The Women Around the Messenger SAW – Episode 48

Rahim al hamdu Lillahi Rabbil alameen wa Salatu was Ramada ashrafi mursaleen Sayyidina Muhammad wa ala alihi wa sahbihi he married my beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, Mr. Malik, Moy brachetto Zach. Hello. Hi, thank you so much for joining us. This episode 48 hour series the blizzard women around the mission, just sort of like to send them an essential love would be our third last episode. Next week, inshallah we'll do Episode 49. And they will conclude with Episode 50. And we praise and thank Allah subhanaw taala, for allowing us to, to get this spot. And I think those listeners who have been following from the beginning, except from you that effort, and it's not easy

to stay consistent on this, and I pray that it has been of benefit and it has been also enjoyable at the same time. I mean, in the last few episodes, we're talking about controversial issues within the Sharia, pertaining to women who spoke about, you know, can women attend the masjid? We asked, What is the ruling concerning women marrying polygamy, women having more than one husband, but why can men have more than one wife? We spoke very controversially in the last episode, why a woman's inheritance is half of a man why there is a verse in the Quran which mentions the beating of wives. What does Islam say about female circumcision? So we'll discuss some very, very controversial issues

and hopefully clarify those areas. And if they are any questions or still concerns, then please feel free to question even feel free to challenge if you don't agree, because the answers are the end, they are those much more learned and far more specialized in this area than we are that can offer you know more detailed in depth answer these questions. Of course, we try to do as many of them as we can in just a few minutes. So inshallah Don't feel shy to ask those questions. So today we continue with these controversial matters. And one of the controversial issues that is raised is, is the testimony of a woman, half the testimony of a man. So if a woman comes to the court, and she is

she's complaining with the judge, say to her that she needs to bring two female witnesses against one male witness? Now, why would this be where does this come from? This is in relation to a verse in the Quran, which is referred to as the verse of the reverse of death. In fact, it is the longest verse of the Quran, it is the surah baqarah verse 22. So in Surah, Baqarah, verse 22, this entire verse is very long, if it's about a page long, all it does, it speaks about date, it speaks about how one goes about giving data to a data, and how it should be recorded and should be written down and should be witnessed. And this is like diverse, a lot of anger says, or you will believe when you

contract a date for a specified term, the number one, write it down, and let a scribe scribe writes it between you in justice. So they should be someone that documents this thing. And with no sky, but refused to write, as Allah has taught him. So the scribe should dictate the terms of the dead curriculum. So let him write and let the one who has the obligation dictate. So Allah Spangler saying the data should be the one that dictates to the right and this is a form of check, of course, the data is the one that is going to be, you know, feeling the burden of the data, he should be the one that dictates, of course the credit is there as well, I encourage all of them, and let him fear

Allah His load and not leave anything out of it. So both the writer and the dictator, they should be the one dictating the dictator, the one dictating that they should speak the terms of the date correctly. But if the one who has the obligation is of limited understanding, or weak or unable to dictate himself, let his guardian dictate injustice. So then Allah goes further, that if the data does not have the capacity to dictate the terms, then if the Guardian, the Father, the husband, the mother, whatever it might be, who is in charge of this person, they should do the dictation in justice, and analysis. So once this document is being dictated, and it's being written down, then

bring to witness the bringing witnesses to witnesses from among your main, so bring to Maine to witness this document. And if you can't find two men, then a one man and two women from those who you accept as witnesses, so upright people, I will continue to discuss the controversial area. So I'll continue so that if one of the women, if she makes a mistake, than the other can remind us of the two women one will remind the other one, and let the witnesses refuse when they're called upon. And do not be too weary to write it, whether it's small or large. And this is something's from guidance to all of us. Allah says even if it's a small debt to a large debt, if you give anything

then that should be written down on commands is it specified term and stipulate when it should be repaid. Allah says this is more just in the sight of a lot and stronger as evidence and more likely to prevent out between you except when it is an immediate transaction which you conduct amongst yourself. So let's punctuality continuing saying this is better for you remains any future conflict. This is how it should be done. This is the adapt of how we give dates to one another. And then Allah says this does not apply to transactions which

happen immediately. So I go to the shop, I buy a loaf of bread. We don't have to do this entire process we just exchange money and that's it.

