CHAPTER 5: WOMEN – PART 2
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, often advised women to spend in charity:
Zaynab, the wife of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood (a Companion), narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “O women! Spend in charity, even if it is from your jewellery.”
“So I went back and said to ‘Abdullaah: ‘You are a poor man, and the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, commanded us to spend in charity, so go and ask him if spending it on our family (him and their children) would suffice, or else I would have to spend it on others.”(In a narration: “Would it be sufficient if I spend my charity on you and my nephews (who are orphans)” An-Nasa’i (2583).)
‘Abdullaah said: “No, you go and ask him.” (Ibn Mas’ood felt too embarrassed to ask if his wife could give him charity.)
She said: “I went to ask and found another woman from the Ansaar waiting at the door of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who wanted to ask the same question. People revered the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and would not go into his house. Bilaal (a Companion) came out and we requested him to go back to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and inform him that there are two women at his door asking him the following, ‘Is it permissible to spend charity on their husbands and orphans that they are looking after?’
She said to Bilaal: “Do not tell him who we are.”
She continued: “Bilaal entered upon the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and informed him. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked him: “Who are they?””
Bilaal said: “A woman from the Ansaar and Zaynab.”
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked: “Which of the Zaynabs?”
Bilaal replied: “The wife of ‘Abdullaah.”
The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “They will get twice the reward, one for charity and one for maintaining ties of kinship.”(Reported by Al-Bukhari (1466) and Muslim (1000).)
Women spent the most in charity:
Abu Sa’eed Al-Khudri (a Companion) narrated: “The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to go the prayer grounds on the day of ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha and ‘Eed Al-Fitr (the two festivals Muslims celebrate) and would start by offering the prayer. Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would turn around to people while they were still sitting in their places and address them if he needed to advise them about a certain matter. Then he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would say: “O people! Give alms, give alms, give alms” and women were the ones who would spend the most.”(Reported by Al-Bukhari (304) and Muslim (889).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, encouraged them to attend occasions of religious significance:
Umm ‘Atiyyah (a female Companion) narrated: “We were commanded that the unmarried young virgins and the mature girls and the menstruating women should come out and participate in the good deeds as well as the religious gathering of the faithful believers but the menstruating women should keep away from the prayer area. A woman asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! What about one who does not have a veil?’ He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Let her share the veil of her friend [or neighbour].””(Reported by Al-Bukhari (351) and Muslim (890).) Which means, let her sister lend her a veil to wear.(Fat-h Al-Baari (424/1).)
Women used to attend the Friday prayer with him, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:
Umm Hishaam bint Haarithah ibn Al-Nu’man (a female Companion) said: “I did not memorise Chapter Qaaf but from the mouth of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, as he used to deliver the sermon along with it on every Friday.” (Reported by Muslim (873).)
Scholars said that the reason why the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, selected Chapter Qaaf is because it addresses the issues of resurrection, death, and rigorous admonishment. (The explanation of An-Nawawi on the book of Muslim (161/6).)
Women attended the daily obligatory prayers with him, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:
‘Aa’ishah narrated: “The believing women used to attend the Dawn prayer with the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, who used to offer the prayer when it was still dark. The believing women used to return (after finishing their prayer) covering their heads with a separate cover (than that of the body), and nobody could recognize them owing to darkness.”(Reported by Al-Bukhari (372) and Muslim (645).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade men from preventing women from going to the mosque:
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (a Companion) said: “One of the wives of ‘Umar (his father) used to attend the dawn and night prayers at the mosque with the congregation. I asked her, ‘Why do you go to the mosque when you know that Umar hates this and is jealous?’ She replied: ‘What prevents him from stopping me from going?’ I said: ‘ What stops him is the saying of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “Do not prevent your women from going to the mosque when they seek your permission.”’(Reported by Al-Bukhari (900) and Muslim (442).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade women from applying perfume when going out:
Abu Hurayrah (a Companion) narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Do not prevent your women from going to the mosque, but let them not perfume themselves before going out.”(Reported by Abu Dawood (565).)
Al-’Atheem Abaadi (a scholar) said: “They were forbidden from that lest they arouse men by the smell of their perfume. This ruling applies to anything else that would have the same effect that a perfume has in arousing men, such as the way they dress and adorning themselves.”(‘Awn Al-Ma’bud (192/2).)
Zaynab the wife of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood (a narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to us: “When any one of you comes to the mosque, she should not apply perfume.”(Reported by Muslim (443).)
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Whoever [woman] perfumes herself should not join us in the night prayer.” (Reported by Muslim (444).)
