An Enemy becomes a Friend

 

In the sixth year after the hijrah (the migration to Medina), the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, decided to expand the scope of his mission.  He sent eight letters to rulers in the Arabian Peninsula and surrounding areas inviting them to Islam.  One of these rulers was Thumamah ibn Uthal.

Thumamah ibn Uthal al-Haneefi was one of the most powerful Arab rulers in the pre-Islamic era.  This is not surprising since he was a chieftain of the Banu Hanifah and one of the rulers of al-Yamamah whose word no one dared to challenge or disobey.

When Thumamah received the Prophet’s letter, he was consumed by anger and rejected it.  He refused to listen to the invitation of Truth and goodness.  More than that, he felt a strong desire to go and kill the Prophet and bury his mission with him.

Thumamah waited and waited for a convenient time to carry out his design against the Prophet until eventually forgetfulness caused him to lose interest.  One of his uncles, however, reminded him of his plan, praising what he intended to do.

In the pursuit of his evil design against the Prophet, Thumamah met and killed a group of the Prophet’s companions.  The Prophet thereupon declared him a wanted man who could lawfully be killed on sight.

Not long afterwards, Thumamah decided to perform umrah (the lesser pilgrimage).  He wanted to perform Tawaf (circumambulation) around the Kaabah and sacrifice to the idols there (The people of Mecca, before becoming Muslims, placed hundreds of idols in the Kaaba).  So he left al-Yamamah for Mecca.  As he was passing near Medina, an incident took place which he had not anticipated.

Groups of Muslims were patrolling the districts of Medina and outlying areas on the lookout for any strangers or anyone intent on causing trouble.  One of these groups came upon Thumamah and apprehended him, but they did not know who he was.  They took him to Medina and tied him to one of the columns in the mosque.  They waited for the Prophet himself to question the man and decide what should be done with him.

Just as he was about to enter the mosque, the Prophet saw Thumamah, so he asked his companions,

“Do you know whom you have taken?”

“No, messenger of God,” they replied.

“This is Thumamah ibn Uthal al-Haneefi,” he said.  “You have done well in capturing him.”

The Prophet then returned home to his family and said,

“Get what food you can and send it to Thumamah ibn Uthal.”

He then ordered his camel to be milked in order to provide him with milk.  All this was done before he met Thumamah or had spoken to him.”

The Prophet then approached Thumamah hoping to encourage him to become a Muslim.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”  he asked.

“If you want to kill in reprisal,” Thumamah replied, “you can have someone of noble blood to kill.  If, out of your bounty, you want to forgive, I shall be grateful.  If you want money as ransom, I shall give you whatever amount you ask.”

The Prophet then left him for two days, but still personally sent him food and drink and milk from his camel.  The Prophet then went back to him and asked,

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

Thumamah repeated what he had said a couple of days beforehand.  The Prophet then left and came back to him the following day.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

He asked again, and Thumamah repeated what he had said the previous day once more.  Then the Prophet turned to his companions and said,

“Set him free.”

Thumamah left the mosque of the Prophet and rode out on the trail to Mecca until he came to a palm grove on the outskirts of Medina near al-Baqee (a place of luxuriant vegetation which later became a cemetery for many of the Prophet’s companions).  He watered his camel and took a complete bath there.  Then he made his way back to the Prophet’s mosque.  There, he stood before a congregation of Muslims and said:

“I bear witness that there is no true god but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His messenger.”

He then went to the Prophet and said:

“O Muhammad, by God, there was never on this earth a face more detestable than yours.  Now, yours is the dearest face of all to me.  I have killed some of your men,” he continued, “I am at your mercy.  What will you have done to me?”

“There is now no blame on you, Thumamah,” replied the Prophet.  “Becoming a Muslim obliterates past actions and marks a new beginning.”

-islamreligion.com

What is a Mosque?

 

A mosque is the building in which Muslims worship God.  Throughout Islamic history, the mosque was the centre of the community and towns formed around this pivotal building.  Nowadays, especially in Muslim countries mosques are found on nearly every street corner, making it a simple matter for Muslims to attend the five daily prayers.  In the West mosques are integral parts of Islamic centers that also contain teaching and community facilities.   

Mosques come in all shapes and sizes; they differ from region to region based on the density of the Muslim population in a certain area. Muslims in the past and even today have made use of local artisans and architects to create beautiful, magnificent mosques.  

There are however, certain features that are common to all mosques.  Every mosque has a mihrab, a niche in the wall that indicates the direction of Mecca; the direction towards which Muslims pray.  Most mosques have a minbar (or pulpit) from which an Islamic scholar is able to deliver a sermon or speech.

