Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Great Women of Islam (Who Were Given the Great News of Paradise)



I am currently reading Great Women in Islam, by Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar, revised by Sheikh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, edited by Muhammad Ayub Sapra and Muhammad Farooq, and translated by Jamila Muhammad Qawi.
This book is amazing. I am truly in love with all of these women I read about. They truly are the mothers of Islam with their timeless genuine character and their love for their deen. The utter strength of these women astounds me and I am constantly beaming throughout the entire book. There is sadness however, for their lives do end physically, but they will live in our memory forever. Please, read this book. Mothers, I recommend this for your children, sons and daughters. To any men looking for a wife I recommend you look for their characterstics or a father raising a daughter I suggest you teach them. How can you go wrong? These are the best of women! With the status of women in the world today, it is so refreshing to have such strong and independent women who are still so feminin and the best of companions (independent meaning strong willed but who still cooperate so well with others). This book covers the wives of the prophet in his lifetime, the prophets daughter Fatima, the Um Isa (Maryam/Mary mother of Jesus), the wife of the pharoah who, at a time when the pharoah was slaying all the first born of the hebrews, decided to raise Musa (Moses) and care for him as her own, and whereby was allowed through her nurturing and support, become a prophet, and one of the first women to accept his teachings. I can't cover this whole book and do it justice, it just brings tears to my eyes and I feel so full in my heart. This book makes you want to become a better person, and let's you know you can, from the most humble upbringings. I will share with you excerps from the book and keep you posted. I'm so excited! Really I recommend this book to anyone who has ever felt helpless or alone in the world. Take these women as an example of what you can achieve when you try hard enough. May Allah be pleased with them all, and may Allah be pleased with us in this life and the life to come insha Allah. Ameen.

2 comments:

  1. Im sure this book would be a most valuable read for those who do not know the female sahaba may Allah be pleased with them

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  2. There is another book by another Mubarakpuri scholar, Qazi Athar Mubarakpuri, called "The Religious and Intellectual Contributions of Mualim Women". Originally in Urdu as "Banat e Islam ki deeni wa ilmi khidmaat". It's published by Islamic Book Foundation, 1781 Hauz Suiwalan, New Delhi 110002. You can search his name on Wikipedia for a book review.

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