Part 4

47 * She asked her husband to take care of his deceased relative's family, reminding everyone of the Prophet's statement: . «41 I ~.. • ..u~lS ii;·\rl 1::. L!JI» ~ r.r.:-d ~. ~ . J ...r-~ . "The caretaker of the widow is just like the Mujahid in Allah's Cause." * Her husband learned of a way he can help spread the Da 'wah, but hesitated to participate saying that he has designated the afternoons for his wife and children. When he told her this, she encouraged him to participate in the Da 'wah for Allah's sake. His respect for her increased, because he knew that she is also concerned about the Da 'wah to Allah and is willing to sacrifice her comfort for His Cause. * She often encourages her husband to pray on time and participate in charity activities. She makes things easy for him and tries to guide him to the best ways of righteousness. * She married a man whose wife had died in an accident leaving him with young children to take care of, the youngest of whom is a few months old. She was working on her Ph.D. at the woman's university, but invoked Allah to guide her to the best way. She resigned from her job and discontinued furthering her education to take care of these young children. She sought Allah's reward for rearing them, for rearing children is a significant achievement that rivals, and has several advantages over furthering education. * She suggested to her husband that they should move closer to his father's house, so that he helps rear his young brothers, make sure they attend the congregational prayer

48 * Even though her husband was appointed to work in a rural area, she did not hesitate to accompany him. Allah made things easier for her, for she found a conservative society who liked her and sought knowledge in Islam from her. She lived an entire year in that village, helping to influence an entire generation consisting of grandmothers, mothers and children! * Some women are just like pure gold, often invoking Allah for other women to guide them to the straight path, rather than earning their enmity and rivalry as some women do to each other. * "May Allah grant you eternal happiness," says the blind mother-in-law to her son's wife who helps her move about by holding her hand. This is typical of Muslim women, but the media try to portray the mother-in-law in an unfavorable picture, as if she is the eternal enemy of her daughter-in-law. * He married a shy, polite girl whose beauty lies in her good conduct and religious nature. She once asked him for some money to buy a gift for his mother. He promised her, but forgot to fulfill his promise. So, she sold a piece of her gold and bought the gift for his mother, without telling him what she did. * She encourages her husband to associate with good Muslims. She also invites her friends to vi:;it her and her husband with their husbands, knowing that those families are good Muslims. She is eager for her husband to be acquainted with righteous families, thus helping him spend the time in the best manner. * Her dedication is in pleasing her husband and taking care of his needs. She often repeats the Messenger of

49 . «~I ·; 1.;.; ...,..:.1..> ~ ~ jj.J ~\.. ~:;.1 ~ ~ wl» "Any woman who dies while her husband is pleased with her, enters Paradise." (Al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

The Seed of the Purse * She heard that the shop that sells Islamic cassettes in her area is about to go bankrupt and close doors. She said to her, "This door, that was opened to tremendous goodness, is about to close." She bought a large number of Islamic cassettes from this store and encouraged wealthy people to buy cassettes from it, so that it did not have to close its doors. She sought Allah's reward twice, for supporting an Islamic activity and by giving her friends and relatives the tapes she bought from the store. * She carries a purse just like other women, who usually stuff their purses with beauty items. However, her purse is full of Islamic books and pamphlets and wherever she goes, she leaves some of these books and pamphlets as a resource of righteousness for people. Allah made her more beautiful by her piety and dedication to Islam, for she calls to Him and fulfills the requirement of Da 'wah on her. Many women could do the same, but where are those women who have the dedication and concern for Da 'wah as this woman has? * Her family's name is well-known and often mentioned because of their social status. She moved to a house located near a funeral home and started helping washing dead Muslim women, but did not announce who she was. She was raised in a righteous home full of correct guidance and true success.

50 ((\·~ ~ ~·~ .~/ . f' -.J . ~ ,:.r ))

"Whoever helped provide for a fighter in Allah's Cause, will have participated in battle himself." She did not hesitate and gave her friend some money, so that her husband could pay it to a charity organization that supports Jihad. She asked her friend not to tell her husband where the money came from. Allah willing, she earned the reward of supporting a fighter in Allah's Cause and participated in battle, without leaving her house. We ask Allah to raise her grade with Him to a higher, exalted level. * Wearing her Hijab and observing Islamic conduct, she gave the seller at the store some Islamic books and tapes to give to those who shop at his store. * Some people are so disinterested in Da 'wah that they do not call their own families or servants, to practice Islam in the correct manner. This is why I started an Islamic library in my house containing tapes on Islam in various languages. Whenever I saw a maid or a driver, I would give them some cassettes in their language, asking them to give some of them to those who spoke their language. * She live~ by a mosque that contains a place to wash dead Muslims. She often sends shrouds and other items to the mosque to use in washing the dead. * She fasts Mondays and Thursdays, for fasting these days is an evergreen seed that provides support and aid on the long path to the Hereafter. * Her relatives know that she helps her husband conduct Da 'wah to Allah, awaiting Allah's reward for sacrificing her comfort for His sake.

