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Written by Shaikh Ahmad Kutty
It all depends what we mean by preaching. If by preaching we mean transmitting the message of Islam through words and actions, then most of the prominent women of the sahabah as well as the wives of the Prophet were transmitters of knowledge to individuals and groups who sought out for them. This is why the works of hadith are full of narrations from them. However, the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, played a far greater role as they served as retainers and transmitters of Prophetic wisdom. Aishah and Umm Salamah stood out as the most prominent among them. As for Aishah, her home was almost like a university, for hundreds of men and women transmitted traditions and insights in fiqh and tafsir from her; among them were the seven foremost jurists of Madinah in the next generation.
Thanks to her contributions, when the Umayyad Caliph Umar b. Abd al-Aziz commissioned scholars to compile traditions, he specifically requested them to compile all of the traditions transmitted by Aishah through her students.
Aishah was also recognized for her oratorical skills as well besides her deep grasp of hadith, fiqh, tafsir and Arabic language. Mu’awiyah, the Umayyad caliph, and the companion of the Prophet said, “I never heard a more eloquent speaker after the Prophet, peace be upon him, comparable to Aishah.” It is well known that Aishah used to address people whenever there was a need to do so in order to clarify an issue or pass on a valuable piece of information. Thus when she heard that, following Abu Bakr’s death, some people were criticizing him for some of his policies, she gathered them and addressed them covering all of the points they had raised. She then asked them, whether they still had any question, to which all of them remained quiet, for they could not but be convinced of her presentation.
Thanks to the legacy of Aishah, Umm Salamah and others, Islam produced hundreds of women scholars, who were known for their expertise in various fields such as hadith and fiqh. Even some of the greatest imams such as Imam Shafi, Ibn Taymiyya, Dhahabi, and Ibn Hajar had women scholars as teachers. Dr. Akram Nadvi has brought out a multi-volume work on women scholars in Islam.
In conclusion: It is perfectly fine for women to speak to men or address them or teach them.
This article is a response to a question raised by a brother in IslahiCentre email group that was brought to the attention of Shaikh Ahmad Kutty – Can Women preach Islam actively? Did the Wives of The Sahabas (May Allah (SWT) Be Pleased With Them) or even the Wives of The Prophet (SAWS) i.e Ummul Muminoon, ever preached Islam? Didn’t they provide knowledge only when someone seeks knowledge from them to know the lifestyle of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)?
Shaikh Ahmad Kutty is a prominent North American Islamic scholar.
Written by Abdullah ibn Adam
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
All praise is for Allah, the Most High, the Lord of the Worlds. May Peace & Blessings be upon all the Prophets of Allah, especially our Holy Prophet, the Final Prophet, Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa aalihi wa as-haabihi wa sallam).
[al-Mutaffifeen - 83:14]
There has come to you an instruction from your Lord,
a cure for whatever (disease) is in your hearts,
a guidance and a blessing for the true believers.”
[Yunus - 10:57]
Assalamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
All the good deeds will become useless if the intention (Niyyah) was corrupt. Our Salah, Sadaqaat, Siyam (fasting) or our other good deeds have no value if our intention is not pure. The deeds of a Believer and of a Hypocrite might look the same (both might pray the same way) but their intentions (objectives/purpose) will be different. Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said “The reward of deeds depends upon the intention and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended”. The intention is located in the heart. So, if the heart is corrupt, the intention will also be corrupt; and every deed done with wrong intention is useless.
Rasul Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
“Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh;
if it is sound, the whole body is sound
and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt,
and hearken it is the heart.”
[Sahih Muslim]
Al-Qur’an says that none will be saved on the Day of Judgment except him who will have a Healthy Heart (Qalbin Saleem) ["And when none shall be saved except him who will come before Allah with a pure heart (Qalbin Saleem)", 26:89]. If the heart of a person is healthy, all his A’amaal (good deeds) will be satisfactory. But if a heart contains pride, show-off, hatred, doubts, love of fame or wealth etc, then such a heart needs to be cleaned from these diseases. The term Tazkiya is used to refer to the purification of the heart or the Nafs. The purification of the heart is so important that Allah has placed it before the Dhikr and Salah, as He says:
“Indeed whosoever purifies himself [man tazakka] shall achieve success,
And remembers (glorifies) the Name of his Lord,
and prays [fasalla]“.
(Qad aflaha man tazakka
Wa-thakara isma rabbihi fasalla)
[al-A'laa - 87:14-15]
Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has shown a way with which one can clean his/her heart. The Prophet (‘alaihi salato was-salam) said “These hearts become rusty just as iron does when water affects it.” On being asked what could clear them, he replied “A great amount of remembrance of death and recitation of the Qur’an.” [Tirmidhi].
