses of the Quran and the traditions and practices of the Prophet and his companions, the giving of Sadaqa to individuals or  institutions remained widespread among the Muslims. The Prophet was the most generous of men. He used to give with his own hand. When asked for anything,  he never refused. If he had nothing to give, he would borrow from one of his companions and pay him later.

The Prophet’s wives were also known  for their  almsgiving. Of them Zaynab bint Jahsh was the most generous and was called by the Prophet “the longest in arm.” She was  also known as the  “mother of the poor” (umm al-masakin) for her almsgiving. Aisha, the youngest wife of the Prophet too was known as the mother of the poor.”  (Al-Ghazali, Ihya ulum al-din, vol-1/298). Whenever anyone uttered words of blessing for her, she used to return the same with some alms. After them we have shining examples of generosity set by the pious caliphs. Once when  the Prophet urged them to give sadaka, Umar bin al Khattab brought half of what he owned, but only to find  that once again Abu Bakr had outdone him by giving away all that he had.

There is a very interesting example of the generosity of Usman, the third Caliph. During the Caliphate of Abu Bakr people were in great distress due to a drought. The Caliph told them to remain patient, for God would soon relieve them. Before long Uthman’s  caravan arrived with its merchandise from Syria. There were one thousand camels in it, all of them loaded with wheat and foodstuffs from Syria. When the news got around Madina, all the great traders of Madina rapidly converged on Usman’s  house. When he emerged to meet them, they expressed their urgent desire to purchase the foodstuffs so that they could pass it on to those townspeople who needed it.

Ushering them inside, he asked them how much profit they were prepared to give him on this merchandise. “Twelve dirhams on every ten dirhams worth,” they replied. “But I can get a better price,” said Usman. “Then we’ll give you fourteen,” Usman again said that he could get a better price, whereupon they put their price up to fifteen dirhams. But Usman  stood firm. Bewildered by his attitude, they asked him who could give him a better price, considering that all of the merchants of Madina were already assembled there. “I can get ten dirhams for every  dirhams’s worth,”  he told them, then asked them if any one of them could give a better price than that. No one spoke up. Then Usman recited the verse of the Quran which says that those who do good will be rewarded tenfold (6:60) He explained to them that he intended to give away all the wheat and other foodstuffs to the needy people of Madina.

According to the teachings of Islam the giving of sadaqa serves a number of functions. Sadaqa first and foremost acts as expiation for sins. The believers are asked to give sadaqa immediately  following any transgression (Ihya-e-Ulumuddin, Al-Ghazzali, 1/298). Voluntary alms-giving can also compensate for any shortcoming in the past payment of zakat. Sadaqa also gives protection against all kinds of evil. Sadaqa wards  off affliction in this world, questioning in the grave and punishment on Judgement Day. (Ismail Hakki, Tafsir Ruh-alBayan, 1/418).  It is therefore recommended to give sadaqa by night and by day,  in secret and in public to seek God’s pleasure (Quran, 2:274). The constant giving of a little is said to please God more than the occasional giving of much. Sadaqa is also  a means of moral edification. It purifies the soul from the evil of avarice. Sadaqa is a reflection of generosity of God / the All-giving. We conclude with a hadith which sums up the essence of Charity:

“Every good act is charity. Your smiling to your brother is charity;  an exhortation of your fellowman to virtuous deeds is equal to alms-giving; your putting a wanderer on the right road is charity;  your assisting the blind is charity; your removing stones, and thorns, and other obstructions from the road is charity; your giving water to the thirsty is charity. A man’s true wealth, as regards the Hereafter, is the good he does in this world to his fellow men. When he dies, people will say “what property has he left behind him?” But the angels will ask, “what good deeds has he sent before him?”

