I am a Muslimah and I stand proud!
Of all the honour I am given
The pleasure of leading to Heaven.
Of all the success I can attain
By striving to avoid sins that stain
I am a Muslimah and I stand proud!
I know that I have duties to fulfill
And I carry them out with pleasure
As I know that this most certainly will,
Lead me to my ultimate treasure.
I am a Muslimah and I stand proud!
In the eyes of the west I may seem oppressed
Little do they know
That I am treated the best.
I am a Muslimah and I stand proud!
I say this without a hint of pride
As with the teachings of our deen
I am justified.
Islam honours women greatly. When she is a mother, Jannah lies under her feet.
The best way to reach Paradise is through one's mother.
She must be respected, obeyed and treated with kindness. Pleasing one's mother is regarded as part of pleasing Allaah. And Islam forbids disobeying one’s mother or making her angry, even by saying a mild word of disrespect. The mother’s rights are greater than those of the father.
Islam also honours women as wives.
When she is a wife, she completes half of the Deen of her husband.
Islam urges the husband to treat his wife in a good and kind manner, and the Quraan states: “And they
(women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is reasonable, but men have a degree of responsibility over them. And Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” [al-Baqarah 2:228]. The reason for men having a degree more is due their responsibility of spending and taking care of the family.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of you is the one who is best to his wife, and I am the best of you to my wives.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah.
And Islam honours women as daughters.
When she is a daughter, she opens a door of Jannah for her father.
Islam states that raising daughters will bring a great reward. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach adulthood, he and I will come like this on the Day of Resurrection,” and he held his fingers together- Narrated by Muslim. Islam honours woman as sisters and as aunts. Islam enjoins upholding the ties of kinship and forbids severing those ties.
Al-Bukhaari narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah Ta’ala, said to the ties of kinship: ‘Whoever upholds you, I will support him, and whoever breaks you, I will cut him off.’” These are merely a few examples that indicate to us the status Islaam has afforded to women. The western world has portrayed a Muslim woman as being “oppressed”. This is undoubtedly false as they say this in ignorance without properly understanding the beauty and wisdom of the laws and teachings of Islaam. We need to understand that these rights, like any other, come with responsibilities that we need to fulfill. We as women are not exempted from the laws of Islaam. Just as men, we need to abide by these commandments.
First come the Huqooqullah (the obligations we owe to our Creator) and then Huqooqul Ibaad (which are the obligations to the creation, viz. our parents, husband, children, family and others we interact with). As a Muslimah, our primary concern should be “Our Deen”. This should be our priority as it will determine our eternal success. It is sad that we have become so distracted by the temptations of this world that we tend to neglect even our Fard obligations. Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has said: “Jahannum is covered with temptation and pleasures while Paradise is covered with trials and difficulties” (Bukhaari). Whatever we choose in this world will lead us to our ultimate abode in the Hereafter. Would we choose the difficult task of putting aside everything, leaving our comforts and performing our salaah or would we give in to our desires and continue in the luxuries and enjoyments of life? This is just one portrayal of how we give into our desires over our obligations. What about the other aspects of our deen?
Are we content with the efforts we are making for our eternal abode? The reason that we place so much importance on the comforts of this world is that it is human nature to give preference to enjoyment that is apparent over that which is unseen. The choice is OURS. Allaah has created two possible destinations and each has an opposite path leading to it. We need to make up our mind as to which destination we aim to attain and whether we are treading on the path that leads to it. It is up to us to make a change in our lives.
We do not need to forsake all our pleasures and comforts of this world. We are not forbidden to partake in them, so long as it is within the confines of Shariah and it does not hinder us from our true purpose and objective in life. Our Islam is a complete way of life and teaches us the importance of good social conduct.
Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has said: “A Muslim is the one from whose hands and tongue other Muslims are safe.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi. "There will be nothing heavier in the balance of the believer on the Day of Qiyamah than good character. Allah dislikes foul language." [at-Tirmidhi] “By his good character a believer can reach the same rank as someone who fasts and prays at night." [Abu Dawud]
Our success is not only dependent upon the ritual acts of worship. Ibaadah and good treatment to those around us go hand in hand. It is only through the Mercy of Allah that we can attain success, but we need to also make the effort. Always remember that we should attempt to live in this world, not let the world live inside us. As when the boat sits on the water, it sails perfectly, but when the water enters the boat, it sinks! Allah grant us all the understanding and make us of those who are practicing Muslimeen!
Ameen YaRabbalAlameen!
By Aalima Raeesa Hussein (Dubai)
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