Part 5

54 children went back to him. He said, "All thanks to Allah, I was but a few steps away from falling in the Fire."

The Seed of Meetings * She placed a small card on the table that is in the middle of her sitting room and wrote on it: .4._ E .. ,,- t"~:-~ _.._. _., ~ [H:d~l] "'{·. -~~~)'.J.r

" ... neither backbite one another." (49:12) Whenever women meet at her house and start talking about other people, she points at the card to remind them. Soon, these meetings became free of backbiting. * Her speech is as delightful as the morning breeze. Whenever women start talking about models and clothes, she talks to them about her school and then uses soft advice to remind them of Allah and the Last Life. * She was meeting some women when one of them who lacked good conduct, started cursing her, but she did not answer that rude woman. She said to herself, "Why do I not become among those whom Allah described: ['rt :01r-" JTJ ~Ji:":.i\~,~~4-:.i\_; ~ " ... who repress anger. 1" (3:134) At another meeting, the same woman treated her badly and again she did not answer her. Months later, the rude woman came to her apologizing for her conduct and

[II "Narrated Abu Hurairah ~ ..l.J1 ~.):Allah's Messenger rl--J <#- ..l.J1 ,_;., said, "The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger." (Sahih Al-Bukhiiri, Hadith No. 6114)

55 begging her to forgive her. * Women who are dedicated to Da 'wah usually become a target for defamation and have their efforts belittled by those who do not participate in Da 'wah. It is easy for them to criticize others since they are asleep, thus adding two sins: abandoning Da 'wah and defaming righteous women who call to Allah. Only a few women sincerely advise those who call to Allah to correct their errors; this is the type of women who are truthful and their advice is beneficial. * Our societies have become so open to other cultures that some scholars have issued Fatawa (religious opinions based on the Quran and the Sunnah) with regards to alien traditions, such as wearing pants and abandoning Hijab. She copies these Fatawa and distributes them whenever and wherever she meets other women.

The Seed of Tauhid * A day before she was about to give a lecture, she asked her about what she was going to talk about. She said that she would be talking about the duties and obligations of husband and wife. She encouraged her to talk about this important subject saying that many women are unaware of the rights their husbands have on them. She said to her next, "I will tell you a story that happened at a nearby girls school. The teachers at that school often disputed with each other and had ill feelings for one another, thus turning the school into a place for arguments and disputes. When this situation persisted, one of them suggested that to keep evil away from their school, they should sacrifice a sheep at its door! No doubt, this made the devil feel happy since a door of Shirk (polytheism) was about to be

56 following day become amazed and asked for more details. So she went on by saying, "We attended over twenty lectures this year about various subjects. However, we failed to talk about the core of the Messages of all of Allah's Prophets, because of which Allah sent them to mankind and revealed to them His Books and for which Jihiid was established by the swords. I ask you dear sister, have you not seen the armies of soothsayers and teachers of misguidance invade the Muslim World? Have you looked around to see where the Bid 'ah starts and how it spreads? Have you realized that Sufis have invaded this Ummah, just as fire invades wood? Dear sister, do not ignore Tauhid and then be surprised that what we have built, established on the tip of a deep hole in the Fire. We must first start with the basics and foundations and then erect the building on them." The other woman replied, "You have said the truth. I will dedicate my lecture to the subject of worshipping Allah Alone without partners. I will next talk about the nullifiers of Islam, then about the rights of husbands and wives on each other. We should not abandon the most significant parts of Islam and talk about what is less important. What is the benefit of being kind to our spouses, while we sacrifice for other than Allah, go around graves and seek the help of the dead?" Indeed all the Prophets i)\...........JI ~have the Messages that concentrate on Tauhid and forbid all types and means of Shirk. Sadly, many Muslims in present times go to soothsayers to read their future, revert to sorcery an4 magic and give their loyalty and support to non-Muslims, such as Christians and Jews.

57 * Good intention, sincerity, energy, vitality, dedication and seeking the best ways and means, all accompany the correct method of Da 'wah that conforms to the Qur' an and the Sunnah, the way the Companions conveyed and implemented them. The reward in the Hereafter is Paradise, and in this life, the rewards include tranquility, peace of heart and content. * She was shocked when she saw the schoolteachers are spending their time in backbiting each other and spreading calumnies. She only hears them talking about clothes and their husbands. Every day, there is a new model to describe and about her husband to complain. The new teacher said, "There is only one way to save them from this destructive path that leads to the Fire." She started talking to them about the religion, enduring their smart comments and ridicule. In time, they gradually accepted what she was talking to them about and began participating in the Da 'wah efforts. This was achieved with hard work and patience. * Whenever she sees a dedicated, polite student at her school, she encourages her to increase her knowledge and good conduct. She next asks her how much of Allah's Book she memorized. When she finds out that she does not memorize a good part of the Quran, she says to her, "Allah has granted you a good standard at school, yet you only memorize this much of the Quran?" She tells the student, " Weekly, I will help you review all that you have memorized," so as to encourage her to learn more of the Quran. This way, her students increase in piety and Islamic knowledge at a fast pace. * After speaking to her students about new scientific

58 some of these discoveries to the supreme facts contained in the Qur' an and Sunnah. * The Biology teacher is dedicated to the Da 'wah, and she often explains Allah's Might in creating mankind, animals and various insects. It is a fact, that people are impressed by religious facts that have material proof to them that they can see and hear. * She dedicates her time to conducting Da 'wah inside the women's jail, even though this work is hard and tests one's patience.

