Jazaa Ul A'maal

HALAAL AND HARAAM

HALAAL AND HARAAM

1. It is not permissible to eat animals and birds that hunt their prey or those animals and birds that eat filthy things. For example, it is haraam to eat lions, wolves, jackals, cats, dogs, monkeys, hawks, falcons, vultures, etc. Those animals that do not fall under this category are halaal. For example, it is halaal to eat parrots, mynahs, doves, sparrows, quails, wild ducks, pigeons, antelopes, buck, ducks, rabbits, etc.

2. It is not permissible to eat badgers, lizards, tortoises, turtles, wasps, mules, donkeys, etc. It is not permissible to eat the meat of a female ass nor is it permissible to drink her milk. It is permissible to eat the meat of horses, but preferable to abstain from it. Among the sea animals, only fish are permissible. All other animals of the sea are haraam.

3. It is permissible to eat fish and locusts without slaughtering them. Apart from these two animals, it is not permissible to eat any animal that has not been slaughtered in the Islamic way. It is haraam to eat an animal that has died a natural death.

4. It is not be permissible to eat a fish if it dies naturally and begins to float on the surface of the water.

5. It is permissible to eat the tripe of halaal animals. It is not haraam to do so, nor makruh.

6. If a few small ants or worms die in anything, it will not be permissible to eat that thing without first removing those dead ants or worms. If one or two ants or worms go down the throat, one will get the sin of eating a dead animal. Some people eat wild figs together with the little worms that are found inside thinking that by eating these wild figs they will not be afflicted by evil eyes or evil gazes. This is haraam. They will get the sin of eating a dead animal.

7. It is not permissible to purchase and eat meat that is sold by a non-Muslim even if he claims that he had it slaughtered by a Muslim. However, if the Muslim who slaughtered it remains in the presence of the non-Muslim all the time until all the meat is sold, it will be permissible to consume such meat. Alternatively, the person who slaughtered the meat could call another Muslim to keep watch over it until all the meat is sold. At no time should any Muslim absent himself from that meat.

8. A fowl or chicken that eats a lot of filthy things should be encaged for three days and only after that should it be slaughtered and eaten. It is makruh to eat such a fowl without encaging it for three days.

INTOXICANTS

1. All alcoholic drinks are haraam and impure. The same rule applies to toddy (a drink that is made by adding hot water and sugar to whisky, rum, or brandy). It is not permissible to consume these alcoholic drinks even as a source of medication. In fact, it is not even permissible to apply medicines that contain alcohol.

2. Apart from alcohol, it is permissible to consume all other intoxicants on the condition that they are consumed only for medication. Furthermore, only that amount will be permissible which does not intoxicate the person. If a person consumes an amount that intoxicates him, it will become haraam upon him. It is also permissible to apply medicines that contain such intoxicants. Such intoxicants are: opium, nutmeg, saffron, etc.

3. It is permissible to consume toddy and alcohol that has turned into vinegar.

4. Some women give opium to their children in an effort to stop them crying and putting them off to sleep. This is haraam.

GOLD AND SILVER UTENSILS

It is not permissible to eat or drink from gold and silver utensils. In fact, it is not permissible to for any purpose items that are made of gold or silver. For example, it is not permissible to:

(a) eat and drink from gold or silver utensils,

(b) clean the teeth with a toothpick made of gold or silver,

(c) sprinkle rose water with a gold or silver utensil which has been made for such a purpose,

(d) to keep surmah in a gold or silver utensil which has been made for such a purpose,

(e) to keep betel-leaves in a container made of gold or silver,

(f) apply oil that is kept in a gold or silver utensil,

(g) lie or sleep on a bed whose legs are made of gold or silver,

(h) look in a mirror that is framed in gold or silver.

All these things are haraam. If a mirror has been framed in this way solely for decoration, it will be permissible to display such a mirror. However, at no time should one look into such a mirror. In short, it is not permissible to use anything that is made of gold or silver.

MISCELLANEOUS MASA’IL

1. It is mustahab to remove the hair of the pubic region and the armpits once a week. If one does not remove these hairs weekly, one should at least remove them every fortnight. If one cannot even do this, one should remove them before forty days. If a person leaves these hairs for more than forty days, he will be sinning.

2. It is makruh for women to call their husbands and parents by name as this shows disrespect. However, certain occasions may demand that they be called by name. In such circumstances it will be permissible to call both the husband and parents by name. Under all conditions and in all circumstances, one should always be mindful of being respectful to one’s husband and parents.

3. It is not permissible to burn any living creature, e.g. it is not permissible to smoke bees in order to get rid of them. It is also not permissible to catch bugs, flies, mosquitoes, etc. and to throw them into a fire. However, if there is no other way of getting rid of them, it will be permissible to do so, e.g. at times it is difficult to get rid of bees. In such a case, it will be permissible to smoke them. It will also be permissible to get rid of bed-bugs by pouring boiling water on the bed if there is no other way of getting rid of them.

4. It is not permissible to take bets, e.g. a person says: “If you eat a full kilo of sweets, I will give you R1. But if you cannot do that, you will have to give me R1.” In other words, it is not permissible to take two-sided bets. However, one-sided bets are permissible.

5. When two persons are talking in privacy, one should not go and sit near them. It is a major sin to try and listen to their conversation. It is mentioned in a Hadith that on the day of judgement, boiling lead will be poured into the ears of the person who tries to listen to the private conversation of others despite their disapproval. We learn from this that it is a major sin to spy on the bride and bride groom or to try and listen to their private conversation.

6. It is not permissible for the wife to discuss or announce the private affairs and conversations that transpired between herself and her husband. It is mentioned in a Hadith that Allah Ta’ala becomes extremely angry when a person discusses or mentions all that transpired between him and his wife.

7. It is not permissible to joke with a person to such an extent that he feels insulted or angered by the joke. One should only joke to the extent that the other person laughs and is amused.

8. It is not permissible to wish for death or to curse oneself when afflicted by any problem or calamity.

9. It is not permissible to play dice games, cards, etc. If these are played for money, they will be regarded as gambling and will therefore be absolutely haraam.

10. Once boys reach the age of ten, they should not be allowed to sleep or lie down next to their sisters, brothers or mothers. Once girls reach the age of ten, they should not be allowed to sleep or lie down next to their brothers and fathers. However, the son can sleep next to his father and the daughter can sleep next to her mother.

11. When a person sneezes, he should say Alhamdolillah. It will be wajib on the person who hears him saying Alhamdolillah to say Yarhamu kumullah. If the latter person does not say this, he will be sinful. Upon hearing this reply, the person who sneezed should say Yaghfirullahu lanaa wa lakum. However, it is not wajib, but mustahab on the person who sneezed to give this reply.

12. After sneezing, a person said Alhamdolillah which was heard by several persons. It will not be wajib on all of them to give a reply to it. If one of them gives a reply, it will be sufficient. However, if none of them gives a reply, all will be sinful.

13. If a person sneezes continuously, it will be wajib to say Yarhamu kumullah up to three times and not more.

14. When a person mentions the name of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, hears it or reads it, it becomes wajib upon him to send salutations to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The person will be sinning if he does not do so. But if his name is mentioned several times, it will not be wajib to recite the durood each time. It will be sufficient to recite it once. But if a person moves from his place and takes his name or hears it again, it will be wajib to recite the durood again.

15. It is not permissible to shave the head of a child in such a way that a certain portion is entirely bald and another portion is left long. Either shave the entire head bald or leave all the hair unshaven.

16. It is not permissible for women to apply perfumes or any other fragrant creams, lotions, etc. in such a way that ghayr mahrams get the smell of the fragrance.

17. It is not permissible to give clothing which is not permissible to wear, e.g. it is not permissible for the husband to purchase clothing that is not permissible for his wife to wear. Similarly, it is not permissible for a tailor or dressmaker to sew clothing which is not permissible for Muslims to wear.

18. It is not permissible to read short stories, novels, novels based on love and beauty which are of a fictitious nature. It is also not permissible to look at books and magazines that have pictures of men and women in shameless clothing or no clothing at all. Books containing love poems should also be abstained from. Books and magazines of this sort should not even be purchased. If they are found in the possession of one’s children, they should be burnt.

19. The custom of making salaam, shaking hands, embracing each other is also sunnah for women. Women should adopt these Islamic customs among themselves.

20. If a person is a guest at someone’s house, he should not give any food or anything else to a beggar from his host’s house without the permission of the latter.

LOST ITEMS THAT ARE FOUND

1. If a person finds an item on the road, pathway or a public gathering, it is haraam for him to pick it up and keep it for himself. Similarly, if he invites some guests to his house for a meal or some other reason and one of the guests leaves some of his personal possessions behind, it is haraam for him to pick it up and keep it for himself. If he decides to pick it up, he should do so with the intention of looking for it’s owner and returning it.

2. If a person finds something and does not pick it up, there will be no sin on him. However, if he finds it at a place where there is the fear that if he does not pick it up, someone else will pick it up and will not return it to it’s owner, then it becomes wajib on this person to pick it up and return it to it’s owner.

3. Once a person finds a lost item and picks it up, it becomes his responsibility to search for it’s owner and to return it to him. If he picks it up and replaces it from where he found it or takes it away with him without looking for it’s owner, he will be committing a sin. This is irrespective of whether he found it at a safe place where he did not fear it getting lost or he found it at an unsafe place. That is, irrespective of whether it was wajib upon him to pick it up or not. The same rule will apply in both cases. That is, once he picks it up, it becomes wajib upon him to search for it’s owner. It is not permissible for him to replace it at the place where he found it.

4. When a person finds an article, he must search for it’s owner and announce the lost item in all the public places that are frequented by men and women. If a woman cannot go to a gathering in which there are men, she should send her husband or another male to go and announce the item that has been found. The person should clearly announce that he has found a particular item and that the owner should come and claim it. However, he should not mention exactly what he has found so that a cheat does not come and claim it falsely. Instead, he should merely give a vague description of it. For example, he must say that he has found some jewellery, clothing or a wallet. Once the claimant comes and gives a clear description of that jewellery, clothing or wallet, it should be given to him.

