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| Women are Less Prone to Pride |
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| Halima |
| 08/31/03 at 04:41:27 |
| A group of men came to Rabi'a in order to test her. They said: 'Virtues and special gifts have been bestowed on men, not women. The crown of nobility has been placed on the heads of men, and the belt of generosity has been tied around their waists. The gift of prophesy has never descended on any woman. What can you boast of?' Rabi'a replied: 'I shall not dispute what you say. Yet women are less prone to pride, egoism and self-worship; they are less liable to think highly of themselves. And they do not so readily exploit others for their own pleasure.' -Attar, "Rabi'a" |
| Re: Women are Less Prone to Pride |
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| Kathy |
| 08/31/03 at 16:05:12 |
| [slm] [quote]The gift of prophesy has never descended on any woman. [/quote] Is there hadith to back this up? We are told that, before Prphet Muhammad [saw],there were many messangers that have not been told to us. |
| Re: Women are Less Prone to Pride |
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| chiq |
| 08/31/03 at 17:18:55 |
| [slm] [quote]Yet women are less prone to pride, egoism and self-worship; they are less liable to think highly of themselves. And they do not so readily exploit others for their own pleasure.[/quote] Hmm...does this sort of pride/egoism/self-worship exclude vanity then? And exploiting others for their own pleasure...does that exclude the plaints of an ungrateful wife for her husband to, as it were, do her bidding? Without intending to sound in any way disrespectful, I would be muchly interested if there are hadiths to back up the whole statement... Wasalaam |
| 08/31/03 at 17:22:10 |
| chiq |
| Re: Women are Less Prone to Pride |
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| jaihoon |
| 09/01/03 at 00:36:00 |
| [quote author=Kathy link=board=bebzi;num=1062315688;start=0#1 date=08/31/03 at 16:05:12] [slm] Is there hadith to back this up? We are told that, before Prphet Muhammad [saw],there were many messangers that have not been told to us.[/quote] It is generally accepted in histrory that Prophets were among men. However... below are two different types of view. Why was no prophet raised from among women? http://www.islamanswers.net/Prophets/prophets.htm God sent to every nation Messengers from among their own people. Without exception, these prophets were raised from among the men, never from among the women. The overwhelming consensus of scholars of the Law and Tradition among the Sunnis is that no woman has been sent as prophet. Except a questionable, even unreliable tradition that Mary and the wife of the Pharaoh, who, although married to one of the most cruel tyrants and obstinate unbelievers in human history, believed in God in utmost sincerity, there is no Qur’anic authority, nor any in Hadith, that a woman was sent to her people in the rank or role of a prophet. And certainly this is no argument that God’s revelation of religion for His human creatures has for that reason been lacking in some way or defective. God the All-Mighty created all entities in pairs. Even things, the inanimate part of creation, function according to principles and forces in pairs—like positive and negative, for example. This is true of every creation, viewed as microcosm or macrocosm. If the minute particles which constitute atoms were not held apart by a subtle balance of paired, opposite charges, the nucleus would explode or implode. The human being, also constituted of atoms, is the balancing term between the micro and macrocosms. Man was created to be as the steward of this creation and is fitted to it: what is true of the universe is true of man, as well. In other words, human beings are also created in pairs, male and female, and there is complex relation between them of attraction and repulsion. While in one of them balance is to-wards softness, weakness and compassion; in the other the balance is towards strength, force and competitive toughness. It is so that they may come together and establish the harmony of the family unit—just as, in the micro and macro universe, there is a harmony between atoms and celestial bodies. Today the issue of gender has been inflamed to such an extent that some people have gone be-yond all bounds of sense and experience and refuse to acknowledge the very real differences between male and female; some even attempt to make out that men and women are in all respects alike and equal. The issue has therefore become vulnerable to ridicule, and when over-presented and over-stated, has become a source of much misery in individual lives. Where in the most ‘modern’ lifestyle, the woman has forsaken her real identity in order to imitate the characteristics and functions of the man, family life has completely eroded: children are sent out to nursing centers or boarding schools, the parents being now too preoccupied as ‘individuals’ in their own, separate self-indulgence to be parents. This violence against nature and culture has destroyed the home as a place of balance between authority and love, as a focus of security and