Remembrance of death is the remembrance of that day when one will stand before Allah with all his deeds, good or bad, opened in front of him. If a person constantly remembers that one day he will have to face his deeds in front of Allahu ta’ala, such a person will avoid all that which could result in receiving the anger of Allahu ta’ala. A person who fears Allah will want his sins to vanish, therefore he will repent to Allah and for those who sincerely repent, Allah will turn their bad deeds into good deeds.
“… the one who repents, becomes a true believer, and starts doing good deeds, for then Allah will change his evil deeds into good, and Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful. He that repents and does good deeds, has truly turned to Allah with good turning.” [al-Furqaan - 25:70-71]
The repentance does soften the heart of a person who repents to Allah out of the fear of meeting Him one day, ["Who feared Rahman (Allah) without seeing Him, and brought a heart turned in repentance (qalbin muneeb)" [50:33]. Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said “When a believer sins there is a black spot on his heart, and if he repents and asks pardon his heart is polished; but if he does more it increases till it gains the ascendancy over his heart.” [Tirmidhi]. Excessive sins without any repentance will eventually cover up the whole heart with rust (or darkness); Allah says:
“Nay! rather, what they used to do
has become like rust upon their hearts.”
(Kalla bal rana AAala quloobihim ma kanoo yaksiboona)
[al-Mutaffifeen - 83:14]
Therefore, we should constantly repent to Allah for all our sins, which we could be doing knowingly and unknowingly. Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) also said that a person can clean up the rust on his heart with this Qur’an. And Allah has also called this Qur’an as the “Shifa” or the “Cure” for all the heart diseases.
“O mankind!
There has come to you an instruction (Quran) from your Lord,
a cure for whatever (disease) is in your hearts,
a guidance and a blessing for the true believers.”
[Yunus - 10:57]
“We have revealed the Qur’an which is
a healing and a mercy to the believers,
while to the wrongdoers it adds nothing but loss.”
[al-Israa - 17:82]
“Allah has revealed the most beautiful message,
a Book consistent in its verses yet repeating its teachings in different ways.
Those who fear their Lord are filled with awe when they hear it,
Then their skin and their heart soften to the remembrance of Allah.
Such is the guidance of Allah:
He guides with it whom He pleases.
But he to whom He confounds shall have none to guide him.”
al-Quran [Surah az-Zumar - 39:23]
Allah gives life to the dead earth with the rain. This Qur’an can give life to the dead hearts. This Qur’an is the clear reminder and the Kalam of Allah, where only Allah speaks and the believer listens. A devoted heart is the one that is filled with the love of Allah, whose objective of every action is to gain the pleasure of Allah, whose fear is the anger of Allah and whose food is the Dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. Can our bodies stay alive for long if we don’t eat any food? How can these hearts stay alive without the Dhikr of Allah? Therefore, we should firmly hold this Rope of Allah (al-Quran), the rope which takes us up directly towards Him.
Rasool Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has said that the successful is the one whose heart has become pure. He described the features of a pure heart as:
“He has been successful!
whose heart Allah has made sincere towards faith,
whose heart He has made free from unbelief,
his tongue truthful, his soul calm, his nature straight,
whose ear He has made attentive and his eye observant.
The ear is a funnel and the eye is a repository for what the heart learns.
He is successful whose heart is made retentive.”
[ Tirmidhi]
Ramadan is close to its departure but have we purified ourselves yet? The two sons of Prophet Adam (‘alaihi salam) offered their offerings to Allah. Allah only accepted from the one but not from the other. It was then said “Allah only accepts from those who are al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [5:27]. We have been fasting and praying this month but who knows if Allah will accept our deeds or not. Again, He only accepts from the Muttaqeen. Have we done enough to glorify Allah, to control this Nafs, or to clean this heart? We were busy with this world in the Salah and outside the Masjid. Our daily concern was the Iftar rather to attach ourselves to Him and escape ourselves from the walls of this Nafs. When Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be upon them) completed the work which Allah had asked them (raised Ka’bah), they said “Our Lord, Accept this from us” (Rabbana Taqabbal minna..) [2:127]. If the two great Prophets, the forefathers of Muhammadur Rasool Allah (‘alaihi salato was-salam), are requesting Allah to accept their work, what assures us that Allah is going to accept our good deeds and forgive our defects?
