Samiha Benomar
Secretary-General of Rowwad Specialized Platforms Advisor to the Muslim Woman Platform
Graduate of the "Tafsir" Academy in Riyadh
{Indeed, those who persecuted the believing men and believing women and then did not repent – for them is the punishment of Hell, and for them is the punishment of the Burning Fire. (10) Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds – for them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment. (11)} [Al-Buruj: 10-11]
"The inclusion of {the believing women} is to highlight their status, lest it be thought that this merit is exclusive to men, and to further emphasize the enormity of the persecutors' crime – that they transgressed against women, when it is imperative not to treat them harshly." (Ibn Ashur, Al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir)
Nothing is lost with Allah.
Allah, the Exalted, praised the believing women because He knows the burning agony in their hearts, their anguish over their children.
Allah, the Exalted, praised the believing women because a woman bleeds a thousand wounds with every scene devoid of mercy.
How could it be otherwise? She is the one created with innate mercy and tenderness of feeling.
To see her child wither and die before her eyes...
She wishes she could cut from her own flesh and blood to save him.
She braves what weighs heavily on men...
Risking her life for a loaf of bread she bakes for her children.
She carries the heavy sack with her right hand,
While the failing Ummah holds back with its left.
A burden she could only bear because of the strength she draws from Allah first,
Then from her nature, molded for sacrifice.
She steps beyond her inherent roles suited to her capabilities –
Not out of frivolous feminist intellectualism,
But compelled, my sister – not a weightlifting champion!
For she is the honored one in our Sharia, the one served and whose burdens are carried.
{So We said, "O Adam, indeed this is an enemy to you and to your wife. Then let him not remove you from Paradise so you would suffer. (117)} [Taha: 117]
"The suffering {tashqa} was ascribed to Adam and not Eve for two reasons:
1. The suffering of the man inherently includes the suffering of his dependents, just as his happiness includes theirs; because he is the guardian over them.
2. Part of the suffering is the toil in seeking provision, and that is upon the man, not the woman; because the man is the provider for his wife." (Al-Khazin, Lubab al-Ta'weel)
Amidst a hypocritical global system that often parrots the false etiquette of "Women First" –
A world that changes color like a chameleon, driven by the instinct of domination, not survival.
Yet, the Quranic standard defies all expectations.
Victory is not found in a civilization built on the shoulders of women burdened with grief and sacks of flour!
Allah has made what is on earth an adornment and a test for creation.
Thus, the measure of success in the test: though an entire nation was annihilated and burned, that annihilation was called the great attainment! For steadfastness and ideological victory is the ultimate goal, taking precedence over military advancement. (Abu Hamza Al-Kinani)
The praise of the believing women is divine recognition of the immense wounds of mercy they bear, and the sacrifices they make that weigh heavily even on men – like carrying weights for a loaf of bread to silence the hunger of little ones. And in our Sharia, she is honored and served.
The Quranic discourse elevates the status of believing women to a height unmatchable by feminist indulgence or deceptive Western slogans.
The divine justice of Allah pursues the persecutors with the punishment of the Burning Fire, and raises the steadfast women and men to the Gardens of Bliss.
The toil in seeking provision is the man's responsibility {so you would suffer}. As for the heroism of the woman, it lies in a natural mercy that melts mountains, and a patience in adversity that defies expectations.
This is the true honor: one that does not buy women with fake slogans like "Women First," but rather appreciates their giving and surrounds them with care and protection.
The Great Attainment – the name Allah gave to the ultimate destination – is not material progress where women are humiliated under the burdens of a false civilization. Rather, it is steadfastness in trial, victory for the faith, and divine justice that wastes not an atom's weight:
{For them are gardens beneath which rivers flow. That is the great attainment.} [Al-Buruj: 11]
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