peace. God the Wise ordained some principles and law in the universe, and created human beings therein with an excellent and lofty nature. With regard to physical existence, the man is considerably stronger and more capable than the woman, and plainly constituted to strive and compete, without needing to, for physical reasons, withdraw from the struggle. The woman is plainly not so constituted. Because of the menstrual period (which can be difficult, even painful, and sometimes last up to 15 days), and the necessary confinement before and after childbirth, the woman cannot always pray and fast. Nor can she be continually available for public duties with the same degree of presence and commitment as can the man. How, if the woman is also a mother, can she, with a baby in her lap lead and administrate armies, make life and death decisions, sustain and prosecute a difficult strategy against an enemy? The role of a prophet is to give the lead to mankind in every aspect of social and religious life and to do so without pause or hesitation for as long as God wills. That is why prophethood is impossible for woman. If the man were the child-bearer prophethood would have been impossible for him too. The Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace, points to this fact when he describes women as those who cannot fulfil the religious obligations totally and cannot realize some of them (Sahih al-Bukhari, ‘Hayd,’ 6). A prophet is an exemplar, a model for conduct, therefore a human being in every respect—so that people do not have the excuse that they are required to follow a way which is beyond the powers of human beings. As for the matters that relate exclusively to women, they are guided through the teaching of the women in the household of the prophets. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.jannah.org/sisters/nubuwwa.html Nubuwwa (Prophethood) of Women Volume V, pp 17-19 al-Fisal fi al-Milal wa-al-Ahwa'i wa-al-Nihal By Abu Muhammad Ali Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hazm al-Andaluci (Abu Muhammad said) This is an issue we know of no debate about it except here in Cordoba and in our time. A group of people went on and denied that Prophet- hood could not be for women and made everyone that claims as such an innovator (Mubtadi'). Another group said that Prophethood is possible for women. A third group abstained from discussing this issue. (Abu Muhammad said) We find no proof for those who claim that Prophethood is impossible for women other than that some of them denied it based on the Koranic verse: " (O Muhammad!) Whenever we sent before you Messengers to whom we have revealed Our messages, they were but men." (1) (Abu Muhammad said) This is a verse none can deny as nobody claimed that Allah (SWT) sent women Messengers. The issue here is about Prophethood (Nubuwwa) and not Messengership. Henceforth the need to understand the meaning of the word 'Prophethood' in the language in which Allah (SWT) spoke to us (i.e. Arabic). We find that this word is taken from Inba' (prophecy) which means I'lam (revelation). So whomever Allah (SWT) tells him about what will be before it comes to pass, or reveals to him informing him about a certain matter, then he is a Nabi (prophet) without any doubt. This (Prophethood) should not be understood as Ilham (inspiration) which is natural as Allah said in Surah al-Nahl: " And behold! Your Lord has inspired the bees with this: 'Build thy hives in the mountains, and the trees and the creepers over trellis, then drink nectar from every kind of fruit, and follow the ways made smooth by your Lord.' From its belly comes out a fluid of varying hues wherein is healing for mankind. Here is indeed a sign for those who ponder over it." (2) It should neither be understood as doubt (Zann) or illusion which none would assure its truthfulness except an insane person (i.e. a crazy person would think illusion or Zann as part of what we commonly label as 'truth'). It neither should be understood as Kahana (sorcery) which is part of what the evil spirits (shayatin) try to get by listening to the heavens and as such get stricken by shooting stars. As Allah (SWT) says: " And We have always set against every prophet enemies from among satans of men and satans of jinns who have been inspiring one another with charming things in order to delude the minds. But had your Lord willed, they would never have done so. So leave them alone to continue false allegations."