The Quran and Hadiths on the poor and needy

1. The Quran
Attitude of the giver of charity
Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah and do not follow up their spending by stressing their benevolence and causing hurt, will find their reward secure with their Lord. They have no cause for fear and grief.
To speak a kind word and to forgive people's faults is better than charity followed by hurt. Allah is All-Sufficient, All-Forbearing
Believers! Do not nullify your acts of charity by stressing your benevolence and causing hurt as does he who spends his wealth only to be seen by men and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. The example of his spending is that of a rock with a thin coating of earth upon it: when a heavy rain smites it, the earth is washed away, leaving the rock bare; such people derive no gain from their acts of charity. Allah does not set the deniers of the Truth on the right way. (2:262 - 264)
The needy who do not do beg
Those needy ones who are wholly wrapped up in the cause of Allah, and who are hindered from moving about the earth in search of their livelihood especially deserve help. He who is unaware of their circumstances supposes them to be wealthy because of their dignified bearing, but you will know them by their countenance, although they do not go about begging of people with importunity. And whatever wealth you will spend on helping them, Allah will know of it. (2:273)
Economic exploitation
And do not become like the woman who, after having painstakingly spun her yarn, caused it to disintegrate into pieces. You resort to oaths as instruments of mutual deceit so that one people might take greater advantage than another although Allah puts you to the test through this. Surely on the Day of Resurrection He will make clear the truth concerning the matters over which you differed. (16:92)
Food and the needy
Have you seen him who belies the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter? He it is who drives away the orphan and does not urge giving away the food of the poor. (107:1 - 3)
Give to the near of kin his due, and also to the needy and the wayfarers. Do not squander your wealth wastefully; for those who squander wastefully are Satan's brothers, and Satan is ever ungrateful to his Lord. (17:26 - 27)
Greed
Look, you are being called upon to expend in Allah's Way, yet some of you are being niggardly, whereas the one who is niggardly is, in fact, being niggardly only to himself. Allah is Self-Sufficient: it is you who are the needy. If you turn away, Allah will replace you by another people, and they will not be like you. (47:38)
Moderation in giving
Do not keep your hand fastened to your neck nor outspread it, altogether widespread, for you will be left sitting rebuked, destitute. (17:29)
(In reference to the slaves of Allah) "who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor miserly but keep the golden mean between the two (extremes) (25:67)
Righteousness
You shall not attain righteousness until you spend out of what you love (in the way of Allah). Allah knows whatever you spend. (3:92)
Sadaqa
(O Prophet!) Tell those of My servants who believe that they should establish Prayer and spend out of what We have provided them with, both secretly and openly, before there arrives the Day when there will be no bargaining, nor any mutual befriending. (14:31)
Stinginess
Allah does not love the arrogant and the boastful, who are niggardly and bid others to be niggardly and conceal the bounty which Allah has bestowed upon them. We have kept in readiness a humiliating chastisement for such deniers (of Allah's bounty) (part of 4:36 and all of 4:37)
Zakat-what you owe from your money
The people who where given the Book before this did not divide into sects until after the clear statement (of the Right Way) had come to them, and the only Command they were given was to worship Allah, making their religion sincerely His, turning all their attention towards Him, and to establish the Salat and to pay the Zakat: for this alone is the most true and right religion. (98:4 - 5)
Establish Prayer and dispense the Purifying Alms (Zakat) and bow in worship with those who bow (2:43)
The believers, both men and women, are allies of one another. They enjoin good, forbid evil, establish Prayer, pay Zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Surely Allah will show mercy to them. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (9:71)
The alms (Zakat in this specific verseÕs case) are meant only for the poor and the needy and those who are in charge thereof, those whose hearts are to be reconciled; and to free those in bondage, and to help those burdened with debt, and for expenditure in the way of Allah and for the wayfarer. This is an obligation from Allah. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (9:60)
2. The Hadiths
Begging
Narrated Hakim bin Hizam that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient. (Bukhari)
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: He who makes a habit of asking from others reaches out for a brand of Fire, so let him refrain or continue, as he desires. (Muslim)
Clothing
Ibn Abbas related that the Prophet said: Any Muslim who gives a Muslim a garment to wear will be in Allah's safekeeping as long as a shred of it remains on him. (Ahmad, Tirmidhi)
Debt: Relieving the person in debt
Abu Qatadah related that the Prophet said: If anyone would like Allah to save him from the hardships of the Day of Resurrection, he should give more time to his debtor who is short of money, or remit his debt altogether. (Muslim)
Food and the needy
Safwan ibn Salim related that the Prophet said: Anyone who looks after and works for a widow and a poor person is like a warrior fighting for AllahÕs cause, or like a person who fasts during the day and prays all night. (Bukhari)
Anas related that the Prophet said: If any Muslim plants something or sows seed from which a man, a bird or an animal eats, it counts as a charity for him. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Relatives who are needy
Abu Huraira narrated that the Prophet said: The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents. (Bukhari)
Salman ibn Amer reported that the Prophet said: To give something to a poor man brings one reward, while giving the same to a needy relation brings two: one for charity and the other for respecting the family ties. (Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Nasai, Tirmidhi)
Stinginess
Jabir reported that the Prophet said: Avoid doing injustice to others, for on the Day of Judgment, it will turn into manifold darkness, and safeguard yourself against miserliness, for it ruined those who were before you. It incited them to murder and treating the unlawful as lawful. (Muslim)
Zakat-what you owe from your money
Abbas related that a man asked the Prophet, Tell me what should I do to be admitted to Paradise and he (the Prophet) answered: Worship Allah associating nothing with Him, observe Salat, pay Zakat and strengthen the ties of kinship. (Bukhari, Muslim)
Abu Huraira related that the Prophet said: When someone is made rich but he does not pay Zakat for his wealth, then on the Day of Judgment his money will be turned into a poisonous snake with two black spots on its head. It will coil around his neck and bite his cheeks and say: 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure'. Then the Prophet recited verse 3:180 of the Quran. (Bukhari)