Other common features include, minarets, tall towers used to call the congregation to prayer.  Minarets are highly visible and are closely identified with mosques.  Normally there is a large rectangular or square prayer area.  It often takes the form of a flat roof supported by columns or a system of horizontal beams supported by architraves.  In other common mosque designs, the roof consists of a single large dome on pendentives.[1]  There are usually separate prayer areas, with separate entrances for both men and women.

Mosques have developed significantly over the past 1400 years.  Many have courtyards containing decorative pools and fountains, which originally supplied water for ablution before prayer.  Nowadays however,  more private bathroom and toilet facilities are provided.  Originally simple structures with earthen floors, now, mosque floors are usually covered with plush carpet.  They are more often than not decorated with straight lines of geometric designs that ensure Muslims stand in straight rows to perform their five daily prayers.

There are never any images of life or statues in mosques, for in Islam it is forbidden that such things are kept or displayed. .  At times, the interior walls of the mosque are decorated with verses from the Quran in Arabic calligraphy, or with intricate geometric designs.  The patterns are made from a variety of materials including mosaics, stucco, stone, ceramics, and wood.  The more classical designs are referred to as arabesque, and they take the form of a radial grid in which circle and star shapes are prominent.  Designs can be both two, and three-dimensional.

More often than not, even in arid desert countries mosques are cool, serene havens.  When a person enters a mosque he or she would have left the hustle and bustle of the material world and retreated into a calm shelter or sanctuary.  Mosques are houses of worship. Men are expected to pray all five daily obligatory prayers in a mosque, in congregation.  Although women are welcome to pray in the mosque it is more praiseworthy for them to pray in their homes. Nonetheless, Muslims are permitted to pray anywhere, excluding filthy or impure places such as toilets or in graveyards.Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said, “The entire earth was made a masjid for me”[2].  Masjid is the Arabic word for mosque.  However, while the term mosque has come to mean a building specifically for prayer the word masjid has retained several layers of meaning.

In the very literal sense, masjid means place of prostration.  The Arabic word comes from the root “sa-ja-da” meaning to prostrate.  When a Muslim’s forehead touches the ground, he or she is close to God.  Prayer establishes the connection between the believer and his Lord and prostration symbolises complete submission. 

Many people have incorrectly stated that the word mosque is not a translation of the word masjid.  They claim that the word mosque comes from the word mosquito and attribute it to Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of 15th century Spain.  However, the words mosque and mosquito are totally unrelated.

The word “mosque” was introduced into the English language in the late 14th or early 15th century from the French.  It comes from the French word mosquée from the old French word mousquaie.  The French, in turn, derived the word from the Italian word moschea from moscheta.  The Italians got it either directly from the Arabic word masjid or from the old Spanish mesquita.[3]

Thus we can see that the translation of the Arabic word Masjid, into English becomes mosque.  A mosque is a house of prayer, and a place of prostration.  It is a building designed and built specifically for the worship of Allah.  It is where Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder, united in their love for God and their desire to please Him.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Pendentives are an Islamic contribution to architecture that allow the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room.

[2]Saheeh Al-Bukhari.  Me is taken to mean - my nation.

[3]The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition; © 2000 Houghton Mifflin Company.

Online Etymology Dictionary, http://www.etymonline.com/m8etym.htm

“Who Will Save You from Me Now?”

 

There was a small community in an isolated area.  Weak and defenseless, the people of this community lived in fear and anxiety, because they were being relentlessly attacked by a gang of bandits.

We can scarcely imagine their fear.  It is the fear of a helpless person in the face of a strong and merciless abuser.  These bandits knew only the law of the jungle.  Like lions, they recognized no code of ethics besides their own hunger and lust.  Anyone they could subdue was fair game.

Though the community lived in the desert, before the arrival of the gang, they enjoyed peace and security and managed to prosper.  Now they were being stripped of their lives, their liberty, and their honor.  In desperation, they appealed to the authorities to come save them.

The head of state decided to take it upon himself to lead his forces into the area and punish the ones who were spreading terror and violating the lives and security of his people.  News of this mobilization spread quickly and soon the bandits knew that the authorities were coming after them in force.  They were compelled to flee the area and seek refuge in the surrounding mountains.  They hid among the highest peaks they could find, hoping to save themselves.  They knew that they could very well meet their fate in the very place they were fleeing to, but they hoped to at least be able to scope out the forces that were being sent against them.

The forces arrived under the command of the head of state to find that the bandits had abandoned the area and taken up positions on a nearby mountain to survey the situation from a safe vantage point.

As soon as the forces arrived, a thunderstorm struck, flooding the valleys near the mountain.  The head of state was soaked through.  After the storm passed, he went off to find a place to remove his clothes and allow them to air out.  He found a tree, took off his outer garments, and hung them on a branch to dry.  He sat beneath the tree to rest from the tiring journey.  Fatigue defeated him and he soon drifted off to sleep.

One of the bandits was watching this with interest, and said to himself: “This is an excellent opportunity to subdue the leader while he is sleeping.  Then no one will stand in our way.”