5. If the person searches extensively for the owner or advertises it properly and still does not find it’s owner to such an extent that he has no hope of finding it’s owner, he should give that item in charity. If the person is poor himself, he can keep it for his personal use. If the owner comes and claims his item after the person had given it in charity, he (i.e. the owner) can demand the value of the lost item as compensation. If he sanctions giving it in charity, he will receive the reward for that.

6. If a domesticated pigeon or parrot falls in one’s yard or house, it will be wajib on the person to search for it’s owner. It is haraam to keep it for himself.

7. If mangoes, guavas or any other fruit is lying fallen in someone’s yard or orchard, it is haraam to pick it up and eat it. However, if an item is of so little value that no one really searches for it, nor does anyone feel offended if it is taken and eaten, it will be permissible to pick up such an item and keep it for oneself. For example, if a person finds some fruit or a handful of dholl, there will be no harm in picking up such items.

8. If buried treasure is found in a house or in a jungle, the same rules as those mentioned above will apply. That is, the person cannot keep it for himself. He will have to search for it’s owner. If the owner is not found, it will have to be given in charity. If he himself is poor, he can keep it for himself.

GLOSSARY

Explanation of Islamic Terms

Arsh: The throne of Allah Ta’ala.

Banu Isra’eel: Literally means the children of Isra’eel. It refers to the progeny of Hadrat Ya’qub alayhis salaam.

Barakah: Literally means “blessings”. It refers to the experiencing of abundance in things which are apparently insignificant or little, both in value and amount.

Burqah: A head covering worn by women.

Dua: Invocation to Allah, supplication, prayer, request, plea.

Durood: The sending of salutations upon Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Eid ul-Ad’haa: The 10th of Zil Hijjah. Literally means “the festival of sacrifice”. It is referred to as ad’haa because it is on this day that animals are sacrificed in the name of Allah and for His pleasure alone.

Eid ul-Fitr: The first day of Shawwaal. Literally means “feast of breaking the Ramadaan fast”. It is referred to as fitr because it is on this day that the month-long Ramadaan fast comes to an end.

Fard: Literally means “compulsory”. In Islam it refers to those acts and things which are compulsory on a Muslim. Abandoning or abstaining from a fard act is a major sin. Rejecting a fard act amounts to kufr.

Ghayr mahram: Refers to all those people with whom marriage is permissible. Based on this, it is also incumbent to observe purdah with all ghayr mahrams.

Haid: Monthly periods or menstruation experienced by a woman.

Hoor: Large-eyed women of paradise promised to the believers.

Ibaadah: Literally means “worship”. In Islam it refers to all those acts with which one renders worship to Allah Ta’ala.

Iddah: In Islamic law it refers to the period of waiting during which a woman may not remarry after being widowed or divorced.

Iftaar: The time of opening one’s fast. This time commences immediately after sunset.

Ihraam: Two pieces of unstitched cloth which are donned by the person performing hajj or umrah.

Jumu’ah musjid: Refers to the musjid in which jumu’ah salaat is offered. It is also referred to as a jaame musjid. It is generally the main musjid in a town or city.

Kaafir: Literally means a “disbeliever”. In Islam it refers to one who rejects Allah and does not believe in Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as the final messenger of Allah.

Kaffarah: Literally means “penance, atonement, expiation”. In Islamic law it refers to redemption from the omission of certain religious duties by a material donation or a ritual act.

Kalaam-e-majeed: Refers to the Holy Quran.

Kalimah: Refers to the basic tenet of Islam, i.e. bearing witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.

Kuffaar: Plural of kaafir.

Kufr: Refers to the state of disbelief.

Kurta: An Urdu word meaning “shirt”. However, due to constant usage, it refers to the long flowing robe worn by Muslim men and which has come to be regarded as an Islamic dress.

Lungi: A loin cloth worn by men especially in eastern countries. A lungi is wrapped around the waist and extends up to the ankles.

Mahram: Refers to the person with whom marriage is not permissible and with whom strict purdah is not incumbent.

Makruh: That which is disliked or detestable but not forbidden.

Meelad: Literally means “birth, birthday”. In this context it refers to the birthday celebrations held in respect for Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. In most cases these celebrations are innovations which are accompanied by many other evils.

Miswaak: A thin stick or twig which is used to clean the teeth.

Mt. Uhud: Name of a mountain outside Madinah.

Muharram: The first month of the Islamic calendar.

Mustahab: That which is preferable or desirable.

Nafl: That which is optional.

Nifaas: Refers to the flowing of blood after child-birth.

Purdah: An Urdu word meaning “seclusion”. It is an equivalent of the Arabic word “hijaab”. Refers to the seclusion of women from strangers. There are different stages of purdah, the highest of which is that the woman should not come out of her home except for a valid Islamic reason.

Qada: Literally means “carrying out or fulfilling”. In Islamic jurisprudence it refers to fulfilling or completing those duties that one may have missed due to some reason or the other.

Qiblah: The direction in which one faces when offering salaat.

Qiyaamah: The day of resurrection.

Qurbaani: Literally means “sacrifice”. In Islam it refers to the sacrificing of animals solely for the pleasure of Allah Ta’ala on the day of eid ul-ad’haa and the two days following it.

Rajab: The seventh month of the Islamic calendar.

Rakaat: Literally means “bending of the torso from an upright position”. In kitaabus salaat it refers to one unit of salaat which comprises of the standing, bowing, and prostrating postures.

Ramadaan: The ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

Sadaqah: Literally means “charity”. This word is also used as an equivalent of zakaat.

Sadaqatul fitr: Refers to the charity that is given on or prior to the day of eid ul-fitr. For further details, refer to the chapter on sadaqatul fitr.

Sajdah: The act of prostrating.

Salaam: Literally means “peace”. In salaat it refers to the saying of “as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah” which denotes the end of the salaat. It is also a way of greeting among Muslims.

Satr: An Urdu word derived from the Arabic “sitr”, which means “cover, shield”. In the Urdu context it refers to that area of the body which has to be covered. It is also referred to as the “aurah”.

Sehri: Refers to the meal partaken before dawn by the person who intends fasting. For further details refer to the chapter on sehri and iftaar.

Sha’baan: The tenth month of the Islamic calendar.

Shirk: Polytheism or ascribing partners to Allah Ta’ala.

Subah saadiq: Literally means “true dawn”. It refers to the time when whiteness (brightness) can be noticed on the breadth of the horizon. It is at this time that the time of fajr salaat commences.

Sub’haanallah: Means “glory to Allah”.

Sufis: A term used to refer to mystics or saints. Such persons are also known as the auliyaa of Allah, i.e. the close friends of Allah. These are the persons who have dedicated their entire lives in the ibaadah of Allah Ta’ala.

Surmah: Antimony. A black powdery substance that is applied to the eyes. It is sunnah to apply surmah.

Tasbeeh: Saying “sub’haanallah”. A rosary that is used to glorify Allah Ta’ala is also called a tasbeeh.

Umrah: Commonly referred to as the lesser pilgrimage. It is similar to hajj with the exception that many of the rites of hajj are left out and that it could be performed throughout the year.

Wajib: Literally means “obligatory’. In Islamic jurisprudence it refers to that act which has not been established by an absolute proof. Leaving out a wajib without any valid reason makes one a faasiq and entails punishment.

Zikr: The remembrance of Allah Ta’ala.

Zil Hijjah: The last month of the Islamic calendar.

Zil Qa’dah: The eleventh month of the Islamic calendar.

(Bahishti Zewar by Maulana Asyraf Ali Thanwi Rahimahullah)

THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF WOMEN FROM THE QURAN AND HADÎTH

BAHISHTI ZEWAR-PIOUS WOMEN-2

WOMEN FROM THE QURAN AND HADÎTH

Up to now, we have mentioned the stories of 100 women. The purpose of these stories was to show their good characteristics. We felt it would be suitable to quote Quranic verses and Ahâdîth which mention the characteristics of pious women, their praiseworthy mannerisms, and their status. When women read these and realize that Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam has specifically mentioned them, their hearts will be filled with joy and they will have a greater desire for good deeds and good characteristics, and even difficult matters will become easy for them.

Quranic verses

Allah has said that those women who are Muslims, who put their îmân in order, who are obedient, who give in charity, who fast, who protect their honour and chastity, who remember Allah abundantly - Allah has set aside forgiveness and a great reward for them.

Allah has said that pious women have the following qualities: they are obedient, and they protect their honour even if the husband is not at home. Allah has further stated that such women are good women, who are steadfast on the Sharî‘ah, whose beliefs are in order, who are obedient, if they commit any act that is contrary to the Sharî‘ah they repent immediately, who occupy themselves in the ‘ibâdah of Allah, and who fast.

Ahâdîth

1. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Allah’s mercy descends on a woman who wakes up for tahajjud and awakens her husband as well.”

2. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The woman who passes away in her virginity, while delivering a child or while in her nifâs shall receive the status of a martyr.”

3. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The woman who loses three of her children and exercises patience considering it to be an act of reward, will be entered into jannah.” A woman asked: “What if she only loses two children in this way?” He replied: “The reward for two is the same.” Another narration mentions that a Sahâbî asked about one child and Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam also mentioned a great reward for such a mother.

4. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The woman who miscarries, that child will draw its mother towards jannah as long as she exercises patience hoping to be rewarded.”

5. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The best possession is a pious wife: when the husband looks at her he is pleased with her, when he orders her to do something she obeys, when the husband goes out, she protects her honour and chastity and remains in her home.”

6. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Among the Arab women, the women of the Quraysh surpass all other women in two aspects: they are very compassionate to their children and they protect the wealth of their husbands.”

Lesson: We learn from this that women should possess these two characteristics. These days, women spend the wealth of their husbands very lavishly. They should display far more compassion and attention to reforming their habits and mannerisms than what they display for their children’s food and clothing. If they do not do this, their compassion and tenderness will be incomplete.

7. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Marry virgin women because their relationship with their husbands is soft and tender, and they are pleased with the minimum that is spent on them.”

Lesson: We learn from this that modesty, consideration and contentment are good characteristics in a woman. This does not mean that one should not marry widows. Instead, this is actually in praise of virgin women. There are certain Ahâdîth in which Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam made du‘â for a certain Sahâbî for marrying a widow.

8. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “When a woman offers her five times salât, keeps the fasts of Ramadân, safeguards her honour, and obeys her husband; she can enter jannah from whichever door she wishes.”

