Story of Khadijah RA & Nabi Muhammad SAW

Story of Khadijah RA & Nabi Muhammad SAW (series) - From a Noblewoman of Quraysh to a Social Pariah


Khadijah & Muhammad: The Story of Love & Faith (1)

25-Year-Old Muhammad Marries 40-Year-Old Khadijah (2)

Khadijah & Muhammad's Life: Love Into Action (3)

Muhammad Seeks Sanctuary in the Arms of Khadijah (4)

Khadijah & Muhammad: Life After Revelation (5)

The Answer to Every Woman’s Complaint

The Answer to Every Woman’s Complaint Asmaa’ bintu Yazeed Al-Ansaariyyah (radhiyallahu ‘anha), a Sahaabiyyah from the Banu ‘Abdil Ash-hal clan, once approached Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) while he was seated among the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and addressed him in the following words: “May my father and mother be sacrificed for you! I have come to you as a representative of all women. May my life be sacrificed for you! Every single woman, in the east and west, whether she has heard that I will come to you or not, will have exactly the same question as myself. Verily Allah Ta‘ala has sent you with the truth to men and women. We brought imaan in you and in Allah Ta‘ala who deputed you. We, the women, live with restrictions and limitations. We don’t leave the confines of our homes. We allow you to fulfill your needs with us, and we bear your children. You, the men, have been favoured by your being able to attend the jumu‘ah salaah and other salaahs in congregation. You are able to visit the sick and be present at funerals. You perform hajj after hajj and even more virtuous than that is your fighting in the path of Allah Ta‘ala. When any of you men leave your home to perform hajj or ‘umrah or to guard the borders of the Islamic territories, it is none other than us women who protect your wealth for you. We sew your clothes for you. We raise and care for your children. Don’t we have a share in your reward O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)?” On hearing the complaint of this woman, Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) turned his face towards the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and asked,“Have you ever heard a woman ask a question regarding her deen more excellent than the question of this woman?” The Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) replied, “O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! We never imagined that a woman could be inspired to ask a question of this nature!” Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) turned back to her and said, “Return, O woman, and inform all the women you represent that for you to display excellent conduct with your husband, seek to keep him happy and try your utmost to comply with his ways will equal all the deeds you mentioned.” Asmaa’ (radhiyallahu ‘anha) was so delighted to hear this, that as she walked away she continued to exclaim “Allahu Akbar!” and “La ilaaha illallah!”. (Shu‘abul Imaan #8369) Lessons: 1. Having a different role to a man does not make a woman backward or suppressed in any way. She has an equal chance to strive for the Aakhirah by fulfilling the role Allah Ta‘ala has chalked out for her. It is actually easier for a woman to earn Jannah as all her efforts are made from the comfort of her home. 2. Fridges are designed to fulfill one purpose and stoves are designed for another. A good fridge is one that keeps its contents chilled and a good stove is one that generates sufficient heat to cook. If a stove is cold or a fridge becomes hot, they will both be considered “out of order”. Similarly, men and women are different in the purposes for which they were designed. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) therefore taught us that a woman who fulfills her purpose – which largely revolves around her remaining in the home - will actually receive the same reward as that man who leaves his home to fulfill his purpose – which largely involves leaving the home. A woman wishing to behave like a man by adopting the acts of worship specific to him is like a stove behaving like a fridge – out of order.

Profound Du‘aa of Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam)

Profound Du‘aa of Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam)   When Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) left his wife and infant child in the barren land of Makkah Mukarramah on the command of Allah Ta‘ala, he supplicated to Allah Ta‘ala in the following words: رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ​ “O Allah, I have settled my progeny in a barren land (Makkah Mukarramah) by your sacred house, so that they may establish salaah. So make the hearts of the people yearn towards them and provide them with fruits, so that they may be grateful.” (Surah Ebrahim v37) This du‘aa contains the following important lessons: 1. After expressing weakness to Allah Ta‘ala, the first aspect he made du‘aa for was his family being punctual on salaah. This explains to us the importance of instructing and training our children to perform salaah. 2. He did not make du‘aa for Makkah Mukarramah to become a fertile land, rather he made du‘aa that Allah Ta‘ala himself arrange their sustenance. This was because Ebrahim (‘alaihis salaam) did not want his family to be pre-occupied in acquiring the world. His desire was for them to dedicate themselves to Allah Ta‘ala, while their worldly needs are taken care of. This teaches us that we should be more concerned about the deen of our children than their dunya. 3. He concluded the du‘aa by saying “so that they may be grateful”, implying that the outcome of these worldly comforts should be an increase in loyalty to Allah Ta‘ala and commitment to His deen. (Adapted from Ma‘aariful Quraan, vol. 5, pg. 253-254).