Old books can educate a poor child

Students in most of the schools have completed their exams and are currently enjoying their holidays.
As they approach higher grades, most of the students opt for new books from their school stores. But what happens to the old ones?
They are usually thrown away by most parents. Many children in poorer countries are deprived of school facilities and even lack the opportunity to read a book.

Leading lives
They remain in circumstances wherein they are not able to lead the lives of other children their age, due to various reasons.
Used books can be donated to these students, so that they can at least get a chance to read a classic novel or learn about the mysteries of nature, basic arithmetic and more. Unused pages can be torn out from old books and bound again, to create a new book.
By doing this, we not only save money but also save trees.
If we stop reusing our old books, there would be a greater demand for new ones, which would lead to the mass cutting of trees.
We can take small measures to help others, our environment and even ourselves.
I urge parents to embrace this method so that we can put a smile on the faces of children who are less fortunate than us and even protect nature from deforestation.
What do you do with old books? Do you have any creative ways of reusing them?

Does Islam regard men and women as equal?

Is there a mention of the equality of women in the qur'an?

Praise be to Allaah.  

Firstly: 

This word – equality – which many thinkers in both the east and the west advocate in various fields of life is a word which is based on deviation and a lack of understanding, especially when the speaker attributes this idea of equality to the Qur’aan and to Islam. 

One of the things that people misunderstand is when they say that “Islam is the religion of equality”. What they should say is that Islam is the religion of justice. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

“Here we should note that there are some people who speak of equality instead of justice, and this is a mistake. We should not say equality, because equality implies no differentiation between the two. Because of this unjust call for equality, they started to ask, what is the difference between male and female?’ So they made males and females the same, and then the communists said, ‘What difference is there between ruler and subject? No one has any authority over anyone else, not even fathers and sons; the father has no authority over his son,’ and so on. 

But if we say justice, which means giving each one that to which he or she is entitled, this misunderstanding no longer applies, and the word used is correct. Hence it does not say in the Qur’aan that Allaah enjoins equality, rather it says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Verily, Allaah enjoins Al‑‘Adl (i.e. justice)”

[al-Nahl 16:90] 

“and that when you judge between men, you judge with justice”

[al-Nisa’ 4:58] 

Those who say that Islam is the religion of equality are lying against Islam. Rather Islam is the religion of justice which means treating equally those who are equal and differentiating between those who are different. 

No one who knows the religion of Islam would say that it is the religion of equality.  Rather what shows you that this principle is false is the fact that most of what is mentioned in the Qur’aan denies equality, as in the following verses: 

‘Say: Are those who know equal to those who know not?”

[al-Zumar 39:9] 

‘Say: Is the blind equal to the one who sees? Or darkness equal to light?’

[al-Ra’d 13:16] 

‘Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquering (of Makkah, with those among you who did so later’

[al-Hadeed 57:10] 

‘Not equal are those of the believers who sit (at home), except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind or lame), and those who strive hard and fight in the Cause of Allaah with their wealth and their live’

[al-Nisa’ 4:95] 

Not one single letter in the Qur’aan enjoins equality, rather it enjoins justice. You will also find that the word justice is acceptable to people, for I feel that if I am better than this man in terms of knowledge, or wealth, or piety, or in doing good, I would not like for him to be equal to me. 

Every man knows that he find it unacceptable if we say that the male is equal to the female.” 

Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitah, 1/180-181 

Based on this, Islam does not regard men and women as equal in matters where regarding them as equal would result in injustice to one of them, because equality that is inappropriate is a severe form of injustice. 

The Qur’aan commands women to wear clothes that are different from those worn by men, because of the differences in the ways each sex is tempted by the other. The temptation posed by men is less than the temptation posed by women, so the clothes that women should wear are different than the clothes that men wear. It makes no sense to tell women to expose the parts of the body that men are allowed to expose, because of the differences in the temptation posed by a woman’s body and a man’s body – as we shall explain. 

Secondly: 

There are matters in which men and women are treated differently in Islamic sharee’ah, such as: 

1 – Qiwaamah (being in charge of the household) 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means”

[al-Nisa’ 4:34] 

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

“Allaah says ‘Men are the protectors and maintainers of women’ meaning that the man is in charge of the woman, i.e., he is the leader and head of the household, the one who disciplines her if she goes astray. 

‘because Allaah has made one of them to excel the other’ i.e., because men are superior to women and are  better than women. Hence Prophethood was given only to men, as was the position of khaleefah, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘No people shall ever prosper who appoint a woman as their ruler.’ This was narrated by al-Bukhaari from the hadeeth of ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abi Bakrah from his father. The same applies to the position of qaadi (judge), etc. 

‘and because they spend (to support them) from their means’ refers to the mahr and the spending on women’s maintenance that Allaah has enjoined upon men in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). So a man is inherently better than a woman, and he is superior to her because he spends on her. So it is appropriate that he should be in charge of her, as Allaah says, ‘but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them’ [al-Baqarah 2:228]. 

‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah said, narrating from Ibn ‘Abbaas: ‘Men are the protectors and maintainers of women’ means that men are the leaders of women and they should obey them in areas where Allaah has enjoined obedience. Obedience may mean treating his family kindly and protecting his wealth.” 

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/490) 

2 – Testimony or bearing witness. The Qur’aan states that the testimony of one man is equivalent to the testimony of two women. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her”

[al-Baqarah 2:282] 

Ibn Katheer said: 

Two women are to take the place of one man because women are lacking in reason, as Muslim narrated in his Saheeh… from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O women, give in charity and seek forgiveness a great deal, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell.” A wise woman among them said, “Why is it, O Messenger of Allaah, that we are the majority of the people of Hell?” He said, “Because you curse too much, and you are ungrateful to your spouses. I have seen none lacking in common sense and failing in religion but (at the same time) robbing the wisdom of the wise, besides you.” The woman asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, what is wrong with our common sense and our religion?” He said: “Your lack of common sense (can be well judged from the fact) that the evidence of two women is equal to that of one man, that is a proof of the lack of common sense, and you spend some nights (and days) in which you do not offer prayer and in the month of Ramadan (during the days) you do not observe fast, that is a failing in religion.”  

(Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/336) 

There may be some women who are wiser than some men, but this is not the usual rule and such women are not in the majority. Sharee’ah is based on what is general and most common. 

The fact that women are lacking in reason does not mean that they are crazy, rather their reason is often overtaken by their emotions, and this happens to women more often than it happens to men. No one would deny this except one who is arrogant. 

3 – A woman inherits half of what a man inherits.  

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Allaah commands you as regards your children’s (inheritance): to the male, a portion equal to that of two females”

[al-Nisa’ 4:11] 

Al-Qurtubi said: 

Because Allaah knows better than they do what is in their best interests, He made the division of inheritance based on differentiation, because He knows what is in their best interests. 

Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 5/164 

For example, a man is obliged to spend more than a woman, so it is appropriate that he should have a larger share of inheritance than a woman. 

4 – Clothing: 

A woman’s ‘awrah includes her entire body. The least that can be said is that she should not uncover anything except her face and hands, and it was said that she should not even uncover that. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies (i.e. screen themselves completely except the eyes or one eye to see the way). That will be better, that they should be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Ahzaab 33:59] 

The ‘awrah of a man is the area from the navel to the knees. 

It was said to ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib, “Tell us what you heard from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and what you saw of him, and do not tell us about anyone else, even if he was trustworthy.” He said, “I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘The area between the navel and the knee is ‘awrah.’” 

Narrated by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (6418); classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 5583. 

Other examples include the following, which is not a comprehensive list. 

There are other differences between the sexes, including the following: 

·        A man can marry four women, but a woman can only have one husband. 