In the history of aphrodisiacs, a considerable space is occupied by fragrances that are believed to enhance sexual desire in both men and women. This may owe to the fact that the part of the human brain that is responsible for processing smells is directly connected to the limbic brain, which is the part that influences emotions, including those related to desire and sex.
It has been scientifically proven that the human mind responds differently to different scents and we can categorise the effects of various scents on people and that certain scents sexually arouse men even in passing.
The human brain is hardwired to size up potential mates simply based on scent according to Jeannette Haviland-Jones, PhD, professor of psychology at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. The body actually emits odours that spur us to pursue fertile partners.
This clearly shows the wisdom behind forbidding women from walking outside the house wearing perfume. It is yet another preventive measure established by Islam to protect people from falling into the trap of Satan who traps humanity to follow their low desires.
Women’s prayer at home is more rewarding:
‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Umar (a Companion) narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Do not prevent your women from going to the mosque, yet praying at their homes is more rewarding for them.”(Reported by Abu Dawood (567).)
Ibn Hajar (a scholar) said: “The reason why their prayer at home is more rewarding is that they are safe from temptation. This is more confirmed after the change that occurred in women’s dress, wherein they began dressing improperly and adorning themselves when going out. This is why ‘Aa’ishah said (after the death of the Prophet) that had the Prophet of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, seen how women had changed, he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would have forbidden them from going out to the mosque.”(Fat-h Al-Baari (349/2). The saying of ‘Aa’ishah is reported by Al-Bukhari (869) and Muslim (445).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, allowed them to leave the mosque first lest they mix with men:
Umm Salamah (the Prophet’s wife) narrated: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, concluded his prayers, the women would get up and he, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would stay for a while in his place before getting up.”
Az-Zuhri said: “The purpose of this was that the women might leave before the men who had finished their prayer.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (837).)
Umm Salamah narrated: “Whenever the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, concluded his prayers, the women would depart and enter their houses before the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, departed.”(Reported by Al-Bukhari (850).)
Islam realizes the reality of human nature and deals with people based on the fact that Allah is best acquainted with His creation and knows what would reform them and what could lead them to destruction. Allah Says (what means): «Does He not know those whom He created?» [Quran: 67:14]
Islam discourages free and unbridled contact between men and women in order to check the consequences of undesirable impulses. It puts restraint to such impelling forces that might play a disastrous role in corrupting the minds of men and women.
The sexual instinct is the greatest weakness of the human race and thus, regulations related to male-female interaction are essential to the soundness of human civilization. If ignored, they threaten its very survival, and that is why the issue of segregation between men and women was legislated in Islam as a preventive measure.
When Allah forbade adultery and fornication, He also forbade the things that could lead to it. For example, looking without restrictions at the opposite gender or exchanging gazes between men and women is forbidden because it leads to the major sin of adultery and fornication. Touching women for men (and men for women) is another forbidden matter because it arouses the desire and eventually leads to sin. Intermixing between men and women is yet another means that leads to great temptation.
One clear evidence for the keenness of Islam to protect people from the evil of their own selves and the whispers of Satan is seen in the Prophet’s behavior mentioned in the narration above. The Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, deliberately delayed turning around after the prayer to face the congregation to allow women who came to perform an act of worship to depart to avoid mixing. If this was the preventive
measure practised in connection to prayer, then it is legislated in people’s everyday dealings with far greater reason, and as they say, “Prevention is better than cure.”
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, assigned a special door for them to enter the mosque:
Naafi’ narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Let us leave this door for women to enter [the mosque] through it.”
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade the mixing between men and women on the streets:
Abu Usayd Al-Ansari (a Companion) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say (addressing women) when he was coming out of the mosque, and men and women were mingled on the road: “Draw back, for you must not walk in the middle of the road; keep to the sides of the road.” Abu Usayd Al-Ansari continued, “Then the women used to keep so close to the wall that their garments would rub against it.”(Reported by Abu Dawood (236).)
He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would shorten his prayer whenever he heard the cry of an infant:
Anas ibn Maalik narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, say: “When I begin the prayer I intend to lengthen it, but if I hear an infant crying I shorten it because I know how hard his crying would be to his mother’s heart.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari (709) and Muslim (469).)
An-Nawawi (a scholar) said: “The term: “how hard his crying would be to his mother’s heart” means that she would become sad and her heart would become preoccupied with the baby and his crying (and lose concentration).” (The explanation of An-Nawawi on the book of Muslim (187/4).)
By Muhammad Saalih Al-Munajjid
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