Women in Religious Scriptures

http://www.penkatali.org/feminine.html

that was written by a friend of mine with similar ideas to me.. :-) He too is a Sufi-aspirant and a Sunni Muslim.

A. Naqshbandi,

I would like to raise a question to you since you conduct research on religion and happen to follow a certain school of thought. Hopefully, I won`t be disappointed as I was with Hamza Yousaf.

So here`s my controversial question:

- Why do not Muslim Clerics give example of Hazrat Khadeejah (RU)[My favorite] as a role model for Progressive Muslim Women (I needed to use double adjectives, so do not getted bogged into that) ? Why would they straight away land on Hazrat Ayesha (RU)?

After all, Hazrat Khadeeja (RU) was a powerful and strong headed business woman who even cared to approach the Prophet (PBUH) for marriage, for she saw certain attributes in his personality. She knew what she wanted in life and approached a man for his principles.

She was also his true companion since she supported him at the time when he received the message of God and was his adviser on how to comprehend the message. She was the only wife bearing a daughter who carried his name. Hazrat Khadeejah was 40 or 45, I guess when she married the Prophet(PBUH). I am not sure on the exact age when Hazrat Fatimah(RU) was born. I guess Hazrat Khadeejah must be in her 50s since she had quite a few kids prior to Hazrat Fatimah who did not survive.

If you contemplate on the above, then you`d realize that the Prophet`s family name(for the lack of a better word) was continued by his daughter vs. any son.

So, my question is that why is there reticence in taking Hazrat Khadeeja`s role as a role model ?

You are more than welcome to approach your answer in light of Naqshbandi line of thought.

My request: please be thorough and direct in your answer; and take your time. I will check this board later.

Thanks.

``He too is a Sufi-aspirant and a Sunni Muslim`` (Naqshbandi)

-- my dear son remember the following:

If ur friend is a Sufi aspirant he is NOT a Sunni Muslim -- if he is a SUNNI Muslim he couldn`t be a Sufi --

if he is a TRUE Sufi aspirant -- he is not even a Muslim:-)

ur abode has too many walls, bete naqsh -- unless U destroy some of those mirrored WALLS around u -- U will NEVER BECOME A sufi:-)

Reply #27 Anil

That was a very good post on this article by Bhatnagar.

I completely agree with your views and you put them so beautifully.

Thanks.

Zahra :-) as-salaamu alaykum! I also like Hamza Yusuf a lot--I am sure he can give you a much better answer than I can. However I have to be honest and say that in my experience I certainly have not found a reticence in mentioning the merits of Hazrat Khadija radhi Allah anha amongst the Sunni ulama at all! Indeed the ulama whose mehfils I attend always refer to her respectfully as ``Khadijatul Kubra`` (Khadija The Great).

She has her own great merits and Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa radhi Allah anha has her own merits. No doubt both are our Most Respected Mothers and both were beloved to Our Master sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

So I think this perceived perception by you is only that--a perception. As to why Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa is mentioned a lot--it is known that she was the favourite of all the beloved wives of Aaqa alayhi salatu salam and there is some indication that the other wives knew. Subhan Allah! I am not too comfortable discussing this aspect of Aaqa alayhisalatu salam`s life just out of respect. But it is well known that Huzoor Paak alayhisalatu salam loved Hazrat Ayesha very much indeed indeed. Also she was the daughter of His closest and dearest friend--subhan Allah! What a Friend--whose merits the Koran itself espouses!!--and for that reason also I`d imagine Sayyida Ayesha may be mentioned more often. Also she was very learned and transmitted many hadith sharif too so her role in the history of Islamic intellectual history is also very important. Also she was involved in the political history too and was highly respected by all the Sahaba e Karaam. For all these reasons I guess she is considered a role-model.

Having said that ALL the Blessed Wives of Aaqa alayhisalatu salam are perfect role-models for us and we MUST love them all for the sake of Huzoor Paak sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

Finally in our mehfils probably the woman who is mentioned the MOST-more even than Sayyida Khadijatul Kubra and Sayyida Ayesha Siddiqa radhi Allahu anha--is Sayyidatun Nisa Hazrat Fatima az Zahra salam ullah alayha!

Hope that helps. Sorry if it doesn`t. :-) As Sunni Muslims we love ALL of those linked to the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam: His Companions, His Ahle Bayt, His Wives. :-)

nasah--you are mistaken if you think that Sunni and Sufi are somehow different. Sufism is the internal, spiritual aspect of Sunni Islam. Every single Sufi Muslim in history--from Hassan Basri via Rumi, Ibn Arabi, Ghaus Paak, Shah Naqshband, Gharib Nawaz etc .to those alive like Shaykh Nazim are ALL Sunni Muslims as you would know if you read their works and lives.

anil #27 I read your post after nazarhayatkhan`s reco. and agree with what you write. I would add that as the economy changes and the advantage that men enjoy over women in terms of physical strength becomes irrelevant to earning capacity, the status of women improves correspondingly. Young girls are no longer desparate for marriage in richer societies since they have the alternative of living by themselves rather than continued dependence on parents. Nor are wives bound to put up with abusive, or even ``merely`` controlling husbands.
A frenchman once said the biggest crime of poverty is that it steals childhood from children. One could add that other crimes of poverty include that it steals dignity from the women, and enjoyment of their ``second carefree childhood`` from old people (who become dependent on children for their welfare, rather than having the independent financial means to pay institutions to serve them and to live the good life in their golden years by travelling places, keeping physically fit and so forth).

nasah #35 you write ``if he is a TRUE Sufi aspirant -- he is not even a Muslim ``
Agreed. You can either be a muslim or a sufi, but not both. islam simply does not call for individuals to seek union with God in this life, and islam severely condemns this practice of naqsh whereby some men are considered ``closer`` to God than others. This violates the fundamental egalitarian spirit of islam.
I have explained this to naqsh in the past but i think he wants it both ways. after all, what is mere logic in the eyes of a fool.

Zahra--having re-read your post i just noticed that you actually seem to have been disappointed with Hamza Yusuf; I find that rare in English-speaking Sunni Muslims. May I ask why? :-)

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Dilshad #44 All of us are not born loaded with pearls of wisdom, and speaking fluent french with a parisian accent, not to mention an infinite number of monikers to be used on chowk. :-)

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The vanity of women will achieve more than the sanity of men.