·        A man has the right to issue a divorce and it is valid if he does so, but a woman does not have the right to issue a divorce. 

·        A man may marry a woman from among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), but a Muslim woman may not marry anyone but a Muslim. 

·        A man may travel without his wife or any of his mahrams, but a woman may not travel unless she is accompanied by a mahram. 

·        Prayer in the mosque is obligatory for men, but not for women; a woman’s prayer in her house is more beloved to Allaah. 

·        A woman may wear silk and gold, but a man must not wear them. 

Everything that we have mentioned is based on the difference between men and women, because the male is not like the female. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And the male is not like the female”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:36] 

The male is different from the female in many ways, in his strength, in his body, in his toughness and roughness, whereas women are soft and gentle. 

And men are different in intellectual terms, for men are known for their strength of understanding and their memory as compared to women. Women are weaker than men in memory and forget more than men do. This is well known, for most of the reputable scholars in the world are men. There are some women who are more intelligent and have better memories than some men, but this does not cancel out the general rule. Most cases are as we have described above. 

With regard to emotions, men speak of them when they get angry or when they are happy, but women are affected by the slightest emotional effects, so their tears flow at the slightest emotional provocation.  

Jihad is obligatory for men, but jihad in the sense of fighting is not obligatory for women. This is the mercy of Allaah towards them, and consideration for their nature. 

In conclusion we may say that the rulings for men are not like the rulings for women. 

Thirdly: 

Islam regards men and women as equally obliged with regard to many acts of worship and interactions with others. For example, women do wudoo’ just as men do, they do ghusl as men do, they pray as men do, and they fast as men do, except when they are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth. Women pay zakaah as men pay zakaah, and they do Hajj as men do, except for a few differences in the rulings. It is permissible and acceptable to buy from a woman, and if a woman gives charity, that is permissible. It is permissible for a woman to set free the slaves that she owns, and there are many other similar cases because women are the twin halves of men, as it says in the hadeeth: 

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about a man who finds some wetness (on his clothes) but did not have an erotic dream, and he said, “He should do ghusl.” He was asked about a man who had an erotic dream but did not find any wetness, and he said, “He does not have to do ghusl.” Umm Salamah said, “O Messenger of Allaah, if a woman sees that, does she have to do ghusl?” He said, “Yes, for women are the twin halves of men.” 

(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 113; Ahmad, 25663. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 98) 

Conclusion: 

Women are like men in some aspects and they differ from them in others. Most of the rulings of Islam apply to men and women equally. In cases where a distinction is made between the sexes, the Muslim regards that as a mercy from Allaah and a sign of His knowledge of His creation, but the arrogant kaafir sees it as oppression and injustice, so he stubbornly insists on claiming that men and women are the same. So let him tell us how a man can carry a foetus and breastfeed it?  He stubbornly ignores the weakness of women and how they bleed during their monthly period, and he stubbornly beat his head against the rock of reality. But the Muslim is still at peace with his faith, surrendering to the command of Allaah. 

“Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves), All‑Aware (of everything)”

[al-Mulk 67:14 – interpretation of the meaning]

 And Allaah knows best.

Why will there be more women in Hell than men?

Why are there more women in hell than men?

Praise be to Allaah.  

It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that women will form the majority of the people of Hell. It was narrated from ‘Imraan ibn Husayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I looked into Paradise and I saw that the majority of its people were the poor. And I looked into Hell and I saw that the majority of its people are women.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3241; Muslim, 2737) 

With regard to the reason for that, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was asked about it and he explained the reason. 

It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I was shown Hell and I have never seen anything more terrifying than it. And I saw that the majority of its people are women.” They said, “Why, O Messenger of Allaah?” He said, “Because of their ingratitude (kufr).” It was said, “Are they ungrateful to Allaah?” He said, “They are ungrateful to their companions (husbands) and ungrateful for good treatment. If you are kind to one of them for a lifetime then she sees one (undesirable) thing in you, she will say, ‘I have never had anything good from you.’” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1052) 

It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said:  

“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went out to the Musalla on the day of Eid al-Adha or Eid al-Fitr. He passed by the women and said, ‘O women! Give charity, for I have seen that you form the majority of the people of Hell.’ They asked, ‘Why is that, O Messenger of Allaah?’  He replied, ‘You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religious commitment than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you.’ The women asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is deficient in our intelligence and religious commitment?’ He said, ‘Is not the testimony of two women equal to the testimony of one man?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Is it not true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?’ The women said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘This is the deficiency in her religious commitment.’” 