Lesson: This means that if she is steadfast on the necessary forms of ‘ibâdah, there is no need to engage in other forms of ‘ibâdah which are very taxing. The status and reward that one receives for engaging in the other forms of ‘ibâdah can be obtained by a woman by merely obeying her husband, tending to her children, and fulfilling her domestic tasks.

9. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The woman who passes away in such a state where her husband is pleased with her will enter jannah.”

10. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The person who has been blessed with four things has in fact been blessed with the treasures of this world and the hereafter. They are: a grateful heart, a tongue that remembers Allah, a body that exercises patience at the time of calamities and difficulties, a woman who does not cause any taint or blemish with regard to her honour and her husband’s wealth.”

Lesson: In other words, she should not lose her honour nor should she spend her husband’s wealth without obtaining his pleasure.

11. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “A noble and rich woman who is widowed and yet becomes dirty on account of serving and rearing her children to such an extent that they mature and live on their own or pass away, shall be close to me in jannah just as the index finger and middle finger are close to each other.”

Lesson: This does not mean that there is more reward for a woman to abstain from remarrying. What this means is that if a woman feels that by her remarrying, her children will go astray and she has no inclination towards beautifying herself and no desires, then this will be her status.

12. A person said to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “O Rasûlullâh! A certain woman offers plenty of nafl salâts, fasts abundantly and gives a lot in charity. However she causes much verbal harm to her neighbours.” He replied: “She will go into jahannam.” The same person then said: “A certain woman does not offer many nafl salâts, does not fast abundantly nor does she give a lot in charity; she merely gives pieces of panîr (a type of cheese) in charity. However she does not cause any harm to her neighbours.” He replied: “She will go into jannah.”

13. A woman came to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam with two children, one she was carrying and the other she was holding by the hand. Upon seeing this scene, he said: “These women bear the children in their wombs, thereafter they give birth to them, and thereafter they display so much of love and compassion for them. Had their relationship with their husbands not been bad, and had they offered their salâts regularly, they would have went directly into jannah.”

A selection of Ahâdîth from Kanzul ‘Ummâl

1. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam addressed women and said: “Aren’t you pleased that when a woman falls pregnant through her husband and he is happy with her falling pregnant, she will receive a reward equal to a person fasting in the path of Allah and engaging in ‘ibâdah at night in the path of Allah? When she experiences labour pains, the things which are kept in store for her and which will provide her with comfort are not known to all those in the heavens and the earth. Thereafter when the child is born, for every drop of milk that he drinks and each time that he sucks her breast, one reward will be recorded in her favour. When the mother has to wake up at night on account of the child, she will receive the reward of freeing 70 slaves in the path of Allah. O Salâmat! Do you know who these women are? They are those who, despite being pious and delicately brought up, are obedient to their husbands and are not ungrateful to them.”

2. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “When a woman gives anything in charity from her husband’s house without destroying it, she will be rewarded on account of her giving. The husband will also be rewarded because it is his hard-earned money. The person who has been entrusted to distribute the charity will also receive a similar reward. No one’s reward will decrease on account of the other.”

Lesson: A woman should not be under the misconception that if the income is the husband’s she would not receive any reward.

3. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “O women! Your jihâd is performing hajj.”

Lesson: Look at the concession that he has given. That is, by performing hajj, in which they do not have to bear the difficulties of jihâd, they receive the reward of waging jihâd which is the most difficult form of ‘ibâdah.

4. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “There is no jihâd on women, no jumu’ah, nor do they have to accompany the janâzah.”

Lesson: Here again, look at the rewards that they receive by merely staying at home.

5. When Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam took his wives on hajj, he said to them: “This hajj is sufficient for you. Now you must remain on your mats (i.e. in your homes).”

Lesson: This means that they should not undertake any journey without any dire need to do so.

6. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Allah loves the woman who has love and affection for her husband and safeguards herself from other men.”

Lesson: This means that she should not consider it below her dignity to express her love and adulation for her husband as is the habit of certain proud and haughty women.

7. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Women are also parts of men.”

Lesson: It is a well-known fact that Hawwâ was created from Âdam ‘alayhimas salâm. The meaning of this Hadîth is that rules that are applicable to men are applicable to women as well, except for certain specific rules. Based on this, even if their virtues are not mentioned separately, then too there is nothing to complain about. The virtues for good deeds which are mentioned with regard to men are applicable to women as well.

8. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Allah has prescribed jealousy for women and jihâd for men. If a woman exercises patience with îmân in the hope for reward on account of a certain action which may cause her to be jealous, such as her husband marrying a second wife, then she will receive the reward of a martyr.”

Lesson: Look at the great reward that a woman receives on account of a little self-control and patience as opposed to the man who has to undergo so many difficulties to receive that reward (i.e. the reward of a martyr).

9. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “By doing your wife’s work you will receive the reward of charity.”

Lesson: Look at how the Sharî‘ah has shown you the ways of providing comfort to women. It has promised to reward you in such a way that every Muslim will provide comfort to his wife in the hope for this reward.

10. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The best woman is the one whom when her husband looks at her he is pleased with her, when he orders her to do something she obeys him, and she does not displease him by doing anything contrary regarding his wealth and honour.”

11. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “May Allah have mercy on women who wear izâr.”

Lesson: On account of purdah, wearing the izâr is something that is natural to women. Despite this, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam has made du‘â for such women. This is a great form of compassion towards women.

12. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The immorality of one woman is equal to the immorality of 1000 men. The piety of one pious woman is equal to the ‘ibâdah of 70 ’auliyâ’.”

Lesson: Look at the immense reward for a mere small act. If this is not in consideration of women then what is it?

13. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The fulfilling of domestic tasks by a woman can cause her to reach the stage of jihâd - Inshâ’ Allah.”

Lesson: How marvellous! There is no end to the bounties of Allah Ta‘âlâ.

14. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The best woman among you is the one who is untainted with regard to her honour and chastity, and who loves her husband.”

Lesson: To love the husband is actually happiness of the heart. Despite this, there is virtue and reward in it.

15. A person said to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “O Rasûlullâh! I have a wife. When I go to her, she says to me: ‘Welcome to my chief and the chief of my household.’ When she sees me sad and sorrowful, she says: ‘Why are you worrying about the world? Your hereafter is being made easy for you.’” Upon hearing this, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Inform her that she is from among all those who are working for Allah (i.e. doing good deeds) and she is receiving half the reward of those waging jihâd.”

Lesson: Look at the immense reward she received for this insignificant gesture of hers (which caused comfort to her husband).

16. ’Asmâ’ bint Yazîd Ansâriyyah relates that she addressed Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam saying: “O Rasûlullâh! I have been sent as an envoy by other women. They are saying that men have surpassed us on account of their attending the jumu’ah salât, congregational salât, visiting the sick, attending the janâzah, hajj, ‘umrah, and defending the borders of the Islamic state.” He replied: “Go back to these women and inform them that for them to beautify themselves for their husbands or fulfil the marital relationships with them, to search for those things which will cause the husband to be pleased with them, and to be obedient to the husband equals all the above actions (which are carried out by men).”

17. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The reward that a woman receives from the time that she falls pregnant until she delivers the child and commences breast-feeding is equal to the person who is guarding the borders of the Islamic state and who has to be ever ready to wage jihâd. If this woman dies in the course of this period, she will receive the reward of a martyr.”

18. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “When a woman breast-feeds her child, the reward that she receives for every sip is as if she has given life to a dead person. When she commences breast-feeding, an angel taps her on her back (a form of congratulation) and says to her: ‘All your past sins are forgiven. Now whatever you do will be recorded from the very beginning.’” That is, the sins that you may commit will be written for the future. Minor sins are referred to in this context. However, having one’s minor sins forgiven is no small feat.

19. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “O women! Remember that the pious among you will enter jannah before the pious men. (Later when their husbands will enter jannah) they (the pious women) will be given a bath, perfumed and then handed over to their husbands on red and yellow conveyances. They will have children with them who will be like scattered pearls.”

Lesson: O women! What greater virtue do you wish to have? You have already reached jannah before the men. Obviously, the prerequisite is that you should become pious and this is not difficult.

20. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The woman whose husband is not at home, and she safeguards her honour, abandons beautifying herself, remains at home, abandons everything that is considered to be a form of beautification and offers salât with steadfastness will rise on the day of judgement as a virgin. If her husband was a true believer, she will be his wife in jannah. If he was not a true believer, e.g. if he passed away without îmân, Allah will perform her nikâh with a martyr.”

21. Abû Dardâ’ radiyallâhu ‘anhu narrates: “My friend, Abul Qâsim sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, made me a bequest. He said: ‘Continue spending on your house folk according to your ability.’”

Lesson: Those who act miserly when it comes to spending on their wives despite being able to spend should ponder over this Hadith.

22. ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu says: “A person will not become a manager over his house as long as he does not worry about how the house folk clothed themselves or how they extinguished the fire of hunger.”

Lesson: Those men who do not worry about their house folk due to their (men) selfishness should take a lesson from these words of Hadrat ‘Alî.

Additional Ahâdîth from Mishkât

23. Abû Hurayrah radiyallâhu ‘anhu narrates that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Accept my advice of kindness towards women because they have been created from a rib….”

Lesson: In other words, do not expect to straighten them completely. Exercise patience over their lower understanding. Look at how we have been commanded to take them into consideration and be lenient towards them.

24. Abû Hurayrah radiyallâhu ‘anhu narrates that a believing man should not despise a believing woman (i.e. his wife) because if he does not like a certain habit or trait of hers, he is bound to like some other habit of hers.

Lesson: In other words, he should think about this and thereby exercise patience.

25. ‘Abdullâh bin Zam‘ah narrates that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Do not strike your wife as you would your slave and thereafter engage in sexual intercourse with her at the end of the day.”

Lesson: In other words, if you do this, how will she show affection towards you?

26. Hakîm bin Mu‘âwiyah narrates from his father that he said: “O Rasûlullâh! What rights do our wives have over us?” He replied: “When you eat, you must also feed them. When you clothe yourself, you should also clothe them. Do not strike them on their faces. If you have any quarrel with her, it should be left in the house.” In other words, if you have any quarrel with her, this quarrel should not go out of the house (or should not be mentioned to anyone).