The Seed of Good Example * Even though good examples are preciously rare within ranks of women, she is a good example to other women in her knowledge, conduct and politeness. She is also a good example of conduct in the way she adheres by the code of Islamic dress, for her Hijab is proper and covers all her body. Those who know how wealthy and socially she is elevated, are amazed at her modesty and Islamic clothes. She is a good example for them: ['I' I: ..JI_r~I] ~fo._~ji)l\~l;tJ ~

" ... and the raiment of righteousness, that is better." (7:26) Another woman looks like a peacock because of the way she dresses; she imitates Kdjir women in their traditions and attire. She deserves to hear this Hadith from the Prophet ;i, who said that Muslims would imitate disbelievers:

59 you will enter it, as well!" * Whenever she meets other women, she talks about Qur'anic schools and the benefits gained from attending them. She mentions to them stories of some women who attended Qur' anic schools and how much of the Qur' an they now learn by heart, so that it becomes easy for them to attend these schools. She is a caller to Allah with guidance. She has knowledge, tries her best to encourage women to attend the blessed schools that teach the Quran, and helps one memorize it. * During various meetings and occasions, she organizes competitions that include questions about Islam, as a way of calling women to the Islamic Da 'wah. She asks those attending various occasions: "What are the conditions for valid Islamic dress? Are women allowed to wear colorful outer clothes?" * Occasionally, she buys subscriptions to good Islamic magazines and sends the magazines to Islamic centers outside of her country. * Since they moved to a new area, her husband complains that men in their new neighborhood do not attend the Dawn prayer in the mosque, except a few of them. He tells her that he tries to advise them, but they do not listen. When his wife came to know that the women in her neighborhood meet every Tuesday to talk about matters of this life, she said that this is a chance to conduct Da 'wah. She attended the next meeting and was welcomed by everyone. The next meeting, she advised them to turn their meetings into blessed lessons where they would learn the Qur' an, the Sunnah and about other aspects of Islam. They hesitated in the beginning, but agreed when she kept

----..._. aspects of purity in Islam (Taharah), astounding some of the women attending the lesson, because they discovered how ignorant they were about Taharah. Months later, the number of men attending the Dawn prayer increased dramatically.

The Seed of Islamic Brotherhood and Sisterhood * Many sisters wish that they could participate in Da 'wah efforts without having to make any effort. Many of them wish they could help in the efforts of Jihad, but they do not observe patience or endurance. Yet, Da 'wah and Jihad are two paths of righteousness that lead to Paradise and require patience, endurance, struggle, time and money. She is a teacher at the intermediary level and is active in Da 'wah to Allah, using smiles as the key to enter the hearts of her students. She greets her students with the Salam, asks them questions and offers explanations for their questions with a good heart. She also helps them attain their needs. One day, when one of the students did not attend school, she asked about her and was told that she is tired. Days later, she asked about her again, this time directing her inquiry to her older sister who studies at the high school level. She told her that when her sister was on her way out of the school, she tripped and hurt her foot while ascending the stairs. She asked her father to take her to the hospital, but he refused saying that she deserved it because she did not pay attention while walking! After a week of absence, the teacher asked for the student's home phone number and asked her mother about

61 hospital. The mother insisted that the father should take her daughter to the hospital; he agreed and various tests were made on the ill girl. The result came that she had cancer in her foot. The young girl remained at the hospital, and the teacher helped her through her difficult ordeal. She often mentioned to the fifteen-year-old girl the Ayat about the virtue of observing patience and having faith in AlHih. She visited her everyday, and her visits were as comfortable as the effect of medicine. She would bring her Islamic books and tapes and would call her later to ask if she read the book she gave her, and if she benefited from certain parts, she would mention to her. The teacher filled her ill student's time in a beneficial way and taught her to observe patience and invoke Allah using various Ayat and Ahadith that contain Divine healing. Once, when the teacher found out that her student would wake up late for the Dawn prayer, she made sure to wake her up for Fajr by phone and call five minutes later to make sure that she did not go back to sleep. Fifteen days later, the young girl became gravely ill, her body succumbed to weakness, and she died. For fifteen days, the teacher dedicated her Da 'wah activity to her ill student that might be instrumental in saving this girl from the Fire, Allah willing. She taught the young girl how to receive her illness with calmness and made the last days of her life easier, filling them with faith and prayer. How many ill Muslims are there who are in desperate need for such an exalted type of help at their time of distress and grief? Indeed, this is the true Islamic brotherhood and sisterhood in the cause of Allah.