Women Rights in light of Hujat-ul-Vidah

This Sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don't know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived... Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and comitted helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over other except by piety and good action. Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born.

Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me direcly.

Be my witness oh Allah that I have conveyed your message to your people."

COMMENTS :

 Almighty ALLAH says in the Holy Quran :

" What ALLAH has bestowed on His Messenger (and taken away) from the people of the townships - belongs to ALLAH - to His Messenger and to kindred and orphans, the needy and the wayfarer; in order that it may not (merely) make a circuit between the wealthy among you. So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear ALLAH; for ALLAH is strict in Punishment." (Surah Al-Hashr 59 / verse 7)

Furthermore,

" O you who believe ! Obey ALLAH, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad, Peace be upon him) and render not vain your deeds." (Surah Muhammad 47 / verse 33)

It is clear from the above that Muslims (those who do not associate anything with the worship of ALLAH, Lord of the Worlds) are required to obey the Holy Messenger in whatever he commands them and also to stay away from all the things that the Messenger tells them to. The Last Prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) does not say anything of his own accord but is given the Shariah (Islamic Law governing one's life) by inspiration from Almighty ALLAH.

This is evident from the following verses :

" (1) By the Star when it goes down - (2) Your Companion is neither astray nor being misled, (3) Nor does he say (anything) of (his own) Desire. (4) It is no less than inspiration sent down to him." (Surah An-Najm 53 / verses 1-4)

 The significance of this Khutba (sermon) given by the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) is due to several historical facts, namely :

• This khutba was delivered by the Last Messenger (Peace be upon him) during the Farewell Pilgrimage (Al-Wada') in front of a hundred thousand and twenty four or forty-four thousand people gathered around him. This is the last khuta which englobed the main aspects of Islam and aimed as a reminder to people. It is also the last time that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) visited Arafat, the final place of Assembly on the Day of Judgement.

• As soon as the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) accomplished delivering this khutba, the following verse from the Holy Quran was revealed to him :

"This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion." (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5 / verse 3)

Upon hearing this verse, 'Umar (r.a) cried. "What makes you cry?" was he asked. His answer was : "Nothing succeeds perfection but imperfection." We can therefore see that this khutba has tremendous importance to any muslim who is eager to adopt Islam whole-heartedly and remind himself of the message brought by the Last Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), a mercy to all the worlds.

• This khutba is one of several symptoms of farewell that the Messenger of ALLAH showed that hinted at the imminence of his departure (death) from this world. This could be seen in his statement in the last khutba :

" I do not know whether I will ever meet you at this place once again after this current year."

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) started to become ill on Monday the 29th of Safar, 11 A.H, the following year and eventually breathed his last on the twelfth of Rabi' Al-Awwal, 11 A.H. (Ref : Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, Islamic University Al-Madina Al-Munawwara)

• The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) stressed a lot during this last khutba on the main outlines of the Message of Islam which he had been ordered to deliver and which started 23 years back in Makka. He (Peace be upon him) continuously reminded people of their duties and their role as true muslims and repeatedly asked the listeners to listen carefully, reason attentively and understand well in order to dissipate any possible deviations from the true Message of Islam.

• The significance of this last speech is such that the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) took great care to command those who were present to convey the message to absentees with the hope that, Insha ALLAH, the latter may UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.

 The following points in the last khutba needs to be highlighted :

• The life and property of every muslim is of great sacredness to another muslim and needs to be respected and all obligations towards it fulfilled. The respect for the month of Zul-Hijja (the Pilgrimage month), the day of Arafat (Yaum-Ul-Hajj, 10th of Zul-Hijja) and the city of Makka (location of the House of ALLAH (Kaaba) and birthplace of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ) are compared with the respect that a muslim must have of the life and property of another muslim. The belongings of a muslim needs to be safe with another muslim so that no harm at all is incurred to it. We are reminded that each person will have to account for his deeds, including those involving his fellow brother and sister muslim. The fear of reckoning must be the lynch-pin in the social dealings between muslims.

• We are reminded of the great harm and sin which is Interest-taking in transactions between people. This disease corrupts relations and causes much damage and division between people. It is also an inhumane way of exploiting weak needy ones and is contrary to ALLAH commandments. We are warned of the plots and trickeries of Satan, the accursed, concerning the understanding and implementation of Islam in our life. Without doubt, Satan misleads more people through neglect of small things and through small sins than through more obvious and acknowledged deviations such as shirk, alcohol drinking, etc... A muslim must thus not look down on any deeds, however small they are.

• Man is then reminded of his duty towards his female counterparts (wife, sister, daughter, etc). Although man is quicker to assert his rights in such relations, he must not forget that his wife has also got rights over him, that Almighty ALLAH has ordained. He will be sinful if he is neglectful in any of his obligations. Women share both the happiness and sadness of man and provide him support. They are thus committed helpers to his cause and as such must command respect, justice and good treatment. The example of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) should serve as a constant reminder of the high standard of behavior expected from true Muslims in such relations.

• The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) recalled the five obligatory pillars of Islam, namely, belief in ALLAH only and in His messenger (the two testimonies), five daily prayers, fasting during the month of Ramadan, payment of annual Zakaat and performance of Hajj (pilgrimage) at least once in your lifetime if you can afford it. These are the obligations that man owes to Almighty ALLAH and are applicable irrespective of race, gender, etc. Islam had brought about a great brotherhood where race and other distinctions counted no more in the judgment of man's actions. Every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim through our common father, Adam (Peace be upon him), the father of mankind. All Muslims, who have the same origin, also have a common purpose on earth and strive for the same final destination (Paradise). In the sight of Almighty ALLAH, only those are superior among mankind who excel in piety and good deeds and quickest to do deeds which please their Lord.

• Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the Last Messenger of ALLAH, sent for ALL of mankind. He (Peace be upon him) is the Seal of prophets, sent to call people to the true worship of ALLAH and to remove people from ignorance and blatant sins. The Holy Quran thus says :

" We sent you not, but as a mercy for all creatures." (Surah Al-Anbiya 21 / verse 107)

" Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of ALLAH, and the Seal of the Prophets: and ALLAH has full knowledge of all things. " (Surah Al-Ahzab 33 / verse 40)

With this last prophet, Almighty ALLAH had perfected His religion and thus there was no need for any more messages to guide mankind. The Message of Islam, through the Holy Quran and the example of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is complete and valid until the Day of Judgment. Everything that man would ever require, as answers or guidance for his existence as an obedient servant of Almighty ALLAH is contained in these two things (Holy Quran and Sunnah). Truth had been clearly shown and the difference between truth and falsehood was never so apparent. Muslims must thus beware of any seemingly 'new' faith or ideas that would claim to be on the Straight Path after the advent of Islam.

• The Blessed Prophet (Peace be upon him) tells people to hold fast and live according to two things and if they do so, they will not go astray. These are the Holy Quran and his Sunnah (example). Undoubtedly, these two things are sufficient as guidance, for judgment and light to remove anyone from the darkness of ignorance and disbelief into the true worship of Almighty ALLAH only. These two sources should be the sole two references by which the Muslim should abide in all aspects of his life. Satan, the accursed, will never be able to mislead the one who lives in compliance with these two things.

• We are asked to propagate these crucial advice to all and use it to remind each other, perchance it may, Insha ALLAH make us live as true Muslims on the Straight Path.