27. Abû Hurayrah radiyallâhu ‘anhu narrates that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “The best among the believers is he whose character is the best. And the best among you is the one who is best with his wife.”

ADVICES FROM THE QURAN AND HADITH CONCERNING CERTAIN SHORTCOMINGS OF WOMEN

When we mentioned the good characteristics of women, one can deduce that there are certain shortcomings which are also found in them. These shortcomings cause a blemish on their piety and spirituality. We will mention these shortcomings which have been referred to by Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and regarding which they have advised against. In doing this, Inshâ’ Allah, women will adopt a repugnance for these evil habits and thereby attain total piety.

Quranic verses

Allah says that the women regarding whom you know will not obey you should first be advised. If they do not take heed, abstain from sleeping, sitting, etc. with them. If they still do not take heed, strike them. If they obey you thereafter, do not search for things in order to cause harm to them.

Lesson: We learn from this that it is a very evil practice to disobey the husband.

Allah says that when you walk, you should not stamp your feet on the ground causing the jewellery to tinkle, whereby strangers may able to deduce (who is walking, the age of the person, etc.).

Lesson: It is not permissible to wear tinkling jewellery at all. This verse is in reference to those that do not tinkle on their own, but do so when they touch other jewellery. One should understand well that if one has to be so cautious with regard to the feet (which constitute just a part of the body), how much more cautious a woman will have to be with regard to her voice and the exposure of her body.

Ahâdîth

1. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “O women! I have seen many of you in jahannam.” They asked the reason for this. He replied: “You curse too much, you are ungrateful to your husbands, and when they give you anything, you despise it.”

2. A woman who was in the presence of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam began cursing her fever (that she had contacted). He said: “Do not speak ill of your fever because your sins are forgiven because of this fever.”

3. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “If a woman who is in the habit of crying in a shouting manner does not repent from this action, she will rise on the day of judgement in such a state that oil will be wrapped around her body just as a dress is wrapped around her body. This oil will be such that it catches on fire very quickly and the entire body will be afflicted by scabies. In other words, she will receive two types of punishment - one is that her entire body will be covered with scabies, and the other is that the fire of jahannam will devour her.”

4. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “O women! No neighbour should despise anything that her neighbour sends to her even though it may be the hoof of a sheep.”

Lesson: Many women have this evil habit of despising anything that is sent by their neighbours and cursing them as well.

5. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “A woman was punished because of a cat. She had caught this cat and tied it up. She neither fed it nor let it free. It died panting (out of hunger and thirst).”

Lesson: Similarly, it is punishable for one to domesticate an animal and thereafter be negligent in feeding it and tending to it.

6. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Certain men and women engage in the ‘ibâdah of Allah for sixty years. However, at the time of death they make a bequest (wasîyyah) that is contrary to the Sharî‘ah and thereby become eligible for jahannam.”

Lesson: For example, some people are in the habit of saying the following at the time of death: “A certain item of mine should be given to my grandson. Do not give it to my brother. The major portion of a certain item should be given to a certain daughter, while the other daughter should receive the lesser amount.” All this is harâm. The masâ’il related to bequests and inheritance should be found out from an ‘âlim and acted upon. Never act contrary to that which the Sharî‘ah has prescribed.

7. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “A woman should not meet another woman in such a state that she describes her to her husband in such a way as if he is looking at her.”

8. Once, two of Rasûlullâh’s sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam wives were sitting with him. A blind Sahâbi was approaching so he asked his wives to observe purdah. Out of surprise, both of them said: “He is blind!” Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied: “But you are not blind, you can see him.”

9. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “When any woman causes distress to her husband in this world, the hûr of jannah who has been set aside for this person says: ‘May Allah destroy you. He is your guest, very soon he will leave you and come to us.’”

10. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “I have not seen such women of jahannam who will be wearing clothes but will in fact be naked, they will walk in a proud swaying manner, they will tie their hair in such a way that it appears to be plenty - like the hump of the camel - such women will not enter jannah, in fact they will not even get the fragrance of jannah.”

Lesson: This means that when the pious women will go into jannah, these women will not go with them. It is possible for them to enter jannah later, but only through the barakah of îmân.

11. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “If a woman wears gold jewellery for show, she will be punished with the same jewellery.”

12. Once Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was on a journey when he heard the voice of someone cursing. He asked: “Who was that?” The people replied: “A certain woman who is cursing the animal that she is riding.” Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Remove her from her camel and also remove all her possessions that are on it. According to her, this camel deserves to be cursed, so why is she using it?”

Note: Thus far, we have mentioned 5 Quranic verses and 52 Ahâdîth. At the beginning of this part, we mentioned many noble characteristics of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. It is necessary to adopt them all the time. In the previous parts of Bahishti Zewar we mentioned various pious acts and words of advice in great detail. Bear all these in mind and practise them. ’Inshâ’ Allah, you will attain great stages on the day of judgement. If not, you will meet the same fate as that of evil women. If at any time you are able to understand the Quran and Hadith, you will read incidents of many irreligious, evil-minded, disbelieving, and disobedient women. May Allah guide you and I to live like the pious, die among them, and be raised among them. ’Âmîn.

SUPPLEMENT (B) TO BAHISHTI ZEWAR

When the eighth part (seventh of the English translation) of Bahishti Zewar was being written, I wrote stories of pious women and I had also written a few stories of evil women and women who had repented over their evil ways. However, on account of fearing that this book will get too lengthy, I only included the stories of pious women and at the end of the book I sufficed with writing on the shortcomings of women and giving them advice in this regard. The stories of evil women remained in their manuscript form and occasionally when I had reason to look at this manuscript I awaited an opportunity to print it. Coincidentally, a learned and experienced person of my village wrote an article on the shortcomings and defects of women with the intention of reforming their condition. Upon reading this article, I realized the importance of those stories which I had written but did not have the opportunity to print. I thought that it would be good to gather all those stories and include them in the eighth part as a supplement with the hope that such women will draw a lesson from these stories and thereby get the guidance of making taubah. Because the article that this person had written was a bit harsh and written in an angry tone, and at places he was a bit general, I wrote a balanced note in the beginning in order to compensate for this harsh tone and generality, and then his article was included. I have arranged this collection in the following manner: stories of evil women, stories of evil women who repented, thereafter the precautionary note, and then the article of that person. This collection could be regarded as a commentary of this part of Bahishti Zewar.

(Maulânâ) Ashraf ‘Alî Thânwî

15 Muharram 1330 A. H.

The story of ‘Unuq

This woman lived in the era of Âdam ‘alayhis salâm. She is the first person to commit adultery and thereby disgrace herself. Allah punished her in this world by sending huge snakes as big as elephants, huge scorpions as big as camels, huge vultures as big as donkeys from the unseen. They all came and ate her up together.

Lesson: Look at the consequence of this evil deed. No one should think that it is not possible to be punished in this way anymore. Remember that it is only because of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam that we are not punished so severely in this world. However, we will get all the punishments in the hereafter. When there is no doubt about the approach of the hereafter, how is it possible for us to be so neglectful? Furthermore, no one should be under the misconception that one is disgraced only because of adultery. In fact, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is reported to have said that the eyes, the ears, the tongue, the hands, the feet and the heart also commit adultery. If a woman peeps at a strange man, the bride-groom or the marriage procession (in which there are men), this will be considered to be the sinning of the eyes. If, without any compelling reason, she freely converses with him, this will be considered to be sinning of the tongue. If she listens to a male’s voice in order to satisfy her nafs or listens to him singing songs, this will be the sinning of the ears. If she touches a person with whom she was supposed to be observing purdah, or places her hand on his shoulder or head, this will be the sinning of the hands. If she walks in order to go and meet such a person or she walks in front of him so that he may see her, this will be the sinning of the feet. If she thinks about him or tries to remember him all the time, this will be the sinning of the heart. The consequences and sin of adultery will therefore also apply in these cases. One should fear the power and anger of Allah and safeguard oneself from all these evils.

The story of Wâ‘ilah

She is the wife of Nûh ‘alayhis salâm. However, she did not accept îmân. When the flood commenced and water began gushing out of the ground, Nûh ‘alayhis salâm asked the believers to board his ship. He went to his wife and son and asked them to accept îmân and thereby board the ship. However, they did not accept îmân, nor did they board the ship. In fact, they did not even believe that the flood was approaching and mocked at Nûh ‘alayhis salâm for holding such a belief. When the flood came, both of them drowned.

Lesson: Mention of this woman has also been made in the Quran in the same way that despite her being the wife of an accepted servant of Allah (i.e. Nûh ‘alayhis salâm), but because she did not tread the path of Dîn, her being his wife did not help her in any way and she was sent to jahannam. O women! Understand this well and do not depend on the piety of your husband, father, brother or son. As long as your Dîn and îmân are not in order, the piety of any of your relatives will be of no avail.

The wife of Lût ‘alayhis salâm

She was also a kâfir and she used to help the kuffâr in their evil ways. When the time approached for Allah to send His punishment on the kuffâr, He sent angels to inform Lût ‘alayhis salâm. They said to him: “Leave your residence the following morning because the punishment of Allah is about to descend on this village. Take the believers with you and leave this village on this very night. No one should look back at this village.” Acting on the orders of Allah, Lût ‘alayhis salâm left his village. This woman also joined them in order to save her life. When the time came for the punishment of this village, Allah caused stones to rain down on them and there was a great uproar. All the believers lowered their heads out of fear and continued on their way. No one looked around. However, this woman, who had relatives among the kuffâr and whose way of life was just like their’s, looked around to see what is happening to those people. The moment she turned around, a stone pelted her and she fell down dead.

