Women about whom the Qur'an spoke (2)
Sedqi Al Baik
Published On: 19/12/2011 A.D. - 23/1/1433 H. Visited: 56 times
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From Eve to the wife of Al `Aziz!
In previous article, I spoke about the evil women about whom the Glorious Qur'an spoke so that we can extract lessons and exhortation from them in this world as well as in the Hereafter. If their number is little, the number of righteous women about whom the Glorious Qur'an spoke are large, and they are all worthy that Muslim women would take them as an example to follow in their pious actions and great situations.
1- The first about whom the Glorious Qur'an spoke was our mother Eve whom the Qur'an did not mention by name, but mentioned her as the wife of our father Adam (Peace be upon him).
She was a comfort for her husband, and he found with her psychological stability and intimacy in Paradise. However, she played a great role besides Adam to leave Paradise and go down to the earth, as she bore trouble and hardship to get their basic needs after they had everything available in Paradise without trouble.
If the books of non-Muslims burden the responsibility of leaving Paradise to Eve alone by claiming that she ate from the tree and she had tempted Adam to disobey the commands of the Lord, the Glorious Qur'an made her a partner to Adam in the liability: "Then the Shaitân (Satan) made them slip there from (Paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: "Get you down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time."" [Surat Al Baqarah: 36]. "Then Shaitân (Satan) whispered suggestions to them both in order to uncover that which was hidden from them of their private parts (before)." [Surat Al A`raf: 20].
Sometimes the Qur'an singles out Adam with liability; it says: "Then Shaitân (Satan) whispered to him, saying: "O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste away?"" [Surat Taha: 120].
They shared the responsibility of eating from the tree and when they tasted the tree, their private parts were exposed and they deserved —by this violation to the command— to get out of Paradise to misfortune on the earth.
Therefore, the Islamic look to women and their human responsibility is not harsh as the view of the Jews and the Christians. Moreover, Islam and Muslims show great respect and appreciation to women and does not burden males with the full responsibility for the misfortune of mankind in the present life. Perhaps the misfortune and troubles of humans on earth developed the means and pushed forward to innovation and production of material civilization. Allah created the creation to inhabit them on earth and some of them lived therein more than others, so leaving Paradise is a crime against mankind because had it Adam and Eve stayed in Paradise, you would have found their offspring. If that exit was a punishment or an oppression committed by the spouses and in disobedience to Allah's Command and therefore they deserved the punishment. [This is the view of the Jews and the Christians]
2- Sarah and Hagar:
Of the women who were praised by the Glorious Qur'an was Sarah, the wife of Abraham (Peace be upon him) and Hagar, the mother of Ishmael.
As for Sarah, she was Abraham's relative and she believed in him and migrated with him to Palestine. The king of Egypt offered her a female servant to serve her, who was Hagar (the mother of Ishmael).
When she felt her old age and her menopause (as a barren old woman) and her love to her husband, she offered him her female slave to marry perhaps Allah would grant him a male child. Hagar became pregnant and begot Ishmael (peace be upon him) and Allah inspired Abraham to take Hagar and her son from Palestine to Hejaz (The region of western Arabia where Makkah and Madinah are located) to the uncultivated valley in Makkah. He did as Allah commanded him and not as mentioned in the Torah that Sarah felt jealous of Hagar and asked Abraham to take her and her child to the desert. The Torah said: Sarah saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, playing and said to Abraham: Expel this female slave and her son. The words were ugly in the eyes of Abraham because of his son, so Allah said to Abraham: These words should not be bad to you because of that boy and your slave girl.
Moreover, they spoke badly about Hagar by claiming that when she became pregnant, she belittled her mistress, so Sarah humiliated her, then she escaped.
It is strange how they spoke badly about two righteous women?! Hagar is the wife of Abraham who was a believing woman and her trust in Allah was limitless. When Abraham left her with her baby in an uncultivated valley (Makkah), she said to him: Did Allah command you with that? He said: Yes. She said: Then, He shall not put us to destruction. Sarah was a believing woman and the wife of Abraham was higher than behaving like this and how could she ask her husband to throw his only child and his mother into destruction! However, those who distort the Scriptures or write it with their own hands make (their mother) Sarah in a bad image.
Sarah was a believing woman, Abraham said to her while they were in Egypt: "By Allah, there is no one more believing on earth than you and me."
The angels showed up to her in the image of guests and gave her glad tiding of Isaac and that Isaac will beget Jacob, and she will see her grandson. The Glorious Qur'an glorifies her by narrating the story of angels in the Glorious Qur'an: "They said: Do you wonder at the Decree of Allâh? The Mercy of Allâh and His Blessings be on you, O the family [of Ibrâhîm (Abraham)]. Surely, He (Allâh) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious." [Surat Hud: 73].
Would that honorable blessed woman carry the grudge of ordinary women against their fellow wives?
The weirdest thing is that Allah (may He be Exalted) —in their claims— responded to the desires of Sarah and refused the justice of Abraham and his mercy to his son. If the request was ugly in the eyes of Abraham, Allah says: "Do not see that bad for the sake of the child and your slave girl!"
The scribes of Torah considered the expel of Abraham to Hagar and her son Ishmael to Faran (Makkah) a response for the jealousy of Sarah. As for Muslims, they hold the same vision of the Messenger (peace be upon him) who said that Abraham took them as a response to the command of Allah who asked Abraham to take her to His House to establish Salah. How a big difference between the view of Muslims to Sarah and Hagar and the lower view of the Torah scribes to them!
3- The wife of Al `Aziz:
That woman about whom the Glorious Qur'an spoke in many Ayahs in Surat Yusuf. She was a rich woman, used the power of authority, and enjoyed the joys of life: lawful and unlawful. So, there is no moral hindrance to stop her from proposing herself to her slave boy Joseph, but he broke her pride by his chastity and piety and accused him of committing sins. Her temptation to him increased when the news spread to the women of the city, thereupon she plotted against him to cast him into prison because he refused to answer the call. However, after some years, she spoke frankly mixed by regret, confession of the guilt, and penitence to clear the name of Joseph (Yusuf) (Peace be upon him). "(The King) said (to the women): "What was your affair when you did seek to seduce Yûsuf (Joseph)?" The women said: "Allâh forbid! No evil know we against him!" The wife of Al-'Azîz said: "Now the truth is manifest (to all); it was I who sought to seduce him, and he is surely of the truthful."" [Surat Yusuf: 51].
It is a confession of guilt and acquittal for the one whom she accused and cast him into prison and added to that the justification, her repentance, and going back to the truth. She respects him saying: "[Then Yûsuf (Joseph) said: "I asked for this enquiry] in order that he (Al-'Azîz) may know that I betrayed him not in (his) absence. [Surat Yusuf: 52], and another explanation is: "And, verily, Allâh guides not the plot of the betrayers." She drew back her plot and declared that Allah is the One who caused her plot to fail. That was a proof that she was a believing woman and Allah was Forgiving and Merciful to her. "except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Surat Yusuf: 53].
She did not forget to humble and acquit herself because oneself is inclined to evil: "And I free not myself (from the blame)."
Some exegeses indicated that at the end she married Joseph (Peace be upon him). There are lessons and admonition in the life of that woman for other women who are seduced by Satan and begin a crazy life that is full of sin and vice. However, no matter how many sins they committed and how much they wronged themselves, the way to Allah and to righteousness is wide open, and the mercy of Allah is ample and the wise cannot despair from it. The gates of repentance is open for every wrong doer to repent of his sins and start a new life which is full of faith, righteousness, and piety.
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