51 * Since there are good potentials regarding Da 'wah to Allah in educational institutes, many Muslim women voluntarily work in this field seeking Allah's reward for teaching and in fulfilling the job of Da 'wah at the same time. These good examples of Muslim women have pressing needs at home. Their focus is on rearing their children and taking care of their homes, especially those among them, who have spent years teaching. Yet, disregarding their own comfort, they keep on teaching and making an effort to benefit the Muslim generations to come. They know that the time they spend with their students provides them with a precious opportunity to conduct Da 'wah to a few dozen girls sitting in class periods that last around one hour each. This is why every teacher should be a Da 'iyah (caller to Allah), regardless of the subject they are teaching. * The Mathematics teacher is very active in the Da 'wah and often gives good advice and counsel to her students. She often adds words of advice on the sheets she writes for the exams. One of her questions was, 'Abdullah wanted to get rid of the songs he has on tapes, because Allah has forbidden listening to songs and music. He opened the first drawer and found 19 cassettes in it, then opened the second drawer and found 15 cassettes and 13 tapes in the third drawer. How many cassettes of songs that Allah has prohibited will Abdullah get rid of?' * She teaches English language, but dedicates a few minutes in the beginning of each class to reciting to her students several Ahadith from the Messenger of Allah ~ and translating their meanings to them. * The Science teacher gave a lesson on melting iron core,

52 amount of iron. She told her students who watched the experiment, "How will the Fire of Jahannam be then? Can we ever tolerate its heat even for a few minutes?" One of her students was awakened from her sleep by these words and became active in worshipping Allah and obeying Him. * I was told of an English teacher who helped an entire girls school become better in their Islam by conducting Da 'wah to them inside and outside the class. She knows that one day she will stand before Allah, and He will ask her about the efforts she gave to her job, students and Da 'wah to Him. She considers her years at school as golden chances to earn Allah's reward and strives hard to invest these years in the best and most righteousness manner.

The Seed of awaiting Allah's Reward for Patience * She married a husband who had good conduct and prayed on time. Some years later, after they had several children, he became acquainted with wicked men who lured him to be lazy regarding the acts of worship, and he started spending extended periods outside of his home. In the end, he abandoned the prayer by giving the weakest excuses not to pray, such as being tired and exhausted. She advised him and reminded him of Allah, for he is the father of her children. She tried to correct his conduct using good advice and invoking Allah for him, but he continued on his path unabated. She left a recorded message for him and went to her family, and when he called there, he did not receive a good response from her. He asked what the matter was and she told him that she

53 that cassette that Islam does not allow Muslims to remain with the spouse, who does not pray. She told him that if he died in this state, he would not be washed or buried in the Muslim graveyard. She said to him that he would not have access to his children because a non-Muslim does not have custody of Muslim children. She asked, "How can you be this disinterested in Allah after your gray hair have started to grow on your head and your children have grown up?" Even after he heard this message, he said to her, "Think about what you will do about our children. Where will you live and who will take you to your school?" He wanted to make her afraid of the consequences of her action, but she remained firm to her faith and said to him, "There are many families that do not have fathers. I will not go back to a man who does not pray and will endure any hardship that touches me because of my decision. I will observe patience and await AIHih's reward for my suffering." Oncer when one of the women who only care about the life o'f this world heard what she did, she said to her, "How can you leave your husband? You did not think clearly about the consequences." She said, "Had I told you that he is a miser or that he beats me, you would have shouted, 'How can you stay with a man who does not give his wife her rights; this humiliates women ... ' However, you do not act the same when I tell you that he does not pray, even though the prayer is the second most significant cornerstone of Islam and the pillar of the religion." She did not answer her, maybe because she kept thinking about whatever evil the devil was luring her to think about! He thought about his situation and insisted on it for a while. But he was shocked because of what happened and people came to know that he does not pray. He started