For the is no blame upon you if you don't like it and take witnesses when you can conclude a contract, that no scribe the harm to any witness. So never ever a person who writes down the terms and the witness who witnessed the terms they should never be harmed by the testimony. For if you do so, indeed is a great disobedience in you and fear Allah and Allah teaches you and Allah is Knowing of all things as panelists, verse has many many wisdoms in it, the last panel dialyze, talking also about the seriousness of death, how it should be written down the adapt the etiquette, how it should be witnessed, and it's a noun and something for us to be in mind when we, you know, give dates

amongst one another, that we should follow this adapt in this etiquette, the controversial area in this verse, this controversial question is that Allah said, when we believe that they should be witnesses, the witnesses to the state should be to men. And if you can't find two men then bring one men and two women in replace of this one man. So now people ask, does the Sharia view the value of the testimony of one man equal to two women? So we understand where this question comes from? is it's a legitimate question. So we respond to this and say, yes, this is, of course, the commandment and it is the instruction of Allah subhanho wa Taala. And this is the recommendation almost 100

Allah. But it should also be understood that this verse is only specific to dates, loans between two parties. And if we were to even extrapolate this, maybe we could say it applies to certain transactional contracts. But this does not apply across the Sharia meaning when we talk about legal issues or crimes, for example, the one who committed Zina, Allah protect us. If you accuse him you need to bring four witnesses, Sharia doesn't say for male witnesses, so you don't have to bring four men and eight women. Rather you can bring two men, two women, three women, one man, it doesn't matter. The gender is not not looked at when it comes to conveying information, of testimony in

terms of a criminal proceedings. Other areas of the Sharia with testimony is required. For example, seeing the moon for Ramadan, did I see the moon seeing the moon for conveying a hadith? We don't ask Ayesha you've conveyed the Hadith. But your testimony is only half of a man you need to bring another sister to back you up. But you heard this from an Ibiza Salam know, when you convey information in the gender is equal. When we stand before the judge the gender is equal, even in matters of murder, as we said, the gender between males and females are equal. And if you get to a situation when a man and a woman challenges one another, then both have equal standing in terms of

the Sharia. The only area where the Sharia makes a distinction is this area of transactions. Now we ask why did the Sharia make that distinction? Firstly, one of the reasons is that at the time when these is revealed 1400 years ago, women, by and large, in all societies, and specifically in the Arabian society, they were not part of the economic functions of society, they were not involved in transactions. This was not the area of specialization. This was something which was at that time exclusively men were involved in these kind of transactions, men were the ones that were buying and selling and lending and borrowing. This is the situation this was at the time. And therefore Allah

subhanaw taala reveals versus specific to a certain situation, that in lead time, women will not be economically active. It's a fact of history, whether we like it or not, that is a fact of history. Of course, as time has gone on, women have become far more involved in business and become more, you know, women have become more proficient when it comes to business transactions. But in the sixth century, Arabia, women did not have this expertise. So Allah subhanho wa Taala, wanted to bolster strengthen the testimony of the woman by having a support. Remember, Allah is not saying that she is incompetent, or she's unable to memorize or understand facts. This is saying that when we have a

dispute, why do you have witnesses? Because if there is a dispute, now you call upon the witnesses. Now, when you're being challenged Allah subhanaw taala, saying, it would be easy in a certain society to disregard the testimony of woman, they would say, this woman, what does she know? But if she had a backup, she says, No, no, no, it's not just one, it's two, it's hard to push away the testimony of two women. Now this is of course, in the context of the of the society and of the time and place. So lots of harm there. I did this as a means of prediction, prediction for the data protection for the creditor. Allah also sees him he concludes the ayah by saying, Do not harm the

one who wrote down the contract and don't harm the witnesses. Because naturally in business transactions when they are disputes, it can become can become aggressive, it could be things can get out of hand, and that's why Allah subhanho wa Taala is putting the sister in a situation that she has, she has support. Also interesting in the ayah. Allah did not stipulate that the one who writes the contract of the lawyer if we will ask to be a man and say that it could be a sister who dictates