(3) Such sorcery was ended with the advent of the messenger of Allah (SWT), Muhammad (SAAW) (4). It is not part of Nujum (fortune telling), which can be learned. Nor is it part of dreams which none can assure their truthfulness or lies. Revelation which is Nubuwwa (Prophethood) is meant from Allah (SWT) to inform that to whom it was revealed of what Allah wants to tell him. This should be understood differently from all the previous cases. Allah makes to whom it was revealed fully aware and fully knowledgeable of the truthfulness of what was revealed to him - (Exactly) like his knowledge of what he can sense and the (obvious) deductions of his brain - with no doubt in them. (This revelation) can be transmitted by one of either ways: through an angel that comes to him or through a message directly revealed to him and this is a knowledge from Allah (SWT) to whom He gives, with no transmitter or teacher. If they deny that this is the meaning of Prophethood then let them teach us its meaning for they will not bring any single proof. Allah revealed in the Koran that He sent angels to women to deliver to them truthful revelations from Allah (SWT). They gave glad tidings to the mother of Isaac (Sarah) of Isaac. Allah says: "...And his wife was standing by; hearing this, she laughed. Then we gave her the good news of Isaac, and after Isaac of Jacob. She said,' Woe be me! Shall I bear a child now when I have grown extremely old, and this husband of mine has also become old? This is indeed a strange thing.' The angels said,' What! Are you surprised at Allah's decree? O people of Abraham's household! Allah's mercy and blessing are upon you. Indeed, Allah is worthy of all praise and glory.'" (5) This is a direct address from the angels to the mother of Isaac about the blessing Allah will bless her with -Isaac, then after Isaac Jacob - then their testimony about the power of Allah and her astonishment of the matter of how Allah (SWT) makes things possible. This could not be an address from an angel except to a prophet - in one way or another - we find also that Allah (SWT) sent Gabriel to Mary mother of 'Isa - Jesus - (AS) with a message and told her: "...I am a mere messenger from your Lord and have been sent to give you a pure son." (6) This is a true Nubuwwa with a true revelation and a (clear) message from Allah (SWT). Zacharias (AS) used to find with her Rizq (food) for this he asked Allah (SWT) to grant him a trustworthy son (7). We found also that Allah re- vealed to (Yukabid) mother of Moses that she shall throw her son into the Yam (river) and she shall neither worry or have grief and promised her He shall return Moses to her and make him a prophet and a messenger. With no doubt this is a true Nubuwwa (revelation) and a logical consequence of our premises. If she was not sure of the revelation that Allah would return her son to her, either that this was a mere vision or a feeling she had, she would be - by throwing her son in the Yam - committing a crazy act and a heinous crime against herself. If one of us did such an act he would be an extreme trans- gressor or a crazy person that deserves the agony and the (psychological) consequences he has to go through - (probably) in a bimaristan (a mental institution). Such logical analysis none could deny. Therefore it becomes - with assuredness - true that that which came to (Yukabid) - of throwing her son in the Yam - was a revelation, like that which was revealed to Ibrahim (AS) in his dream. He was ordered to slaughter his son. If Ibrahim (AS) was not a true prophet, and had he slaughtered his son for a dream he saw or a doubt he had in himself, it would be true that whoever does such an action would not be of the Prophets but an insane person. This nobody would doubt. Hence their (the women's) Prophethood becomes obviously true. We find that Allah (SWT) while mentioning the prophets in Surah Mariam, He mentioned Mariam amongst them and then said: " These are the Prophets on whom Allah bestowed His favors. They were from the descendants of Adam, and from the seed of those whom we carried in the Ark with Noah, and from the seed of Abraham and of Israel. They were from those whom we guided aright and made our chosen ones. They were tender-hearted that whenever the Revelations of the Merciful were recited to them, they would fall down pro- strate, weeping." (8) This is a description of all of them. One should not single her out as a special case, to be treated separately. Now the saying 'and his mother a Siddiqa' (Koran) does not deny her the right to be a prophet as Allah said: 'Joseph, O Siddiq!'(9). and as is known he is a true prophet and a messenger; and this becomes now clear. From Allah only one seeks guidance. We can also include along with them (Yukabid and Mariam) the wife of Pharao, as the prophet (SAAW) said: " There are many persons amongst men who are quite perfect but there are not perfect amongst women except Mary, daughter of 'Imran, and Asiya, wife of Pharao." (10) or as the Messenger of Allah (SAAW) said. Now perfectness (kamal) for men can only be for some messengers -for those who are 'less than them' are not perfect-. His (the Prophet's) particularization to Mariam and Asiya (the wife of Pharao) was a privilege for both of them over all those to whom Prophethood was given from amongst women - with no doubt -, as those who are a degree less than them are not perfect. Henceforth it is clear that these two women became perfect more than any other women and even if these women were prophets. From Koranic texts we find that Allah says: " (O Muhammad) , most surely you are of those who have been sent as Messengers. Of these Messengers, We have raised some above others in rank." (11) So the perfect of his gender is the one who excels in his perfection and none of his gender can reach him. They are the messengers from amongst men, of whom we find our prophet Muhammad and Ibrahim (ASWS). |
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