From temple to Baitullah - A moving account

From temple to Baitullah –

Hamza Chinsamy’s journey from Hinduism to Hajj

 

Hamza Chinsamy’s journey to Islam began about twenty years ago, as a teenager completing high school. Now, eight years after embracing Islam, he is about to embark on what many call “the journey of a lifetime” – equipped with “lots of baggage and lots of sabr” as he has been advised.

 

“Allah has been kind to me. In 2012 I was afforded the opportunity to go for Umrah. This will be our first Hajj. The emotions are strong. I mean you’re doing a fard action of Islam and you always have that fear of, will Allah accept the little and broken efforts, and yes, you are excited but at the same time the fear is there. You’re not going to meet just a king but you’re going to your Rabb. It’s emotional for me.”

 

Chinsamy and his wife recently arrived in Madinah. The last month of farewells, preparations and relocating have been tumultuous for him but Chinsamy says the realisation that Allah Ta ‘ala’s invitation to His Bayt (House) was taking him away from the calamities, made it easier.

 

“I couldn’t be in a better situation than this. Alhamdulillah, I’m looking so forward to this.”

 

As a little boy with an enquiring mind, Chinsamy asked his Hindu parents many questions that were, at times met with few answers, and at other times more questions. After converting to Christianity with his mother, he entered a life of more questions.

 

This all changed upon meeting Umar Hussain. Together they worked at a call centre and shared many conversations about religion. Surprisingly, it was Hussain’s first pilgrimage and farewell words of advice that sparked Chinsamy’s interest in Islam.

 

“I read a lot of literature by Sheikh Ahmad Deedat, and that inspired me because it brought about a lot of facts. Brother Umar also told me at one stage if you look at Islam in its entirety, everything is based on fact. He left me with these words, ‘if you want to be a better Christian, then you need to become a Muslim’.”

 

At this stage Chinsamy was receiving the answers to questions he had always pondered about. But his reversion would still come a few years later after marriage, moving to Lenasia and starting his own business.  He bought a house a road away from a Masjid, and by being so close, he was able to listen to the adhan five times a day.

 

“… That invokes a lot of spirituality in itself and for me it was inspirational. I got into the working world again in 2003 and Alhamdulillah I was working closely with a few brothers from the Muslim Response Unit. Faizal Ali has played a big role in giving me advice and in 2005 I started accelerating my efforts in learning and understanding Islam and Alhamdulillah in 2007 I decided that I have to make a firm decision. Still not having accepted Islam, I stole time to read taraweeh because my wife didn’t accept that I could embrace Islam.”

 

In 2008 Chinsamy took his Shahadah and embraced Islam. The experience was indescribable for him. The very next year his wife also embraced Islam and together they have been committed to Islam.

 

While he is excited about performing Hajj, he is also nervous and yearns that his efforts be accepted by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta ‘ala. “Don’t take this Deen lightly,” are his parting words to fellow Muslims.

 

“Some people work hard to become Muslim and others are born Muslim. Please do not take it for granted because some people can be born a Muslim but they unfortunately die doing things that aren’t right. As a Muslim we need to behave in a way that befits a Muslim. We must take the life of the Sahabah. They didn’t know other languages but just by their mere actions people accepted the fold of Islam and today we have Muslims in China and Russia and these are the works of Sahabah. We need to act like Muslims and be Muslims. We cannot only talk about being Muslims. Our actions need to show it.”