Advice to the Muslimāt
Shaykh Abū Khadījah
Abū Khadījah mentions some examples of the noble Ṣaḥābiyāt (female Companions), their status and importance to the Ummah. The nobility of the mother who takes great care towards instilling ʿaqīdah, ṣalāwāt, good manners and behaviour in her children.
He later explains the role of the Muslimah in society, her differences with men and the natural responsibilities that Allāh, the All-Knowing has ordained for Woman in opposition to Men. Her unique characteristics, emotions, strengths and weaknesses which specify her role in society. The fact that marital collapse is often the result of a) lack of fiqh (understanding of women and their role) on the part of either the husband or the wife, b) a lack of implementing this knowledge.
An admonition is included concerning those Parents who send their children to the schools of the non-Muslims. The ‘suicide’ contained in such a decision, as the children will be affected by those whom they accompany, and if it is not permitted to accompany ‘ahl al-bidah’ and disliked to allow our children to accompany the foolish children (from amongst the Muslims), then what more for allowing our children to accompany children raised upon kufr, shrik, shahawāt, shubuhāt and the vile characteristics of Western society?
States Abū Khadījah, “Your Children, either they are going to carry the torch of īmān and righteous actions or they are going to carry the banner of kufr and disobedience to Allāh, which is the one that you desire for yourselves my sisters?”
“…So they see the Muslim woman as an oppressed wife, a ruined mother spending all her life raising children. A sister with no power, no ability to make her own decisions. So they place this logo in front of them women saying, ‘Look! You have no liberty, no freedom, no authority; you have to cover your body, you have no mind of your own, you are oppressed, wouldn’t you like the freedom we offer you.’ So they offer her the life of this world, and she sells the life of the hereafter.”