We are still in Ramadan and al-Hamdulillah we still have the opportunity to clean these hearts. One can purify his heart to a certain degree within minutes (insha’Allah)! All that requires is a special chemical, which none but one’s own eyes can produce. So, purify and polish these hearts with your tears! Especially in the last nights of this month. The Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: ” Allah will give shade to seven (types of people) under His Shade (on the Day of Resurrection). (one of them will be) a person who remembers Allah and his eyes are then flooded with tears” [Sahih Bukhari]. No one knows if there will be another Ramadan for us after this, neither the speaker nor the reader.
“O Allah, we are not relying on our deeds. Our deeds might have no value
in Your Sight. We are weak and only hoping for Your Mercy and Forgiveness
as You are Arhamur-Rahimeen. Our mothers would forgive us for any
mistake, but You are much more Merciful than all the mothers.
O Allah accept our good deeds and forgive all our sins as You like to Forgive.
O Allah! make us to meet You with a pure heart and
Have Mercy on us the day we will meet You.
Waman Taqis-Sayyiati Yawmaithin Faqad Rahimtah!”
Aameen.
“Glory be to your Lord, the Lord of Honor, He is free from what they ascribe to Him!
Peace be on the Messengers, and praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.”
Al-Quran [37:180-182]
wa Assalamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullah
Written by Abdullah ibn Adam
Bismi Allahir Rahmanir Raheem.
All praise is for Allah, the Most High, the Lord of the Worlds. Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon all the Prophets of Allah, especially our Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa aalihi wa as-haabihi wa sallam).
“O believers! Remember Allah as a frequent remembrance,
and glorify Him morning and evening.”
Al- Quran [al-Ahzaab, 33:41-42]
“Therefore, remember Me, and, I will remember you,
be grateful to Me and never deny Me.”
Al- Quran [al-Baqarah, 2:152]
Assalamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
Allahu Ta’ala says in the glorious Qur’an:
“O man (Insan)! What has lured you away from your gracious Lord [Rabbikal-Kareem]?”
(Ya ayyuha al-insanu ma gharraka bi-rabbika al-kareem?) [Surah al-Infitaar - 82:6]
This world, the Dunya, will take a person away from Allah, who busies himself in the worldly businesses and who does not remember Allah in any time. Allah says:
“He who turns away from the remembrance of Rahman (Allah, the Compassionate),
We assign a Satan (Shaytan) for him, who becomes his intimate companion – and
turns such people away from the Right Path, while they think that they are guided aright.”
[az-Zukhruf - 43:36-37]
We have reached to a point where even our Salah (prayer) is empty of Allah’s remembrance. Allah said: “… worship Me and establish Salah for My remembrance.” [Ta-ha, 20:14]. But unfortunately our Salah (prayer) is filled with the thoughts of this world rather than the Remembrance of Rahman.
If the worldly businesses take us away from Dhikr Allah ( Allah’s Remembrance), we will forget Him. And the one who has forgotten Allah, Allah will also forget him and He might not listen to his supplications (Du’a). So, what could be a cause of the unacceptance of our Du’a? Our hearts are preoccupied with Dunya rather than His Remembrance. Allah will say to those who forget Allah and do not prepare for the Akhirah: “Now taste the reward for your forgetting the meeting of this Day – We too have forgotten you now…” [32:14]. Therefore,
“O believers! Let neither your riches nor your children divert you from the remembrance of Allah.
Those who will do so, it is they who shall be the real losers.”
[al-Munafiqoon - 63:9]
Allah mentions in the Quran about those true Muslims who prefer the hereafter over this Dunya. These people make Dhikr, perform Salah and observe other duties; and their worldly businesses do not affect their worship. Qur’an says:
“In houses, which Allah has ordered to be raised,
in them His Name is glorified in the mornings and
in the afternoons or the evenings,
(By) men whom neither trade nor sale diverts them
from the Remembrance of Allah (thikri Allahi),
nor from performing As-Salat (prayer),
nor from giving the Zakat.
They fear a Day (the Day of Judgement)
when hearts and eyes will be overturned.”
[An-Noor - 24:36-37]
If we remember Allah, Allah will also remember us (listen to us). Allah says: “Therefore, remember Me, and, I will remember you, be grateful to Me and never deny Me.” [al-Baqarah, 2:152]. Allah’s remembrance (Dhikr Allah) should be observed in the Masajid and also when we are outside the Masajid. In fact, Allah’s remembrance should be in the hearts of the believers at all times. And His glorification should be on our tongues at all times as well. Allah says:
“O you who believe! Remember Allah with much remembrance,
and glorify Him morning and evening.”
[al-Ahzaab, 33:41-42]
“And remember your Lord within yourself (deep in your soul, fee nafsika),
humbly and with fear without loudness in words
in the mornings, and in the afternoons and
be not of those who are neglectful.