Lesson: The story of this woman has been related in the Quran in a similar manner to that of Nûh’s ‘alayhis salâm wife (whom we have mentioned previously). That is, despite her being the wife of a prophet, this did not help her in any way because she herself was not on the path of Dîn. O women! Understand this well. It is only your îmân and your Dîn that will be of any benefit to you. Some women spoil their Dîn on account of their relatives by maintaining close contact with their irreligious relatives. Look at this woman! On account of her love for her relatives she was destroyed and she lost her life and îmân as well. Had she accepted îmân and abstained from looking back, she would have been saved from all calamities. Remember, you should not maintain any close contact with those who do not follow Allah and His Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

The story of Sadûf

She was a kâfir woman in the time of Sâlih ‘alayhis salâm. Her ways and habits were not good. There was another woman whose ways and habits were similar to her’s. She had many goats and other dairy animals in her house. It was the miracle of Sâlih ‘alayhis salâm that through the power of Allah, he took out a camel from a rock. A major portion of the water of that village was obtained from a particular well. All the animals were given water from this well. Ever since the camel was created, acting upon the orders of Allah, the town people specified turns for drawing water in such a way that one day all the animals will receive water, and the following day this camel alone will receive water from this well. The reason for this system was that this camel was very powerful and used to consume a lot of water. If it had to drink on one day, there would be nothing left for the other animals. All the kuffâr did not like this system of distribution. These two women whom we have mentioned above complained to another two men who were of similar character by saying: “We have the most number of animals but they have to remain without water for one full day. You try and sort out this problem and we will be pleased with you and obey you in whatever you say.” These two scoundrels rounded up a few friends of theirs, concealed themselves on the path of the camel and awaited its arrival. This camel was on its way to drink water. When it came in line with these scoundrels, they pounced onto it with their swords. They chopped off its legs, causing it to fall to the ground. Once it fell down, they killed it with their swords. The moment this happened, the punishment of Allah descended on these people. On the first day, all their faces turned yellow, on the second day they turned red, and on the third day they turned black. On the fourth day there was a gigantic earthquake and fire began raining down from the skies. Thereafter, Jibra’îl uttered a piercing scream whereby all their hearts burst open, they all died and their bodies were reduced to ashes on account of the fire.

Lesson: Look! Because of the evil nature of two women, this calamity descended on every one. These two women planned this whole conspiracy because of their love for wealth.O women! Remove the love of wealth and possessions from your hearts. May Allah save you because we don’t know from where the evil consequences of this (love) will cause a calamity. As far as possible, you should have hatred for such evil women in your hearts. If you have to converse with them or meet them, do not adopt a soft attitude towards them. If you do so, there is a fear of you also being afflicted if any calamity descends upon them. If you display displeasure and hatred towards them, you will save yourself from sin and the punishment of Allah.

The story of Arbîl

This woman was the wife of an idol-worshipping king during the time of Ilyâs ‘alayhis salâm. She herself was an oppressive and merciless woman. She had killed many prophets. She had a neighbour who was a pious person. He had an orchard on which he was dependent for his living. This orchard was very beautiful and all the people used to speak in praise of it. This woman was very jealous of this and was always planning to appropriate it and kill this pious person. Coincidentally, her husband went on a journey and left her behind. It was his habit of leaving her in charge of the affairs of the kingdom. When he embarked on this journey, he handed over the affairs of the kingdom to her. After he left, she rounded up a few persons and instructed them to falsely testify in court that this pious person had spoken against the king. It was the rule of the king that if anyone spoke against him and was proven guilty, he would be killed. This woman had this pious person arrested and brought to court. She said to him: “I have heard that you have spoken against the king.” He denied this allegation. She called for those persons whom she had trained before-hand to testify against him. They came and testified that he had spoken against the king. This woman therefore had this innocent person killed and seized his orchard. When the king returned from his journey, Allah revealed to Ilyâs ‘alayhis salâm that he should go to the king and inform him that an innocent Muslim has been killed and his orchard has been seized. If the king and his wife repent and return the orchard to the person’s inheritors, well and good. If not, Allah will destroy them. When Ilyâs ‘alayhis salâm went and informed the king, he became very angry and instead of repenting, he became an enemy of Ilyâs ‘alayhis salâm. Eventually, Ilyâs ‘alayhis salâm left that place after Allah ordered him to do so. A few days later, the king’s son fell ill and passed away. Before he could overcome this grief, another king invaded his kingdom, captured it, and killed him and all the other kuffâr.

Lesson: Look at the consequences of this. O women! It is an act of oppression to commit the following acts: to intend to take away something that belongs to someone else, to say something to someone wrongfully, to hit or harm someone wrongfully, to cause harm to someone by taunting him, or to make ghîbah of a person. You have read the consequences of all this. You should therefore safeguard yourself from all this.

The story of Nâ’ilah

There was a tribe by the name of Jurhum which had settled down in Makkah when Ismâ‘îl ‘alayhis salâm was still a child. A woman by the name of Nâ’ilah belonged to this tribe. She had the audacity of committing adultery inside the Ka’bah. Allah’s punishment descended on her and the man who committed this evil act and they both turned into stone. The name of this man was Isâf. The people carried them to Safâ and Marwah and placed one of them on Safâ and the other on Marwah. They did this so that the people will look at them and fear the punishment of Allah. They remained there for a long time. Eventually, a time came when ignorant persons began worshipping these two statues out of stupidity. It is for this reason that when Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam came, he had them removed and destroyed.

Lesson: May Allah save us from His anger. This is the consequence of disobeying Him. If a person is saved in this world, how will he save himself in the hereafter? We learn from this that it is more serious to commit a sin in a holy place. In the same way, it is more serious to commit a sin at a sacred time. Some people do not even give up sinning in Ramadân and other holy months and days. The result of this is that the punishment is greater irrespective of whether it is ghîbah, oppression, spending money in prohibited things, etc.

The story of the wife of Bal‘am Bâ‘ûr

He was a very pious and abstinent person who lived in Syria. When the Muslims who belonged to the tribe of Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm joined Yûsha‘ ‘alayhis salâm in order to free Baytul Maqdis from the hands of the kuffâr, the people of that place went to Bal‘am and asked him to make a du‘â against the Muslims so that they may be defeated. However, he refused and said: “It is extremely evil for a person to make du‘â against a prophet and his followers. I will never do it.” The people then went to his wife with a lot of wealth and gold and told her to contrive a plan to influence her husband in making the du‘â. Because of her greed for all that wealth, she went to her husband and seduced him in such a way that he agreed to make the du‘â. The moment he decided to make the du‘â, he became bereft of his îmân and his tongue drooped up to his chest. When the Muslims gained victory, Bal‘am Bâ‘ûr was also killed.

Lesson: Look at what an evil thing greed is. For the sake of wealth and gold this woman destroyed her Dîn and her husband as well in that he lost his îmân and his life. O women! Even today, women who are overwhelmed by greed ask their husbands to receive bribes and are extremely proud to say that they have a lot of jewellery and a lot of money without even thinking for a moment that both husband and wife are preparing themselves for hell.

The story of the woman who killed Yahyâ ‘alayhis salâm

There was a king who had a wife that had been married previously. This woman had a daughter from her previous marriage. When this woman became old, she felt that her husband (the king) will most probably become attracted to another woman. She therefore decided to get this daughter of hers married to her husband. She even got her daughter to agree to this liaison. This daughter also began making plans to attract the king towards her with various strategies. He also became attracted towards her. When Yahyâ ‘alayhis salâm heard about this, he tried to stop the king from this. However, all three of them became his enemies and had him captured, brought before them, and be-headed. After this, the king decided to commit the prohibited act with this step-daughter of his. Yahyâ’s severed head began speaking and said: “O you fool, she is not halâl for you!” But this wicked king paid no heed. Upon this, the blood from the head of Yahyâ ‘alayhis salâm began to boil and overflow and did not subside. The ‘ulamâ of that time said that as long as the blood of his killer is not made to flow (i.e. as long as they are not killed), this blood will not subside. There was a king of another neighbouring land. When he heard about this, he invaded this place and killed all the killers of Yahyâ ‘alayhis salâm and 70 000 other kuffâr. Only then did the flowing of that blood subside.

Lesson: May Allah save us from satanic acts. Can you see the consequences of following one’s nafs: a prophet is killed, a sinful act is committed, even then the nafs was not satisfied, soon thereafter they were punished for this tyranny and all those people who had remained silent and did not express their displeasure at the actions of the king were all punished. We learn from this that following one’s nafs, oppressing someone, and not expressing one’s displeasure at seeing actions that are contrary to the Sharî‘ah are actions that are extremely serious. One should safeguard oneself from all this. When the nafs prompts you to do something contrary to the Sharî‘ah, don’t ever obey it and don’t ever abandon the Sharî‘ah. Don’t oppress anyone in any way irrespective of whether it is by causing him psychological harm, disgracing him or causing him financial harm - all this is considered to be oppression. If a person does anything contrary to the Sharî‘ah, hate his action in your heart. If he cannot harm you in any way, show your dislike outwardly as well. By your liking such a person and maintaining contact with him, there is a fear that you will also be afflicted when he is punished.

The story of Shamsûn’s Wife

When ‘Îsâ ‘alayhis salâm was raised to the heavens, this Shamsûn was a very pious and abstinent person. Allah had blessed him with a lot of power. There was a kâfir king who was his enemy. He sent a message to Shamsûn’s wife informing her that if she can capture Shamsûn and bring him to him, he will take her into his marriage. When Shamsûn fell asleep, this wretched woman fastened his hands and feet and handed him over to the kuffâr. They took him to the king. The king made an announcement that Shamsûn will be suspended on a cross and whoever wishes to see him may do so. Thousands of people gathered to watch this spectacle. It was at this time that Shamsûn made a du‘â, the king’s palace collapsed onto him, and he died. All the people rushed to remove the king’s body from underneath the rubble. In the meantime, Shamsûn freed himself and reached safely home. Upon reaching home, he divorced his wife.

Lesson: Greed had completely overpowered this woman to the extent that she was even disloyal to such a good and pious husband. Despite this, she did not get what she desired for and even lost this good husband. This is how one is always punished for evil deeds. One should protect oneself from greed.

