3: Hidden Jewels of The Past – Ummahatul Mukminin

Friday, 21st September 2018

Speaker: Anse (Anisah) Tamara Gray

Background: Students in Syria call their female ustazaat Anisah. It gives off a friendlier tone and nature hence making the teachers more approachable.

The sharing for tonight revolved around the topic, “Mother of the believers”.

Ummahatul Mukminin – Why are they hidden when they’re supposed to be known by us?

As writers, we know that stories cannot have flat characters. The topic on Ummahatul mukminin have long been painted in a flat narrative.

 

Allah mentioned about the priority of the Ummahatul Mukminin in Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 6:

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ ۗ وَأُولُو الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُهَاجِرِينَ إِلَّا أَن تَفْعَلُوا إِلَىٰ أَوْلِيَائِكُم مَّعْرُوفًا ۚ كَانَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي الْكِتَابِ مَسْطُورًا – 33:6

The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers. And those of [blood] relationship are more entitled [to inheritance] in the decree of Allah than the [other] believers and the emigrants, except that you may do to your close associates a kindness [through bequest]. That was in the Book inscribed.

For us as muslims, it is our priority to learn about Rasulullah s.a.w. And then, it is upon us to learn about Ummahatul mukminin.

Um ام – literally means mother.  Um is the root word for imaam (leader) and ummah (community).

When Allah names them as ummahatul mukminin, its meaning transcends beyond just “biological mothers”. These women are our first spiritual, religious, legal, leaders that shape the community.

Anisah continued by asking the crowd the following questions:

• Anyone here married?
• Does anyone know you better than your husband?
• Does anyone know all your good and bad traits more than your husband?

No one knew Rasulullah s.a.w more than the women around him – his wives.

His wives were the beginning of scholarship and leadership. Today, there’s a glass ceiling for women to reach great heights. But Allah ensured these women (ummahatul mukminin) to be leaders, as early as the time of our prophet.

Who are these women? (Anisah covered 2)

1. Saiyidatina Khadijah r.a

We often hear Khadijah r.a as

• A business women
• A very good wife

But we need to remind ourselves that she was more than that. She was also

• A seeker with purpose
• Someone with the energy and the commitment to strengthen the message of Tauhid

There were many religions prior to Islam. Paganism, Judaism, Christianity. Very few continued to follow the religion of Ibrahim. Khadijah was one of the few who continued to seek for the truth.

So when she heard about Rasulullah s.a.w, she sent Maisarah to see whether this is the man who’ll revive the kalimah of tauhid.

She was an independent and strong woman who knew what she wanted.

She needed to join the tauhid movement.

A women who had it all. But was missing the only thing – purpose. She found the purpose in Rasulullah s.a.w

After 15 years of hardship, of living with rasulullah s.a.w, raising kids even after 40, she still believed that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w is the last prophet. Today, hardship is such a huge trial for married couples. It either breaks or strengthen them. –> which tells us so much about who HE (prophet) was and who SHE (khadijah) was. (mashaAllah)

• The first person to embrace Islam
• She believed in him when he didn’t believe in himself
• It wasn’t humiliating to stand against the quraisy while standing by Rasulullah s.a.w as he began to do dakwah
• She took care of the muslims during the economic boycott
• Losing her was a great grief for Rasulullah s.a.w

 

2. Saiyidatina Aisyah r.a

• If the entire world has their brain in the gutter, and small amount of respect for women by thinking that the only reason a man would marry a women was just for sexual pleasure, then I wont talk to them. – Anisah Tamara said
• Rasulullah s.a.w did not marry for the above reason
• Aisyah r.a was a gift for the ummah
• Faqihah of the ummah
• Graduated from Rasulullah s.a.w’s tarbiyah at the age of 18 (when Rasulullah s.a.w passed away)
• She didn’t just memorised but understood the quran and hadith well
• Brains that developed the fastest are between the age 11-14 –> which was the age when Aisyah r.a learnt from Rasulullah s.a.w most
• She was encouraged to speak her mind and have emotions in the house of Rasulullah s.a.w
• She was a woman of light and worship
• The only person who had light and spiritual strength to watch Rasulullah s.a.w die, was Aisyah – this speaks the level spirituality in Aisyah r.a
• She loves solatul dhuha so much, that when her nephew went out to go to the market, and came back, Aisyah was still doing dhuha (mashaAllah)

3.  Hafsah r.a

• Carrier of the Quran
• Let us be amongst the people that Allah trusts to hold the most valuable treasure of the ummah
• Let Quran be so loud in our hearts while we do our daily things
• Let us be those who protect it with our words and actions
• A walking quran
• Because Rasulullah s.a.w was described as “Akhlaaquhu al-quran”. His manners were synonymous to Al-Quran

Questions to ask self:

• Are we fulfilling the role of ummahatul muslimin?
• Have we learnt the deen so that we have our own opinions?
• Are we willing to give our time, wealth and emotion like Khadijah r.a did in the way of tauhid?
• Look at our ummahatul mukminin as humans. They are not flat characters.
• We are the mothers of today. We can change the ummah. We have the time and opportunity to change.
• Embrace those who are striving,
  love and hug those who are astray,
  and welcome the non-believers as Rasulullah s.a.w was a mercy to the alamin, mankind. ❤

 

Q & A

• How do you design a curriculum for pre-schoolers?
  • Love
  • Make them love coming to school
  • Ensure that they love you
  • Make beautiful pictures
  • Memorise doa
• Raising a child
  • Always be on his side
  • Story about Anisah’s son
• What made Anisah revert to islam?
  • 18 yrs – looking for a new religion
  • Learnt about hijab
  • Read about sirah
• How to maintain modesty when faced with men? (context, the person struggled to wear hijab because the men around her did not allow her to do so..)
  • Be khadijah
  • Be Hafsah
  • Be Aisyah
  • Remember our first responsibility is to Allah
  • When we wear the hijab, we need to be equipped with good akhlaq
  • Allah will protect us. InshaAlah

Wallahualam

I love tonight so much. Sitting in a sea of muslimaat and feeling at home.  Not to mention halal party :’)