THE IDEAL MUSLIMAH

For one to feel alienation is not necessarily a bad sign, infact it could well be a good sign for you! The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “Islam began as something strange and will revert to being something strange, so glad tidings to the strangers.” (Narrated by Muslim (145).)

The word tooba (translated here as, “glad tidings”) has many meanings, such as:

• goodness and honour,
  
• a great tree in Paradise,
  
• joy and happiness,
  
• and many other meanings, all of which may apply here.

As-Sindi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said,

'“Strange” because its followers are small in numbers. The basic meaning of ghareeb (stranger) is one who is far from his home.

“And will revert to being something strange” means that few will adhere to it and help others to do so, even if the Muslims are many.

“to the strangers” means those who follow its commands.

“Tooba” is derived from the word tayyib (good), and it is interpreted as referring to Paradise or to a great tree that grows there.

This indicates that supporting Islam and obeying its commands may require the one who does so to leave his homeland and be patient in bearing the hardships of being away from his homeland, as was the case when it (the Islamic Da'wah) first began.' (Sharh Sunan Ibn Majaah [hadeeth no 3986.])

We have the best example in the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He brought light to his people, but they insisted on remaining in the darkness of kufr (disbelief) and ignorance. They accused him of being a sorcerer, soothsayer or madman, but he was patient in calling them, and he did not get fed up of repeating his call, using different methods of calling individuals and groups, calling in secret and in the open, until he attained great success. Similarly, those daa'iyyahs (women who call others to Islaan) who came after him called the non-Muslims to Islam, and called sinners to obedience, and called innovators to the Sunnah. Many of them experienced hardship, distress and difficulties, but that did not stop them from persisting in da’wah.

Think about these examples, and do what they did, and be patient as they were patient, so that you may attain the pleasure of Allaah. What you hear of mockery was also done by those who came before them, and the fools still repeat it with regard to those who promote the Sunnah, but that does not harm them or make them stop conveying the religion of Allaah.

In addition to being patient in calling people, we advise you to select wise people among other women and relatives to convey the religion of Allaah, those who may not listen to you. So that you can remind them of the truths of Islaam, for if people are happy to belong to Islaam, that does not prevent them from following the Sunnah, but there may be other obstacles that are preventing them from coming to the path of truth, such as misguided scholars and proponents of bid'ah (innovation), or specious arguments and whims and desires, and so on. It may also be due to the fact that we are failing to convey the truth of Islam to them, or we do not have wise ways of conveying it.

We must be gentle and patient, and select the people, and address them politely. Use different means such as audio tapes, video lectures and books, and you may see some good results.

Strive to make your house the focal point of this da’wah. Start with your husband and children, so that this will become a house of blessing for all people. Remember that our mother Khadeejah bint Khuwaylid was the first one of this Ummah to become Muslim, and she was the first one to support the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in conveying the message and calling her daughters to Islam. Her house was the first house to become Muslim, and from it the call of goodness spread to all corners of the earth, so be like her and follow her example.


And Allaah is the Source of strength.