The greatest and most dangerous affliction for the Ummah is in the form of social diseases that ravage communities and cause the collapse of countries. The quickest and most effective way to bring about transformation that penetrates the soul of the Muslim nation is through societal changes, particularly in relation to women.
That is why, perhaps, one of the colonial rulers is reported to have said: "A cup of wine and a prostitute cause more damage to the Ummah of Muhammad, , than one thousand cannons."
It is also said that the Fatimid Caliph Al-Mu’izz Lideenillah, in whose reign Egypt was conquered, found his opportunity to strike when he came to know of the morally irresponsible behavior of their women in the region of Al-Ikhsheed; he then said: "Today, Egypt can be dominated and no one can drive us from it."
Therefore, the issue of women is a very critical one and which has been exploited by enemies in the past and the present to attack the Ummah. The following words have been attributed to the four-time British prime minister, William Gladstone: "The countries of the East will not progress unless they do two things: remove the Hijab of the Muslim woman and wrap up the Quran with [it]."
The Messenger of Allah, , honestly [recognized the significance of women and] said: "The world is sweet and verdant; and indeed Allah has placed you in it as a vicegerent and He watches how you act. So fear the [temptation] of this world and [of] women, as the first temptation that afflicted the children of Israel was that of women."
However, this does not mean that the woman is an abomination or a defiled being, as the Jews and Christians historically believed. Rather, it was narrated that the Prophet, , himself said: "Women are the peers of men", in terms of origin, creation and religious obligations as well as in the reward they will receive in the Hereafter.
The advocates of equality who have sold the dignity, chastity and femininity of the woman, and drove her out of her home, where she is honored, to work as a garbage woman, a porter or a taxi driver, or in other taxing and dreadful jobs under the pretext that she must represent her female half of the society, have actually set traps for her. The reality is that a woman forms the whole society and the entire Ummah, as she is the one who gives birth to the other half. She is the mother of a man; his sister, his wife or his daughter.
Dear Muslim sister! Be wary of falling victim to the deceptions of those who promote misconceptions and evil thoughts, by employing flashy concepts regarding women's empowerment, status, career and beauty. You must be cautious of their temptation and the ways they seek to lure you. Adhere to your Hijab that veils your face, for the only reason they try to persuade you against it by bringing up a difference in scholarly opinions regarding that, is because they have concluded, after much research, that if you take that first step of uncovering your face, your modesty will wane and you will be comfortable with revealing other parts of your body for them as well.
Those who lament the status of women
O you who grieve for the woman and her rights! In reality, you only cry for your own selves and the impediments that preclude you from satisfying your desires. What is actually required is that you discipline your men before turning your attention to women. And, if you are incapable of that, then surely you can do nothing for women.
The Qatari woman has spent a long period of her life, secure and calm in her home, content with herself and her life. She found happiness in fulfilling obligations for herself, standing in worship in front of her Lord, treating her child with kindness and confiding in her friendly neighbors. She saw great honor in her obedience to her father and dutifulness to her husband, by pleasing him. She understood the real meaning of true love, far removed from corrupted connotations. She loves her husband for who he is to her and her children because they are her offspring. When others consider love to be the base of marriage, she views marriage as the base of love.
But then, you came and told her that those who had authority over her within the family were not better in reason and opinion, nor more qualified than her in handling her affairs; thus they were not entitled to any position of authority they claimed over her. Consequently, she came to disdain her father, rebel against her husband and her home, which was once a source of happiness and joy, became a place of constant tears.
You instructed her to choose her husband by herself or else her family would deprive her of happiness in her future. She then selected someone for herself who was worse than who her family proposed. And that happiness you promised? It did not even exceed one night and she only experienced misery, pain and torment after that.
You taught her that love is the basis of marriage; so, she scanned and examined men’s faces until the non-appearance of love at first sight drove her away from marriage and she dispensed with the idea of it.
You told her that a woman is only happy when her husband is her lover, though she previously did not think of him as such. Consequently, she now requires a lover, whom one dumps and finds new ones of every so often, in order to revive the ardor she believes her actual husband killed. However, in this way, she neither keeps her old image of her husband who is a companion nor benefits from the new idea of him that she covets.
You advised her about the necessity of education, so she may provide her children with a better upbringing and manage her house more efficiently. However, she learnt everything, except how to bring up her child and take care of her home.
You told her you only married the woman you love and admire, and whose inclinations and feelings suit you. So, she set out to know what pleases you and gratifies your desires, in order to beautify herself for you. When she reviewed the index of your life, page by page, she found it filled with wild, immoral women and their laughter. When she discovered that you admire and praise their like, she unveiled herself in imitation of them, in order to satisfy you and win your love. However, you rejected and discarded her. And then, she returned to her morality, disappointed and humiliated, and was further rebuffed by noble men.
Do you really want this image to reflect that of the Muslim woman, after the chaste and quiet life she has always experienced? We ask Allah The Almighty to improve our condition and conceal our shortcomings.