Woman's Role in the Islamic Civilization

part 1

What about the practical view? How has woman, in the Islamic history, functioned in the society and what role has she actually played which shows the high position Islam awarded her when she left the superstitions and oppression of Jahiliyah behind her and donned the Islamic hijab? In the following pages, we will look at some practical confirmations of women who broke the chains of slavery and servitude of man and adopted worship of the One True God, Allah, Most High.

Islam, itself, confirmed the wisdom of its laws in reality and they remain a beacon for guidance toward the way of a glorious life which is filled with goodness and firtility, offering virtue, glory and purity. Since the light of Islam rose in the land of Arabia, the Muslim woman shook off the dust of humiliation and enslavement and said farewell to the days of imprisonment and burying girls alive. She began to live the life designed by the revelation and laws of the Almighty Allah. She began to participate in building a glorious society which was observed by the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.).

She offered all her wealth in order that the demands of the expenditure of Divine Da'wah (missionary work and propagation of the religion), would be met in its most severe and trying days of struggle with the idol worshippers of the Jahiliyah. In fact, the financial support of He Holiness Khadijah (a.s.), in those miserable circumstances, represented a keen weapon in that cruel struggle between guidance and misguidance.

Indeed this honourable woman endured most of the material sufferings because of her continuous support for the call to truth and the call of the savior, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.); and her firm stand as a believer and a defender of the Message and the Messenger (s.a.w.).

From the first day of da'wah she was at the side of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) giving financial support, and more importantly, moral inspiration, love and affection to this 'Gift to Mankind'. She was the first to believe in him, defend him with her wealth and position, and gave him comfort and ease in some of his most trying times.

The Commander of the Believers, Imam Ali (a.s.) refers to her position in one of his sermons found in Nahjul Balagha. He says: "...every year he (Prophet) used to stay is the cave of Hira for some time, and nobody used to be with him but I. None could then see or hear him or be near him but I During those days Islam was the religion of only the Prophet and his wife, Khadijah. I was the third of the trio. Nobody else is this world had accepted Islam. I even then used to see the divine light of revelation and smell the heavenly fragrance of prophethood..."

Other wives of the Holy Prophet of Allah (s.a.w.), after the death of Her Holiness Khadijah (a.s.), also achieved great ranks in history. We should not forget the role of Um-Salamah who memorized so many of the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.). Her regard and obedience to truth and the right path is famous in the history of Muslims to the extent that some of the Imams of Ahlul-Bait (a.s.) deposited inheritances of the prophethood with her in difficult times.

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