[al-A'araaf - 7:205]
Who has created the sun, the moon, the heavens and this earth! It is Allah, therefore, Subhan Allah! Who has guided us to Islam, provided us with sustenance (food, drink, clothes etc)! It is Allah, therefore, Alhamdu-lillah! Who is the Most Powerful, the Majestic, Maliki Yawmi-Deen! Allahu Akbar! Who forgives the mistakes and the sins? It is Allah, we say Astaghfirullah. Therefore, a Muslim can remember his Rabb at all the times; while in the Masajid and while in the midst of this world. Rahman says:
“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day,
- there are indeed Signs for men of understanding,
- Men who celebrate the praises of Allah,
standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides,
and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth,
(with the thought): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You!
Give us salvation from the Chastisement of the Fire.”
[Aal-e-Imran - 3:190-191]
Once we start to praise Allah with our hearts, then shall we be able to feel the sweetness of Rahman’s Dikhr. For example, many of us pray Salah without knowing the meanings of what we say, and many of us know the meanings but we do not concentrate on what we say. We should pray with the certainty that we are standing in front of Rabbul ‘Aalameen, standing with sincerity and devotion, with fear and hope of His Mercy. When we say anything in As-Salah, we should express that it is said directly to Him (Allah). We say:
{ Subhana ka-Allah humma
(You are Glorified, O Allah!)
wabi hamdika
(and Praised! )
watabara kasmuka
(Your Name is Blessed!)
wata’ala jad-duka
(Your Majesty is Exalted! )
wala ilaha ghairuk”
(and none has the right to be worshipped but You!) }
“Allahu Akbar”
(Allah is the Greatest)
“Sub-hana Rabbi Yal Atheem”
(Glory be to my Lord who is the very Greatest)
“Samee ‘Allah hu liman hameeda”
(Allah listens to the one who praises Him)
“Rab-bana lakal hamd”
(Our Lord, all the praises be to You)
“Sub-hana Rabbi yal A’ala”
(Glory be to my Lord, the Most High)
Ibn ‘Umar (radi Allahu anh) reported that the Prophet (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) told them:
“A servant of Allah said ‘My Lord! All praise is for You as much as Your Glory and Sublime Majesty rightly deserve. ‘ This was too much for the two angels to record. They did not know how to record it. So they soared to the heaven and said, ‘Our Lord! Your servant has said something which we don’t know how to record?’ Allah asked them–and, of course, He knew what the servant had said–’What did My servant say?’ They said, ‘He has said, “My Lord! All praise is for You as much as Your Glory and Sublime Majesty rightly deserve.” Allah said to them, ‘ Write it down as My servant has said until he should meet Me and I reward him for it’.’ (Reported by Ahmad and Ibn Majah)
May Allah forgive us and accept our good deeds. May Allah guide us to the best ways in which we should Praise Him, Glorify Him. May Allah keep our hearts attached to Him. Once our hearts are filled with the Dhikr of Rahman, insha’Allah, we will have no interest of whatsoever in this Dunya. The light of Allah’s Dhikr fills up the heart and the heart becomes satisfied with what it needs. Allah says “Beware! It is the remembrance of Allah which provides tranquility to the hearts!” [ala bithikri Allahi tatmainnu alquloobu!] (13:28). Anything other than His Remembrance or this Dunya will not satisfy our hearts!
“Therefore, remember Me, and, I will remember you, be grateful to Me and never deny Me.” [al-Baqarah, 2:152]
Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, thus stated: I am near to the thought of My servant as he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he remembers Me. And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also remember him in My Heart, and if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance), and if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit, and if he draws near Me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him. [Sahih Muslim]
“Nay! When the earth will be pounded to powder,
your Lord will come, with angels standing in ranks,
hell shall be brought in sight.
On that Day man will remember his deeds,
but how is that remembrance going to profit him?
He will say: “Alas! Would that I had sent forth some good deeds for this life of mine.”
None can punish as Allah will punish on that Day,
and none can bind as He will bind.
To the righteous soul it will be said:
‘O fully satisfied soul!
Return to your Lord,
well pleased with Him and well-pleasing to Him.
Join My servants,
and enter My paradise.’”
[al-Fajr, 89:21-30]
“Subhana Rabbika Rabbi al’izzati ‘amma yasifoon
Wasalamun ‘ala al-Mursaleen
Waal-Hamdu lillahi Rabbil ‘Alameen”
Al-Quran [37:180-182]
wa Assalamu ‘alaikum wa Rahmatullah
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