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 304) 

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah said: “I attended Eid prayers with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He started with the prayer before the khutbah, with no adhaan or iqaamah. Then he stood up, leaning on Bilaal, speaking of fear of Allaah (taqwa) and urging us to obey Him. He preached to the people and reminded them. Then he went over to the women and preached to them and reminded them. Then he said, ‘Give in charity, for you are the majority of the fuel of Hell. A woman with dark cheeks stood up in the midst of the women and said, ‘Why is that, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He said, ‘Because you complain too much and are ungrateful to your husbands.’ Then they started to give their jewellery in charity, throwing their earrings and rings into Bilaal’s cloak.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 885) 

Our believing sisters who learn of this hadeeth should behave like those Sahaabiyaat who, when they learned of this, did good deeds which would be the means, by Allaah’s leave, of keeping them far away from being included in that majority of the inhabitants of Hell. 

So our advice to the sisters is to strive to adhere to the rituals and obligatory duties of Islam, especially prayer, and to keep away from that which Allaah has forbidden, especially shirk in its many forms which are widespread among women, such as seeking one's needs from someone other than Allaah, going to practitioners of witchcraft and fortune-tellers, etc.

 We ask Allaah to keep us and all our brothers and sisters far away from the Fire and the words and deeds that bring one close to it.

WOMEN'S ROLE IN ISLAM

The Purpose of Life: Wherever God talks about the human beings (Insaan) or whenever He talks about human soul (Nafs) in the Qur'an, Muslims theologians and scholars have never considered that humanness or the soul as 'male' or 'female'. (See 51:56, 91:1-10; 53:38-39)
The male or female division is only possible when we talk about the physical dimension of humans, not when we talk about the spiritual dimension. And so, from the Islamic perspective, the humanness of woman has never been denied or questioned; nor has there ever been any discussion whether she possesses a soul or not.
Since both are same in their humanness, both have been created for the same purpose: to serve God.
The Virtues in Human Beings: Whenever and wherever Islam has talked about virtues in human beings, it has not differentiated between men and women. Both have the potential to acquire knowledge. Both, men and women, are expected to exhibit the spirit of piety and other good attributes in Islam.
MODESTY & DECENCY (HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT FOR HUMANITY)

The beauty of a woman: Is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair, or the style she does make up. The beauty of a woman: must be seen in her Hijab, and her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. The beauty of a woman: is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman, is reflected in her soul. The beauty of woman is in her modesty. And the real glamour of her is her honesty. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows. And the beauty of a woman, with passing years - only grows!