The terms it could be the sister who's lending the money, it could be the sister who's the dicta. It is only the gender in terms of the witnesses, which of course will be tested and will be, will be questioned in a court of law. They illustrated a saying that in such a situation, it is best to have two women present as witnesses instead of one. And Allah subhanho wa Taala knows best and Allah subhanho wa Taala, legislates in a manner which is which is applicable to all times in all societies to avoid to avoid conflict, this verse, we look at the verse from the beginning to the nothing to do agenda, nothing to do about inequality, it is about preventing, preventing potential problems. You

know, if we say we take offense that Allah is mentioning here, that it's possible that a woman will be challenged in the court and therefore she needs backup. Well, the fact that Allah is saying write this down to begin with, the person who lends money might say, well, I take offense that Allah is not trusting me that if I write it down, I'll be unfair, or that the data might say, well, las pantallas is here, if I have diminished mental capacity, my guardian needs to dictate the terms, I should be offended as a data. Now Allah subhanaw taala is putting these rules down to prevent any potential conflict in the future. These are the etiquettes that will prevent conflict in the future.

So understand the verse in that context. And as we said, this is not applicable, you know pervasively throughout the Sharia in every case, but only to business transactions really, and this is the only place in the Quran, Allah speaks about witnesses throughout the Quran. This is the only place where two women are stipulated as a substitute for one man, it must also be understood, this is really important point that just as men had areas of specialization, and the testimony was stronger in those areas, because this is something which they are more competent in. At that time. They were areas in the sixth century, which women must visualize, and it's in fact, still today,

there will be the testimony will hold greater value, like issues of motherhood, issues of breastfeeding issues about fostering, we see that when it comes to paternity, or paternity again, when it comes to a guardianship of children, when the maternal side, the mother's family, the sherea, gives her preference Now, also, why is that? Why does the Sharia put this as a general rule? Why? Because Allah has made a generalization. The generalization is that the mother's family tends to be closer with the children, the mother sisters tend to have a deeper, more intimate relationship with kids, then the father system. Now this might be a generalization, it might not be true for your

family. But Allah subhanho wa Taala is applying this as a rule, you know, for the majority of families. And of course, if there are exceptions, the Sharia is not blind to exceptions, the Sharia if you come to the judge, he will look at the evidence. And if there is an exceptional circumstance, then of course, the Sharia is flexible in that regard. So it's not something that we should you know, we should argue about something that we should feel problematic about, rather, the Sharia is upon a lot. You know, this is full of wisdom and understanding. And again, I like this reveal 1500 years ago, for the protection of people impoverished for the protection of women, the protection of

the data and the creditor. This is very, very, you know, false thinking well ahead of its time, well Hamdulillah, we move on to the next controversial area. And we find within the Hadith takes certain Hadith which people have taken exception to certain Hadith which people looked at it and said, I don't really like that Hadith. You know, it doesn't it doesn't seem right to me, can you please explain this hadith To me, it doesn't sit well with me. And so part of my research when I did this, I wanted to address those things I wanted it that if our sisters and also brothers as Muslims, you get confronted and you say, Ah, this is a hadith that your Prophet said or this is a verse that is

in the Quran, that you when you look at it, you don't feel awkward or unable to answer because the easy answer. So I've selected some of these Hadith problematic as I call them, and to explain them. So for example, a very famous one, the purpose of sentences, and I command you to take care of the women in good manner, for they are created from a rub and the most crooked part of the rub is its upper part and if you try to straighten it, you will break it and if you leave it it will remain crooked. So I come on you take care of the women in good manner, body. So this is reported in body which authentic. The question is how does your professor solemn, say that women are crooked, crooked

