For the first time in history, women were to be the ones issuing instructions, whereas everywhere else except in Islam they had been the ones to receive instructions.
Islam gave women a high social standing when it gave her this great social responsibility of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.
A comprehensive, phenomenal book!
The author has similar books on IDEAL MUSLIM, & IDEAL SOCIETY.
In this one, he sliced through each aspect of life, and dived deep into references from Prophet&Companions , presenting them eloquently, for uplifting the women of today from crippling pettiness, towards the exalted standards of Allah-azz wa jal.
“A woman does not keep quiet about any deviance, weakness or negligence in her family or home, unless she is lacking in religion, her character is weak, and her understanding is incomplete.”
The book is divided into 10 chapters, each dealing with some aspect of women’s life.
1: Woman And Her Lord.
-how and why accept will of Allah, repent, sense of responsibility, main concern is pleasure of Allah, understanding the meaning of being servant of only Allah, working for glorification of His name, loyalty only to him, obedience only to him…
2: Woman And Her Own Self
-Body : food, exercise, clothing, hygiene, appearance, preventing extremes
-Mind : pursuing knowledge, what she needs to know, women achievements in knowledge.
-Soul : purification of soul/heart, what is righteous company, duaa
3: Woman And Her Parents
4: Woman And Her Husband
5: Woman And Her Children
6: Woman And Her In Laws
7: Woman And Her Relatives
8: Woman And Her Neighbours
9: Woman And Her Friends, Sisters
10: Woman And Her Community/Society
Each chapter is heavily referenced, and expands upto 300 ahadith references, all unique, least repetitive.
Author also charts a contrast between a Muslim women’s exalted standards and limping standards of Western society due to their necrotic philosophies.
**“I wish that our country was like the lands of the Muslims, where modesty, chastity and purity are like a garment. Servants and slaves there live the best life, where they are treated like the children of the house and no-one harms their honour. Yes, it is a source of shame for England that we make our daughters examples of promiscuity by mixing so much with men. Why do we not try to pursue that which makes a girl do work that agrees with her natural temperament, by staying at home, and leaving men's work for the men, to keep her honour safe.”
-Anna Ward**
There was much new content for me, reminders, new examples and practical steps from lives of Companions, in chapters of Husband, Neighbours, Society, Relatives.
Specially the manners and etiquettes to live and improve the society!
“The one who spreads news of scandal throughout the community is like the one who actually commits the scandalous deed. Both are equal, there is no difference”.
Jabir (RAA) said: "I came to the Prophet (PBUH) and knocked at the door. He said, `Who is this?' I answered, `Me,' and he said, `Me? Me?' as if he disliked this answer."
A book to keep in home library, physical copy.
————————————————————
Some excerpts:
“French scholar Gustave le Bon, in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, stated in his book "The Psychology of Peoples" that woman had never been equal to man except in periods of decline; this comment came in his refutation of demands that women should be made equal with men by giving them the same right to vote.”
“Prophet (PBUH) cursed men who act effeminate and women who act like men, and said, `Expel them from your houses.' The Prophet (PBUH) expelled So-and-so [a man], and Abu Bakr expelled So-and-so [a woman]”
She rejects, with fierce pride, that false "progress" that calls for women to come out uncovered, adorned with make up, to work alongside men in offices. With this wise, balanced, honourable attitude, she is in fact doing a great service to her society and nation, by calling for an end to this ridiculous competition of women with men.
When a girl reaches a certain age - usually seventeen years old - neither her father, her brother nor any of her male relatives are obliged to support her. She has to look for work to support herself, and to save whatever she can to offer to her future husband. If she gets married, she has to help her husband with the expenses of the home and children.
The alert Muslim woman, no matter where she lives, examines every custom that is followed in her society and measures it against the rulings, values and principles of Islam. Whatever is compatible with Islam, she accepts, but whatever contradicts Islam, she rejects outright, whether it is a custom relating to betrothal and marriage, or in family or social life. What matters is whether the custom is compatible with Islam, not how widely it is spread among people.
“I never saw two women more generous than `A'ishah and Asma', but their ways of being generous were different. `A'ishah would accumulate things and then share them out, whilst Asma' would never keep anything until the next day."
"Every morning that the servants of Allah (SWT) get up, two angels come down. One of them says, `O Allah, give compensation to the one who spends,' and the other says, `O Allah, cause loss to the one who is stingy.'”
A man praised another man in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH), so He said: “Woe to you! You have cut your companion's throat!” several times.
Then he said: `Whoever of you insists on praising his brother, let him say:
"I THINK that (name of person) is such-and-such, BUT Allah knows the exact truth, and I DONOT CONFIRM anyone's good conduct before Allah (SWT), BUT I THINK him to be such-and-such," if he knows that this is the case.'