HOLY QUR'AN PROCLAIMS: O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad): that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. ( Soorah-e-Ahzaab, verse 59) And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain Bliss. ( Soorah-e-Noor, verse 31)
Islam does not allow free and unrestricted intermingling of the sexes. The rule of modesty applies to men as well as women.
CORRUPT VS PURE: Women impure are for men impure, and men impure for women impure and women of purity are for men of purity, and men of purity are for women of purity: these are not affected by what people say: for them there is forgiveness, and a provision honorable. (Holy Quran 24:26)
A woman's best Jewelry is her Shyness. - Lady Fatima Zehra (sa)
Nice girls are with Hijaab. - Prophet Muhammad (saw)
HAJIRA (MOTHER OF ISHMAEL):
Prophet Ibrahim had become over 90 years old and had no child. Sarah, his wife, gave her slave-girl, by name of Hajira, to Ibrahim as a wife. Through Hajira, Almighty God blessed Ibrahim with a son: Ishmael (peace be upon him).
Sarah became jealous of Hajira. Finally, decided to test the patience of Ibrahim by asking him to take Hajira and the infant Ishmael into a desert and leave them there. Ibrahim was guided to that desert area which later became famous as Mecca. Prophet Ibrahim brought Hajira and Ishmael to Mecca and left them as commanded by God.
Whatever provisions Ibrahim had brought for his wife and child finally ran out. The baby Ishmael started crying out of thirst. Hajira set out in search for water. She was standing on the small hill of Safa; she looked towards the hill of Marwah and thought that there was water over there. When she reached Marwah, there was not water; it was just a mirage. She turned facing Safa and thought that there was water over there. She returned to Safa, but there was no water; it was just a mirage.
As mother, desperately looking for water for her child, Hajira ran between the hills of Safa and Marwah seven times. Finally, she saw that a water stream had started at the feet of Ishmael. This miraculous steam is still running on beside the Kaaba, the House of God, and it is known as Zamzam.
God so much loved the spirit of motherhood demonstrated by Hajira - ho ran seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwah in search of water for her child that, He has commanded the Muslim pilgrims to walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah when they go for the pilgrimage.
The ritual of walking between the two hills of Safa and Marwah seven times is an essential part of pilgrimage and it perpetuates the memory of Hajira as a mother.
ASIYA BINT MUZAHIM (THE PHARAOH'S WIFE):
The holy Qur'an has presented Asiya bint Muzahim as one of the best role models for women.
Asiya's greatness is in the fact that although she was the wife of one of the most Powerful, arrogant and tyrant rulers of Egypt, she was able to see and accept the truth in message of Prophet Moses. For her, wealth, beauty or status was not the main criterion of human excellence; she realized that without faith in God, a human being has nothing.
God had chosen her to provide refuge to Moses when he was an infant. When her maids brought the cradle of Moses from the river, she insisted to Pharaoh that she wanted to adopt that infant as a child: The wife of Pharaoh said: "(Here is) joy of the eye, for me and for thee: slay him not. It may be that he will be use to us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not (what they were doing)! (28:9)
Asiya bint Muzahim had declared her faith in the message of God after witnessing the miracle of Moses in the Court of Pharaoh; and after witnessing the death of another believing, woman under torture. Pharaoh tried to turn her away from the God of Moses and sought her mother's help. But Asiya refused to reject the God of Moses. On Pharaoh's order, she Was tortured to death.
The Qur'an says: "And Allah gives an example for those who believe: the wife of pharaoh. (Remember) when she said, 'My Lord! Build for me a house with Thee in the Paradise, and deliver me from Pharaoh and his deeds; and deliver me from the unjust people.'" (66:11)
In this lady, we see the example of supreme sacrifice: By marrying Pharaoh, Asiya bint Muzahim became the Queen of Egypt, she gained everything that she wanted in this worldly life from the materialistic point of view: the best of clothes, food, palaces, jewels, servants and maids, etc. But she sacrificed all that to be closer to Allah. And that is why we see her included by the Prophet in the list of the four women who attained the level of perfection.
MARY (MOTHER OF JESUS):
Mary is one of the noblest women in Islamic teachings since she was chosen to miraculously give birth to the Prophet Jesus.
When the Angel approached her with the news that she has been chosen as mother of the Prophet who is to be born miraculously without a father, she was perplexed. She said, "When shall I have a boy and no man has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste?"
The Angel conveyed the answer of God: "It is easy for Me. And We intend to make Jesus a sign to people and a mercy from Us; and this is a matter which has been decreed."
She was alone when the throes of childbirth compelled her to take refuge by the trunk of a palm tree. She was distressed and said, "I wish that I had died before this, and had been a thing quite forgotten!"
Right then, Jesus was born and he called out: "Grieve not, surely your Lord has made a stream to flow beneath you; and shake towards you the trunk of the palm-tree, it will drop on you fresh ripe dates. So eat, drink and refresh the eyes." She was also told: "If you see people, do not worry about their questions. Just say that you have make a vow to that you shall not speak to any person today."
When she came back to his people with Jesus, they said, "O Mary! Surely you have done a strange thing; your parents were not unchaste people!" She pointed towards the baby. They responded, "How can we speak to a child in the cradle?" At that moment, Jesus, by the power of God, started to speak. He said:
"Surely I am the servant of God, He has given me the Book and made me a prophet. He has made me blessed wherever I may be. He has enjoined on me to pray, to give charity so long as I live, and to be dutiful to my mother. He has not made me insolent and unblessed. So peace upon me on the day I was born, on the day I die, and on the day I shall be raised back to life."
This is the story of the Virgin Mary and her son, Jesus, the Prophet and Messenger of God, as mentioned in Chapter 19 of the Qur'an.
KHADIJA (THE WIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD):
Khadija bint Khuwaylid, the wife of the Prophet, is truly known as a noble lady; she was, in the modern terminology, the First Lady of Islam.
During the Meccan phase of Islam's movement, Khadija was the main pillar of support for Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). She was the first one to declare her faith in Islam. Her declaration of faith was a great testimony of the Prophet's character: a wife knows her husband's outer as well as inner character. By being the first to accept person to accept Islam, Khadija demonstrated that she believed in the truthfulness of Muhammad as the Messenger of God.
The initial years of Islam's mission were very trying; the Prophet faced severe opposition from the people of Mecca. In face of this rejection, Khadija provided the moral support and boasted the morale of the Prophet. According to Muslims historians, he even used to consult and discuss with her the issues related to the Islamic movement.
Khadija whole-heartedly supported the Prophet's cause by placing her wealth at his disposal. Almighty God has praised that by addressing the Prophet: "Did We not find you in need and made your free of need?" (93:8) It was through Khadija's wealth that the Almighty made the Prophet self-sufficient in his financial needs.
Although Khadija came from a very affluent background, she did not shy from sacrificing her wealth for the cause of Islam. Not only that, she even willingly went through the difficulties of three years of social/economic embargo imposed upon Prophet Muhammad and his family, the Banu Hashim. The hardship of these three years eventually resulted in her death.
It is to her credit that the Prophet of Islam did not marry another woman as long as Khadija was alive; she was the only wife who bore children for him. The name of Prophet continued through Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet and Khadija.
FATIMA (THE DAUGHTER OF THE PROPHET):
Jab Kabhi Ghairat-e-Insaan Ka Sawaal Aata Hai
Bint-e-Zehra Terey Pardey Ka Khayaal Aata Hai
Fatima bint Muhammad is one of the four noblest women in Islamic teachings. This is not just because she is the daughter of the Prophet of Islam or the wife of Imam Ali or the mother of Hasan and Hussain. These relationships are significant in themselves, but Fatima is important to the Muslims in her own right.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is seen as the perfect model of the values and teachings that were revealed in the holy Qur'an. He was the Last Prophet and the Qur'an was the Final Revelation: no prophet or scripture is to be sent after him. However, the Prophet was a man and so he could not be a complete role model for half of the humanity; therefore, there was a need for a perfect female model of Qur'anic values and teachings. And that role model for women was Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet. This is how Fatima is part of the Prophet; she completes the female dimension of the Prophet's function as a complete role model for humanity.
That is why the Prophet of Islam described Fatima as follows: "The leader of all the ladies of Paradise." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p.819.)
"Fatima is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me angry." (Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 61.)
According to the holy Qur'an (33:33) she is among the infallibles ones in Islam. This status of infallibility comes with being a part of the Prophetic mission: he is the perfect role model for the men whereas she is the perfect role model for women.
Fatima was not only a loving daughter, a loyal wife and a caring mother; she is known in history as a woman of knowledge and wisdom, and she actively stood up for her rights. An excellent example of her social activism can be seen when she was denied her inheritance upon her father's death. Fatima challenged the authorities in power on basis of the Qur'an. She argued that the Qur'an has examples where the children of past prophets inherited their father. Using the Qur'an as her basis, she argued that she should not be denied her right.
PROPERTIES OF THE BEST WOMEN:

• She is content: Such woman is the best one who becomes happy and content when her husband puts a loving glance on her, and when he orders her for something right, she obeys him immediately, and never does any thing against his will. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
• She is a great cook and a good administrator: A woman who cooks neat, clean and delicious food for her husband. Allah has provided great food for such nice wife in paradise. In heaven, she will be asked to drink and eat whatever you wish, as this is the reward for the pain and services which you performed for your husband! - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
• The best woman among your women is one who cooks delicious food, spends the money justly and does not waste it. Such women are the workers of Allah, and the workers of Allah never get hopeless and regretful! - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)
• She is priceless: A woman doesn't have any price, whether she is good or bad. A good and nice lady can not be measured with money or gold or silver, as she is far more expensive and precious than money or gold. Similarly, a woman with bad character and worst nature can not be compared with sand, as sand is far more higher and good than her. - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)
• She is loving, caring and patient: Do not you want me to tell you about those ladies who will enter paradise? A woman who is loving and caring to her husband, and gives births to his children and when he gets angry with her, she instantly says My hand is in your hand like she does not get satisfied until her husband becomes happy with her. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)
• She is obedient: Lucky and fortunate woman is one who respects her husband and does not give him any pain, hurt or discomfort and does not makes him worried and obeys him in all the right aspects of life. - Imam Jafer-e-Sadiq (as)
• She does Jehaad: The Jehaad of woman is that she must not lose her patience if she gets hurt from her husband. Her patience is her Jehaad. - Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)