The story of the woman who accused Jurayj

In the time between the era of ‘Îsâ ‘alayhis salâm and Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, there was a pious person by the name of Jurayj. He occupied himself in the ibaadah of Allah at a young age. He distanced himself from society and built a house for his ‘ibâdah in a jungle. Once he was busy offering nafl salât when his mother came and called for him. Because he was occupied in his salât, he could not reply to her call. However, his mother did not know that he was busy in salât. She therefore became angry and said: “O Allah! Make it such that he sees the face of a prostitute.” Since parents have a great right over the children, the ruling is that when they call for you while you are engaged in nafl salât and they do not know that you are busy in this nafl salât, you should break your salât and answer their call. However, Jurayj did not know this rule and therefore did not reply. In this way, he displayed a shortcoming in fulfilling the right of his mother. And it was for this reason that she cursed him. On account of this, a few jealous persons went to a prostitute and asked her to disgrace Jurayj in some way or the other. She fell pregnant on account of an illicit relationship with someone and alleged that Jurayj is the father of the child. The people went to his house and completely destroyed it. They harassed Jurayj and informed him that this woman claims that you are the father of this child. Jurayj addressed this small breast-fed child by saying: “Who is your father?” This small child (who had not yet reached the age where he could speak) spoke and gave the name of a certain shepherd. Upon hearing this, all the people became staunch adherents of Jurayj. They began embracing him and told him that they will rebuild his house with gold. He replied: “No, make it with mud, just as it was previously.” Eventually, they made him a house as it had been previously.

Lesson: Look at how that woman was disgraced by accusing a pious person and how Allah humiliated her. Don’t ever accuse an innocent person. Some women have the habit of accusing another woman of adultery or stealing on the slightest suspicion. These are all sinful acts. We also learn that it is not good to curse the children all the time because we do not know when it will be accepted. Thereafter, the children are put into difficulty and on seeing this, the parents are also distressed. We also learn that parents have great rights over their children. These days, many people are neglectful in this regard. O women! Don’t ever be neglectful in this regard, nor should you display any shortcoming in this regard.

A merciless woman from the Banû Isrâ’îl

It is mentioned in Bukhârî that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam mentioned a story from the Banû Isrâ’îl. There was a woman who had caught a cat and kept it enclosed without feeding it, giving it anything to drink, or leaving it open so that it could catch rats and thereby fend for itself. This cat soon died out of extreme hunger. Allah admitted her into jahannam. It is mentioned in another narration that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam saw this cat walking on this woman’s chest and scratching her with its nails and claws.

Lesson: You have read the consequences of mercilessness. Do not be merciless irrespective of whether it be a human or an animal. However, if a dog or cat troubles you a lot, it will be permissible to strike it. But it is a great sin to tease it. Some hard-hearted persons domesticate parrots, mynahs, and other animals - they encage such animals and do not even worry about their food and drink. Furthermore, they have no concern over their need to be in the sun or in the shade, nor do they even worry about freeing them. The consequence of teasing an animal in this manner is also disastrous in this world. Such persons are prone to various difficulties and have no peace of mind. As for punishment in the hereafter, you have already read what happened to this woman. O women! Safeguard yourself from mercilessness.

An immoral woman from the previous Ummahs

‘Uthmân radiyallâhu ‘anhu narrates that there was a pious and abstinent person in the previous ummahs. An immoral woman desired him, so she sent her slave-girl to him with the following message: “I have engaged in a major financial transaction with someone. I need a witness for this purpose. There is a great reward in becoming a witness for the pleasure of Allah. Please come and make yourself a witness.” This person was a simple-minded person. He therefore went to her house. The moment he entered her house, the slave-girl locked all the doors. When he went further, he saw that immoral woman sitting down with a bottle of alcohol at her side and a small boy next to her. When she saw him she said: “I did not call you to be a witness but to break your piety. Either engage in sexual intercourse with me, drink this alcohol or kill this boy.” This poor pious servant was at a total loss, not knowing what to do in order to save his life. After pondering over the matter, he came to the conclusion that drinking the alcohol is the lightest of all the sins. The moment he drank the alcohol, he lost his senses and thereby committed the other two sins as well.

Lesson: Sins have a special relationship in the sense that once a person commits one sin, it leads him to other sins as well. It is for this reason that one should abstain from all sins irrespective of whether they be minor or major. If not, the doors of all other sins are opened. It has been noticed that a woman wishes to marry her children according to the norms and customs of that place or her family thinking that although it is contrary to the Sharî‘ah, it is not such a serious thing. She also has the money which she had estimated that it would cost her to have this wedding. After thinking over all these matters, she commenced with the preparations. Upon embarking on the preparations, she encounters so many complications, that many major sins are also committed. At times, the expenses go beyond the actual estimation and she has to take loans on interest. At times, she may mix her money with that of her orphan children and spend it without differentiating between the two. It is harâm for her to spend their wealth. That very harâm wealth is used to feed her guests. Look at how one sin led to another. In the same way, all other sins lead to many other sins.

A deceitful woman from the Banû Isrâ’îl

Mûsû ‘alayhis salâm filled a well with water and made such a du‘â that the water had such an effect that if an immoral woman had to drink that water, her face would turn black in colour and she would die immediately. The effect of this water remained even after the demise of Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm. Once, a person suspected his wife of adultery. This suspicion of his was true. When the husband began talking about this and mentioned it to the judges of that time, they gave a ruling that she should drink the water from that well and summoned for her. She had another sister who looked very much like her. It was extremely difficult to distinguish the two. This woman deluded her sister into going on her behalf. She went and drank the water in the presence of everyone. Since she was pure, nothing happened to her and all the people were surprised. When she went home and met her impure sister, the moment her breath touched her, her entire face turned black. She died there and then, and everyone came to know of her treachery.

Lesson: Treachery and concealing something does not last for long. Allah definitely disgraces the person. O women! You should keep your heart pure in your speech and dealings, and your tongue (speech) true.

The story of Umme Jamîl

She is the wife of the kâfir Abu Lahab. She is mentioned in the Quran in Sûrah al-Masad (chapter 111). She bore so much of hatred towards Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam that she used to go into the jungle, bring thorny twigs and throw them at night on the path which Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam would take so that they may prick his feet. Once she was walking with the bundle of twigs on her head with the rope of the bundle under her chin so that the bundle does not open up. All of a sudden, the bundle fell backwards and the rope that was under her chin slipped to her throat. It strangled her and she died.

Lesson: May Allah save us. The consequences of hatred and malice towards the Dîn and pious people are terrible in this world and in the hereafter as well. Some women are in the habit of rejecting the masâ’il that are taught by the ‘ulamâ. They mock at those who act on these masâ’il. This specifically happens when they act upon the masâ’il that are connected to weddings and funerals or advices in this regard. They do not like this advice and feel insulted. This is also regarded as bearing hatred towards the Dîn. You have already read the consequences of this in this world and in the hereafter. Repent from such actions and abstain from them in the future.

The story of the women who were killed on the day that Makkah was conquered

Makkah was under the control of the kuffâr. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam expelled them and took control over Makkah. This incident is known as the conquest of Makkah. There were many women among these kuffâr who used to sing poems and songs denouncing Islam. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam issued an order to have such women killed wherever they are found. Among them, these four women were killed: Qarîbah, Fartanah, Arît, and Umme Sa‘d.

Lesson: Our Rasûl sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam was extremely merciful and noble. He also prohibited the Muslims from killing the kuffâr women who participated in the battles. However, the evils of these four women were so extensive that it became the order of Allah that they be killed because Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not do anything without the order of Allah. The crime that they committed was that they denounced Islam and combined this with poetry and singing. Even today, some women have this sickness of saying whatever they wish against the Sharî‘ah. Some women even sing songs against the ‘ulamâ. They should fear the consequences of this.

The story of Zaynab bint Hârith

There was a place by the name of Khaybar which was inhabited by Jews. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallamhad waged a war against them and defeated them. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam remained behind after the victory. A Jewish woman by the name of Zaynab came to him and gave him some food as a gift. This wretched woman had mixed some poison in that food. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and a few of his Sahâbah began eating it. Through the power of Allah, he realized that this food had been poisoned. He immediately withdrew his hand and ordered his Sahâbah to stop eating. However, one Sahâbî had already died because of this poisoning. The effect of this poison remained with Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and eventually became the cause of his death as well. It is mentioned in some books of Hadith that after the Sahâbî died, this woman was questioned and she admitted to poisoning the food. She was therefore killed.

Lesson: The enmity of this woman towards Islam led her to this treacherous act. O women! Don’t ever have evil thoughts about Islam and the Sharî‘ah. You should accept it happily.

The story of Labîd’s (a Jew) daughters

They all agreed to practice black magic in order to kill Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He was saved from being killed but the effect of this was that his memory became weak - not in Dînî matters but with regard to eating, drinking, sitting, walking, etc. Thereafter, Allah revealed Sûrah al-Falaq (chapter 113) and Sûrah an-Nâs (chapter 114). Through the barakah of these two sûrahs, the effect of this black magic disappeared completely.

Lesson: The enmity of these people towards Dîn debased them to the extent that they even planned to kill Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Don’t ever bear any hatred towards the Dîn and the pious.

The story of Salmâ bint Mâlik

This woman had become a Muslim in the era of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. He had predicted that she will not remain a Muslim. After the demise of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam she became crazed in establishing her own government and turned away from Islam. Many other kuffâr joined her. Eventually, the Muslim armies invaded her place and killed her together with her followers.

Lesson: Just as love for wealth can lead one astray, so can the desire to become a leader. Look at this woman who destroyed her religious and worldly life. O women! Consider yourself to be the lowest and adopt humility. Through this, Allah will bless you with honour in both the worlds.

The story of Qatâmah

There is a heretical group which is known as the Kharijites. Kharijites claim to be Muslims but many of their beliefs are contrary to the Dîn. This group sprung up during the caliphate of ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu. He fought many battles against these Kharijites. They were his great enemies. Once, three members of this group got together in Makkah. At that time, ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu was living in Kûfah. They made a plan to kill him and two other Sahâbah. One person by the name of ‘Abdur Rahmân bin Muljim volunteered to kill ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu. He went to Kûfah for this purpose. On reaching there, he met this wretched woman. After seeing her, he proposed to her. She replied: “If you can pay me my dowry, I will accept.” He asked: “What do you want as dowry?” She replied: “You will have to kill ‘Alî.” This woman was a Kharijite. Her father, brother, uncle and husband were killed by ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu in battle. They were all Kharijites as well. It was for this reason that she had made this request. This person accepted her request, went to the musjid before the fajr salât, and concealed himself behind the door. When ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu entered the musjid, this person came out, struck him with his sword and escaped. ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu passed away on account of this wound. Later, this person was caught and killed.

Lesson: If this woman had any love for her Dîn, she would not have had any animosity towards ‘Alî radiyallâhu ‘anhu on account of the irreligiousness of her relatives. However, she herself was irreligious and therefore committed this crime. O women! Create love for the Dîn in your hearts. If not, major sins will be committed out of irreligiousness.