means shady or shifty. They've got some dodginess towards the message what is understood by this hadith and that understanding is very, very wrong. In fact, the translation of the crooked or the bent rub is wrong. That is not the way it is really not the wording of the Hadith. What the professor is saying is that women are created. She is curved, if you will, perhaps is the best way of explaining. We as you are linear. She is curved, meaning there is a way that you've been created or mean. And there's a way that she's been created, that there's a way that you think doesn't mean that it's correct. And it's a way that she's created and the way that she thinks doesn't mean it's

correct. It doesn't mean it's bad.

Which was and you the property saying to the mean, if you try to straighten her, if you try to take away her curve nature, basically you're trying to take away her feminine nature, then you will break her, you will break her completely, you will, you will not benefit from her that you actually will harm her. Also the wording here, the rub, we always get confused with the crookedness around the property saying she was made from the rub. Now yes, we know Adam was made from dirt. As a man, you should maybe feel more offended by that. But he was made from mud. Whereas another halwa she was made from something alive, she was made from actually like living cells, and a lot took the rub. And

one beautiful way of thinking of it. The rub is the thing which protects the heart, there is a thing that protects the body, there is not something weak, it is something very strong. And in fact, it's curved nature, the thing that makes them effective, what makes them able to do its function is that it's curved, that if you were to take away its curved nature, then you lose its functionality, as Rihanna is another Hadeeth. There's a hadith which qualifies this and it makes us very, very clear. Another Hadith which people don't mention, the prophets of Salaam says about our sisters, that the woman is made from this curved robe. And if you want the full benefit of if you really want to enjoy

her, then leave her in being curved. This Hadith is reported in such a Muslim that if the woman is curved, leave her to that effect. Don't change her because then you will not experience the benefit in her that her feminine nature is what makes her makes a wonderful mix of beautiful mixer desirable, just like your masculine nature is what makes you makes you good. Don't change your husband into a woman and don't change a woman into a man and each one will think the way they think and each one will operate the way they operate. So Subhan Allah, the prophet of Allah is mentioning this. In fact the Hadith is in Buhari the promises the woman is like Arab if you try to straighten

your breaker so if you want to get benefit from her do so why she still has some of that curves or crookedness in her this hadith is in fact in Buhari as well. So very clearly the problem is not saying that she is dodgy or shady or she needs to be straightened, is saying the opposite that she's female she thinks differently to you. And leave it and leave it at that. And of course when we look at the way she was made from made from something alive, men were made from dirt in reality this Heidi is not should never be understood to be insulting to women, rather, is a beautiful Hadith one that praises our sisters, another Hadith which is quite controversial, that certain people take

exception to way the prophecies I have not left any test more harmful to men than women. Sahih Bukhari so automatically, certain groups jump onto this hadith and say, you see the Sharia says women are like some kind of fitna, or some kind of cursed with some kind of plague or some kind of evil thing. What is the shady so a lot of the prophets of Allah is mentioning a number of things here number one, of course, we know the temptation between men and women, that just as the greatest invitation for men, it's again, a point of honor, when Allah subhanaw taala says, the thing that men desire the most the things which pleases men, the most the things that motivate men the most in this

world is women. Hogan, Lisa chahatein. And Lisa, the thing that most men are geared to is the attraction to women always made us like that, and then welcome second, and children and so on and so forth. Similarly, for women, they attracted to me nothing wrong to say that this is attraction. It is biology, it is how our life created us. And then the Prophet is saying, furthermore, how we teach our women, how we treat our women and how we interact with him. This is our biggest test. One of the biggest tests of our life will be how we treat that wife that is next year because she will testify for you under FEMA or against you how you treat the women in your care your daughters, your sister,

your mother, we should care for Allah subhanaw taala is going to hold you accountable for these women. So basically the result of me saying be very very careful of this test this question on the exam how you treated your women is a very big one for you Oh men and many men Swan Allah they will not you know the position will not be that they didn't make enough Salah didn't give him enough soccer they did all those things. But we they fell short was how they treated the mothers, the sisters, the wives. And that's why you read this hadith in conjunction with the best of you is the one who's based to his wife, the one who passes this test is the way in which he treats his wife. So

once again, this hadith is not a means to make women look as if though she is evil in some way. Rather, it's saying that all men Be very careful in how you treat her Be very careful in your interaction with her. That is what the purpose of this video is. Last one very, another very awkward one a very controversial one.