The story of Ju‘dah bint Ash‘ab

She is the wife of Hasan radiyallâhu ‘anhu. She destroyed herself in the following way: Yazîd who was an enemy of Hasan deluded her into poisoning her pious husband. Yazîd had deluded this wretched woman by promising to marry her and giving her 100 000 dirhams. The strength of the poison cut his intestines and liver in such a way that they were excreted from his anus. He bore this difficulty for forty days and passed away. Thereafter, this woman sent a message to Yazîd asking him to fulfil his promise. He sent a clear reply that he is unable to keep her with him. In short, apart from committing the sin, this unfortunate woman was not even able to fulfil her worldly dreams.

Lesson: O women! All these evils took place because of love for the world. Whatever one acquires out of greed is always considered to be little (i.e. one is never satisfied). Remove this sickness from the heart and cleanse your heart from the desire of wealth, possessions, jewellery, clothing, etc.

Note: Thus far we have mentioned the stories of 20 evil women. We will now mention the stories of women who were evil in the beginning but reformed their ways later in life.

The story of Zulaykhâ

She was first married to the governor of Egypt. The governor had purchased Yûsuf ‘alayhis salâm and handed him over to her, asking her to rear him as she would her own child. She began having evil thoughts but Allah saved Yûsuf ‘alayhis salâm. Thereafter, the governor felt it would be better to imprison Yûsuf ‘alayhis salâm. Later, when the king of Egypt released him, the latter sent a message to the king asking him to ask the woman about him. When the king asked her, she replied that Yûsuf was innocent and that it was she who was at fault. Eventually, when Yûsuf ‘alayhis salâm became the king and the governor had died by then, he married Zulaykhâ. Two daughters by the name of Ifrâ’îm and Mîshâ’îm were born to them.

Lesson: Look at what a great quality honesty is that when she had falsely accused Yûsuf ‘alayhis salâm, her difficulties and problems continued to increase daily. When she spoke the truth, Allah cut off all her difficulties and opened the doors for her success in the following way: her husband passed away, Yûsuf ‘alayhis salâm became the king, and he married her. O women! Always speak the truth. If you make a mistake or commit a wrong, repent immediately. Do not be persistent in the mistake and do not be proud to admit your fault.

The story of a woman who was deluded by Qârûn

In the time of Mûsâ alayhis salaam there was a very rich and miserly person by the name of Qârûn. When Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm asked him to pay his zakât, he became angry and displayed animosity towards him. This wretched man went to the extent of trying to taint the honour of Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm. He got hold of an immoral woman, gave her a lot of money and jewellery and deluded her into accusing Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm of committing adultery with her. She agreed to this plan. Once Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm was delivering a lecture and explained that one is punished in a certain way for a certain sin. Qârûn stood up from his place and shouted: “If you commit such a sin, what will happen?” Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm replied: “I will receive the same punishment.” Upon this he said: “A certain woman accuses you of the same thing.” This woman was also present. Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm addressed her saying that she should take an oath and speak the truth. She began fearing Allah and said: “O prophet of Allah! You are pure and innocent. He had given me so much of money and jewellery and prompted me to accuse you. I repent and become a Muslim now.” Mûsâ ‘alayhis salâm became very angry at him and made a du‘â to Allah against Qârûn. Qârûn was devoured by the earth together with his wealth and was despatched to jahannam.

Lesson: When Allah guides a person towards taubah and adopting the straight path, the means to fulfil this are provided there and then. The fear of Allah is the root of guidance and repentance. O women! Develop this in your hearts and everything will be made easy for you.

The story of a woman who admitted her sin

A woman came to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said that she was deluded by shaytân into committing adultery. The ruling of the Sharî‘ah in this regard is that if a husband or wife commit adultery, he or she should be stoned to death. This woman knew this ruling and also understood that although she will lose her life by admitting to this sin, her fear of the punishment of the hereafter prompted her to come to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. She related the entire incident to him so that he may mete out the punishment and thereby purify herself. Another ruling of the Sharî‘ah is that if someone admits to committing a sin, the person should be deferred. Based on this, Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam deferred this woman. However, she was so courageous that she came again and again admitting her sin and asking him to mete out the punishment. This woman was pregnant at that time so she was given a respite until the child is born and weaned. Once the child was weaned, she presented herself to Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam out of her own accord so that he may mete out the punishment. At this stage, the punishment of stoning till death was meted out to her. When she died, someone uttered a few bad words about her. Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam replied: “Do not utter any evil about her. Her taubah is so great in the sight of Allah that if it were to be distributed among 70 people it would have been sufficient for their salvation. What can be greater than the fact that she gave her life for the sake of Allah Ta’ala.”

Lesson: The fear of Allah is a very great bounty. Allâhu Akbar! What a great burden this woman bore. May Allah also give us the good fortune of abandoning sins and making taubah. Now there are no standard bearers of the Sharî‘ah. One should repent over the sins that are committed against Allah. We also learn from this story that we should not look down upon someone who has made taubah, nor should we criticize the person. This is a major sin.

The story of a woman who repented for stealing

‘Â’ishah radiyallâhu ‘anhâ narrates that Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had chopped off the hand of a woman who had stolen something. Thereafter, this woman used to come to my house. Whenever she wished to say anything to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, she used to say it to me and I used to pass over her message to him. In other words, she had made a good taubah from the bottom of her heart.

Lesson: Look at how clean-hearted she was that despite bearing such a great difficulty from the Sharî‘ah and Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam, she did not bear any grudge towards him. This is how îmân and taubah should be - that one should not have any ill feeling on account of the ruling of the Sharî‘ah. When one is afflicted by a calamity on account of a punishment from the Sharî‘ah, one should not complain to Allah. Instead, one should remember one’s fault and be ashamed of it.

The story of Sajâh

After the demise of Rasûlullâh sallallâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam she concocted the madness of claiming prophethood. Many dim-witted persons joined her. There were many encounters which took place with her. Eventually she was unable to fight the Muslim armies any longer. She became a Muslim and repented.

Lesson: Glory be to Allah! What a great thing taubah is. There isn’t any sin that is greater than claiming prophethood. But when she repented and accepted Islam, this sin was also forgiven. O women! Do not delay in repenting. We also learn that it is a great evil to consider yourself to be great. It was the desire to become a leader over many people that prompted her to claim prophethood. May Allah save us from this. It is best for one to consider oneself to be the lowest.

Note: We have now mentioned the stories of five evil women who repented over their sins and thereby completed the stories of 25 women.

A precautionary note

The condition of women that has been written in the following article is not applicable to all women but to evil women only. As opposed to these women, we also find women who fulfil the following qualities which Allah has mentioned in regard to them - women who surrender themselves unto Allah, who truly believe, devoutly obey His will, turn (unto Him) in repentance (whenever they have sinned), worship (Him) alone, and go on and on (seeking His goodly acceptance)…In the same way you get certain men who are unrivalled in their oppression, hard-heartedness, destroying the rights of others, vagrancy, and shamelessness. Their wives exercise patience with modesty and remain silent (over their husbands’ evil ways).

The purpose of quoting this article which has been written by my fellow village person is that if any woman possesses the shortcomings that are mentioned therein, she should take heed and try to reform her ways. Alternatively, the man should try to reform her in a good and favourable manner. This is because the knowledge of the husband is necessary for reformation. And Allah knows best. We will now quote that article.

Points to remember

I am writing this article in order to inform women on their lack of intelligence which is considerable and regarding which I have some experience. I do not consider it to be appropriate to conceal these shortcomings of theirs at this stage. I am writing this to serve as an example and that they may come to know of these shortcomings.

1. Generally, women of this nature reduce the honour and respect of their husbands in comparison to themselves. They impose themselves over their husbands in such a manner that it is as though the husband is a woman and the wife is a man.

2. Some women make this intention and claim from the very day of their marriage that they will live separately. The moment such a woman comes to the house of her in-laws, she plants the seeds of turmoil with her father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, etc. She spends all her time thinking and planning of ways to cause trouble in the house.

3. This woman destroys the numerous hopes and wishes of the poor in-laws who bring a daughter-in-law into their home. She makes them taste the consequences of this marriage very quickly.

4. This daughter-in-law does not have the patience to wait for the ideal opportunity to separate from the in-laws. When the time comes, she will have to separate from them. If a person did not separate or move away from his family, we would not have had so many towns and cities. But she does not even have this intelligence to wait for the ideal opportunity. She wants everything to happen immediately.

5. She causes tension to her husband in this way and tells him various stories to the extent that even he cannot escape from being influenced by her. She has arguments with her father-in-law, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and whoever else may be in the house. She engages in all these fights and arguments intentionally so that she may be able to go and live separately. Eventually, according to her wishes, the separation takes place very quickly because every person would like an end to arguments and fights.

6. The woman utters such words to her husband that he begins perspiring on account of listening to them. But what can he do apart from remaining silent? If he has to reply verbally, by indication of his eyes or physically with his hands, you must see the conflict that will ensue and see how the entire neighbourhood comes to know of it. The woman will cry out aloud and portray herself to the entire neighbourhood in such a way as though it is the man’s fault.

7. If the woman presents herself according to the pleasure of her husband and obedience to her in-laws from the very day of her marriage, what is wrong with that? But no, she troubles her husband in numerous ways. If the husband feels that the sensible thing to do is to restrain himself and go outside, the stupid wife feels that he went outside because he is afraid of me. Later, she displays even more force.

8. Allah has blessed the man with strength, vigour and courage. Where will he become afraid of the woman? He considers it prudent to restrain himself but the woman does not even worry about this. All that she is concerned about is to increase the arguments, fights, etc. that she had commenced with from the day she married him.

9. Such women do not realize that their husbands undergo numerous hardships and difficulties to provide for them and that they should appreciate this. However, they do not even ponder over this by mistake. One should think over this state of affairs.

10. When the husband sees that there is no way of reforming the woman’s lack of discernment and her improper manners, he gives up and leaves home. He does not even think of returning home after several years. His heart becomes so hard towards his wife that he takes up a job wherever he finds one, earns a living for himself and uses this as a means to gain internal happiness. The woman remains at home fighting with her in-laws so that they may send her to her husband. But she does not realize that he left because of her. She does not even regret her stupidity.