More or even just a little deal. One. Why do you need to have a little fun with a great Sahabi one of the great companions of the professor lambda men who will be the Imam of the fuqaha the man will be the leader of the scholars on the day. He goes to Syria. You spend some time when he comes back to Medina and he sees that he has a lamb and he falls down into god prostrates before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he makes a joke.

Of course we cannot prostrate to anyone besides Allah. So immediately the professor's have system wide Jamar, what is this? What are you doing? Why are you bowing before me? Why are you making sure you so what is yours for the law so Salaam I saw in Syria, the people bowing before the peace, the rabbi's. That's how they honor the priests and you are more befitting of that. So I have also made sure you to respect the professors on them of course it is not possible. And then he continues on this is the controversial part of this hadith. He says if I were to command anyone to prostrate to any other one other than Allah, I would have commanded women to prostrate before there hasn't been

stood to bow before the Aspen's. So number one first point is no one can bow personally to anyone you cannot make even to do to know this was a lamb, let alone a grave a kurama, a chef mo Donna Hazara, you cannot make sure you don't make ruku to anyone besides or anyone or anything, except to Allah subhana wa Tada. Second point, the processor, if anyone were deserving of that level of respect. Remember, this is not about worship anymore. It's about respect. The problem is if anyone should have that level of respect, it would be for a woman to respect her husband to that degree. Now, some people have found this problematic. Firstly, for us as Muslims, nothing wrong for us to

say Hawaii gives a good wife respects her husband, we should not feel shy as Muslims to say that we should not feel like it's inferior, to respect your husband. Similarly, nothing inferior for a man to be soft and gentle and caring towards his wife. That is a good thing for a woman to respect and honor and follow her husband is a good thing. Many women will tell you, we have no problem walking side by side or even being led by our husband, if he's worthy of being of being in charge, he can be in charge, he can wear the pants, so long as he does his job, that we will gladly we will gladly walk by his side, we'll gladly even let him lead us and many women that will you know if the sisters

that are young, that young this that you can respond to me and say yes or no, that if my husband, you know he met the criteria, and he was the kind of husband that I wish he was, then I will have no problem. You know, using the word obedient, if you will, submitting if you will, in inverted commas, you can see me doing it, I have no problem doing those things. And it can be in charge that I'm happy to do so. So the profit piece we've added sauce on them is telling us that this level of respect and love and key ideally, if ever someone should have that amount of love and respect, it should be a woman for her husband. But of course this is only exclusively to a lot. I turned the

tables also, if this Heidi said the only person deserving of sujood is a mother that the only person that you should bow before is your mother. We would have no problem. No one would say but this is six What about the father? We accept that that in certain instances when it comes to children for example, the the Prophet has honored the mother three times your mom, your mom, your mom, the man said Who should I honor the most? The Prophet said your mother. And then he said who next in the prophecy your mom stole and then who else stole my mom and then only your father comes fourth mother comes first second, third father comes fourth main might say but how is this faith is unfazed? Yeah,

when it comes to husbands and wives the professor is saying he wishes for our sisters to have that level of respect and honor to her husbands and again, we do not feel shy about this thing. And again, the prophet Salim did not command anyone to bow before anyone else. Rather, he's talking metaphorically in terms of respect. Well hamdulillah we continue next week in our episode 49 our penultimate episode second last episode, and we will round off with a few more of these controversial matters insha Allah, any questions, concerns or comments with [email protected] zakka. salaam aleikum wa barakato