11. If the woman does everything to please her husband from the very first day and obeys her in-laws in a way that they do not even realize that their daughter-in-law will go and live separately at some time in the future, she will turn the entire household into her slaves. If the husband or in-laws have certain shortcomings which are contrary to the temperament of the wife, she must try to reform their ways in a beautiful and appropriate manner with full wisdom and prudence that they do not even realize what she is doing. If she is able to do this, those shortcomings will disappear from them. But if she does this by imposing upon them or acting against their wishes, they will never be reformed. In fact, the husband will become more stubborn. If the woman cannot even maintain the love of her husband towards her, whose fault is it?

12. Some stupid women think that they have come from very rich homes and that they have brought many possessions to this house. It is therefore below their dignity to obey their husbands and in-laws. Some women go to the extent that they do not even speak properly with their husbands - serving them is very far-fetched. They will either lie around or sleep the entire day with a frown on their faces.

13. These days, women have innovated a new method of displaying their elegance and affluence. That is, they complain of being ill and do not even get out of bed. They will complain of a headache and cause discomfort to their husbands and in-laws. They will demand expensive medicines, silver leaves, a special fruit jam and other supplements. In short, even her headache is not given a chance. At times, she will complain of being overpowered by a demon.

14. These women make their husbands completely subservient to them in such a way that they lose their intelligence and senses and become absolutely dim-witted persons. The husband has no alternative but to agree to whatever she says. Alternatively, he has to execute her wishes and commands immediately. He has to remain subservient to her all the time, or else the consequences will be terrible.

15. On account of their short temper, their numerous arguments and their stupidity, such women destroy all the barakah of the house. They behave with their husbands as though he is an enemy. These days, some men find comfort only in the absence of their wives. When the husband receives a letter from his wife, the only thing it contains is stories of the fights that she had and complaints about the in-laws. Alternatively, she will ask for more money. At times she uses such concocted words that the moment he completes reading the letter, he tears it up immediately so that no one else may see it.

16. The husband earns a few rands and sends it to his wife. But the only thing she knows is to show that she owes a lot of money or send him some concocted calculations and demand for more money. She does not even think for a moment what difficulties he underwent in order to send that money. She does not realize that he has full concern of running the house, why should she write to him and put him under more stress and tension? She does not even think over what difficulties he underwent in that far away place and how he gave up many comforts in order to send her the money order. If the husband was living in comfort, how will he send you all this money so that you may live a comfortable life?

17. These ungrateful women do not express their gratitude to their husbands even by mistake. They do not even praise their husbands in the presence of his friends and relatives. What they will definitely do is cast thousands of accusations against him and continue complaining about their poverty and lack of resources at home in the presence of her entire family and outsiders as well. In short, they do not allow the honour of the husband to remain intact. You will not come across a woman whose husband has sent her plenty of money, using it to run the house in a beautiful manner, saving the extra money and handing it over to the husband the moment he returns home.

18. On the contrary, what she will do is that the moment he returns home she will ask him for money in order to fulfil her debts, and treating her debtors like enemies, she will summon for them to present themselves in front of her husband. As a result of this, the husband will regret his decision to return home and feel very sorry for falling into all these difficulties.

19. You will find many women demanding more money from their husbands on the pretext that they have many debts when in fact they are saving this money for themselves. They do not even mind having their husbands spending their entire lives in a far away place merely to fill their own bank balances.

20. These days, women have adopted this attitude that no matter what happens, they must set aside some money. When they go to their parents’ house or relatives house, they secretly hand over this money to them without the in-laws coming to know of this. In short, the status and honour of the husband which is the result of all his earning is nothing according to her. The husband works in a far away place like an overworked wretch and dies, but the woman does not allow him to live at home in comfort and ease.

21. On account of the husband working far away, he does not know what type of clothing, jewellery, money, etc. is present at home. At times he might come home for a short visit and in the meantime the wife has given the household effects, clothing, jewellery, etc. to her brother or anyone else she wishes and no one has the courage to say anything.

22. When the husband brings anything from overseas for her, she looks at it scornfully and finds hundreds of faults. If she happens to fancy what he has brought, she does not express her happiness or her gratitude in the presence of her husband or his relatives. She will immediately keep it away and later do whatever she wishes with it.

23. Women are in the habit of imposing on their husbands at a time when relatives come to the house. They will start an argument over trivial matters and cause great embarrassment to their husbands and in-laws. It is as if they have become enemies at that time.

24. When the husband brings anything from overseas for his brothers, relatives, spiritual guide, etc. the wife does not allow the husband to give it and says to him that he cannot give it to anyone without her consent. You must see the consequences of this and how the entire neighbourhood looks at this spectacle. Out of anger, the wife will punish the husband and the other house folk for several days.

25. When the husband sends any money to the wife with someone, the wife immediately goes to purchase expensive jewellery, clothing, brocades, etc. which are well beyond her status and financial position and which are normally purchased by the very rich. The following day she writes a letter to the husband stating that the money that you have sent has been used to pay all the creditors and that there is no money left to run the house. Therefore send more money. In this way, she puts her husband under great stress.

26. These days, women are also in the habit of mentioning everything that transpires at their in-laws’ houses to their parents. The woman does not even worry about whether it is true or false. Upon hearing these stories, her mother will mention them to her entire family after having multiplied them several times (i.e. she would exaggerate these stories). When her relatives go to the in-laws’ place, the mother sides with the daughter and many arguments follow. This becomes known to the other relatives and at times they result in physical fights as well.

27. Let someone ask if such a woman has any love and affection towards her husband - definitely not. She is the lord and ruler over her husband. It is not possible for the rule of the woman to vanish or for any of her orders to be disobeyed. Let the man do something out of his own accord and you must see the scene that will follow.

28. The wife will ask the husband about what he is thinking or what’s in his heart. The husband, under the assumption that she is his confidant, tells her everything. As a result of this, the woman becomes more daring and courageous and the husband loses all his honour. Everywhere, it is considered to be necessary to gain the upper hand over the husband and to bring him at the feet of the wife.

29. The woman develops a natural dislike for the husband’s relatives, brothers, sisters, etc. and continues complaining about them irrespective of whether it is true or false. Her actual purpose of this is that they must not mix with them a lot and that all contact with them must be severed.

30. Such women have turned their husbands into real dim-witted persons, tied a nose-string in their noses and led them wherever they wish. They, owing to their high ambitions, follow their husbands like tails to foreign lands. All they wish to do is view all the attractions of rail travel, to experience the climate of foreign lands, and to experience the various pleasures they have to offer. The greatest objective is to make some arrangements to ensure that whatever the husband earns comes entirely into their possession because they are under the impression that the men are living in luxury and that they squander their money. Such women have rendered their husbands worthless. It has become very difficult for men to pursue employment without the womenfolk being around. It seems as though the women themselves are being employed. The women have resorted to such measures of sorcery and ta’wîz that the men have become ensnared in their traps, turning them into their disciples.

31. When there is any marriage or funeral in their family, the women get together and begin gossiping about their husbands and speak ill of them. The women in turn go back to their respective husbands and inform them of what transpired. The husbands then go and inform their friends and make a mockery of the whole thing. In short, the women spread stories that did not even occur.

32. These women have amulets and charms made for their husbands. They even request the women who come to their houses to have these amulets made for their husbands. In return for this favour, they give them some flour or pea-seeds without the in-laws coming to know of this. I am quite aware of some women who are forever in pursuit of an owl’s tongue to feed it to their husbands no matter how obedient the husband is to her.

33. The actual reason for men losing their honour and the women gaining control over them is that they accompany their husbands on journeys and thereby become bold and courageous and gain full control of them. Once the woman realizes this, she has the courage to scold him several times a day. The poor husband listens to everything she has to say. At times, he even laughs and expresses his willingness and happiness.

34. All the above factors are found less among the wives of poor people and those living in the small villages. The reason for this is that they are not so intelligent, their pre-occupation with domestic tasks does not allow them to do this nor are they in the habit of picking fights all the time. They merely fulfil their tasks and pass their time in a good way. As for the woman who is self-opinionated, egotistic, self-centred, who is filled with the love for governing and comfort, and also has all these factors at her disposal will initiate numerous fights and arguments. This is because she has no work to do and no responsibilities. If she does not engage in all these arguments, what else can she do?

35. If such a woman is educated, then at times her ways and manners also become evil. These days, some enthusiastic people are clamouring for the education of women to be equal to that of men. It is due to this that all this vagrancy is present today and the evil consequences of this have already been experienced.

36. You will not find a woman (except a few) who advises her husband and informs him that she does not want any income other than that which is halâl. If a woman does this, her husband will never bring any harâm money or money that has been obtained by accepting bribes. On the contrary, women prompt and demand their husbands to bring such harâm income. In fact, some of them will go to the extent of telling the husband that he has no proficiency in earning any money. A certain person earns the same money as you but you don’t have anything. He has everything in his house. In this way, they utter many other things in order to prompt the husband into bringing more money. It is due to the desires of such women that the husband becomes disgraced and even ends up in prison.

37. The women possess jewellery and other items on which zakât is wâjib. It does not even cross their minds that they are answerable to Allah and that they should fulfil this obligation that is due to Allah. If the husband decides to pay the zakât, the woman does not allow him to do so - thinking that all that she has collected is decreasing. No matter how much you give them, they always find it little.

38. On account of the husband working far away, the woman is free to do whatever she wishes and becomes so desirous of luxury and comfort that when the husband returns home, she considers it below her dignity to see to his needs or to feed him with freshly cooked food. At times she will also remark that the husband was better off away from home. Why did he have to come home now?

39. How sad that today men have lost their dignity, their honour and their masculinity in the presence of the women of today and have been rendered absolutely weak.

40. If such a woman is able to read and write and someone has to secretly write a letter to her, won’t she reply to that letter? Even if she does not reply to it, she will definitely read the letter with great attention and think over it. Later they will begin corresponding to each other and lead to other factors as well.

41. These days women who are able to read and write obtain novels from the shops and occupy themselves all the time in reading them. They spend all their time thinking of ways of obtaining such novels.

Request: We request the reader to read the beginning of the precautionary note again - the essence of which is that every woman is not evil and every man is not a saint. Therefore, the above factors do not apply to all women but certain women only.