Exercising the utmost stealth, he climbed down from the mountain and snuck across to where the leader was sleeping.

As he approached the tree, he noticed the leader’s sword beside him.  He looked left and right to make sure that no one else was around.  Then, with his skill as a thief, he quickly snatched up the sword and then pointed it in the leaders face.

The bandit sneered and exclaimed: “Who will save you from me now?”

The leader woke up at these words to see the bandit standing, threateningly above his head, sword in hand.  He realized immediately that the glowering bandit had disarmed him and was threatening to kill him.  Imagine what you would do in such a situation.

The leader kept his composure, straightened himself up where he was sitting, and regarded his assailant calmly.  After listening patiently to the bandit’s threats, he answered his assailant’s question, and said: “God will save me.”

The bandit felt a shudder go through his body and down his arm.  He dropped the sword.  As swiftly as it fell, the leader snatched it up and came upon the bandit with it, repeating the same question that the bandit had asked him moments before: “Who will save you from me now?”

Imagine that you found yourself in this leader’s position.  What would you do with the bandit? Would your state of mind give you any chance to think before acting? Would anyone blame you if you struck the thief down in self defense?

However, this leader had a strong, magnanimous heart, a heart that knew neither rancor nor vengefulness.  He regarded vindictiveness to be a sign of weakness.  Imagine that the leader not only pardoned the bandit, but offered him the opportunity to join with his forces in their campaign.  Moreover, he promised him that if he took the offer, he would receive all of the entitlements and rewards that the other soldiers would get.

We would suspect the bandit to eagerly take up this offer, at least as an act of deception.  However, the bandit did the unthinkable.  He refused, and the ruffian did so with all the coarseness and impertinence that he could muster.

The leader said to him: “Then go.  You know the way.”

The bandit began to hasten away, but then stopped and said: “I will not fight against you, nor will I ever join with any group who fights you.”  This, in and of itself, was an acceptable enough outcome.

When the bandit returned to the rest of his gang, they could see that he was elated to have survived the encounter.  He said to them: “I have come to you from a leader like no other.”  He then related to them everything that had happened and how fortunate he was to still be alive.”

It remains for us to reveal the identity of this leader.  He was the same person who is often maligned and depicted in a most ignoble light.

Yes, he was none other than Muhammad, the Prophet of God. - islamreligion.com

What Does the Quran Teach

 

There is a profound question that each and every one of us reflects on at some point during our lives:

"Why am I here, what is my purpose?"

The Quran puts forward a simple but powerful argument with regards to our origins:

"Were they created without any agent? Were they the creators?" (Quran 52:35)

The Quran engages its audience by inviting us to ponder some rational, logical questions which we can use to arrive at a conclusion about our origins.  The first question that the Quran poses to us is: were we created by nothing? Can something really come from nothing?   This is impossible, as we know from our own personal experiences of life as well as the laws of the universe that we couldn’t have come out of nothing, because out of nothing, nothing comes!

This leads us to the next possibility that the Quran proposes: did we create ourselves? Can something create itself?  This is a self-contradiction, because for you to create yourself you would have to already exist, and you can't exist and not exist at same time.  This would be like saying that your mother gave birth to herself!

Since something cannot come from nothing, and self-creation is absurd, this leaves one final possibility: we have a creator.  This is the best explanation not only for our origins but also the universe and everything in it, because it is intuitive and also agrees with reality: whatever begins to exist has a cause or a creator.

This cause or creator must itself be uncaused due to the absurdity of a never-ending chain of causes.  To illustrate this better, if the cause of the universe had a cause and that cause had a cause and so on and so forth forever, then there wouldn’t be a universe to talk about.  For example, imagine if you were told that you couldn’t read this book until you handed it to someone else, and then this other person would also have to give it to someone else, and this went on forever, then would anyone ever read this book? The answer is no.  If we apply this principle to the universe then we would have to conclude that the cause behind it is uncaused out of rational necessity.  The Quran confirms the uncreatedness of the creator:

"He begot no one nor was He begotten." (Quran 112:3)

Now, having a creator is one thing, but how do we know we have a purpose? Everything in this universe has a purpose.  Even simple things like a chair, a bowl and even the book you are holding in your hands serves a purpose.  Wouldn't it be sad if we didn't too have a purpose? If we reflect and look at the world around us, we can easily come to the conclusion that we must have a purpose.  Think about the vastness of our universe with all its billions of galaxies and trillions of planets.  The Qur'an tells us that God did not create all this for no reason:

"We did not create the heavens and the earth and everything between them playfully." (Quran 21:16)

The sun gives us warmth, the clouds give us rain and the trees and animals give us food.  Since a lot of the systems that God has put in place in our universe are to ensure our survival and wellbeing then God must have a purpose in mind for us, too.  This is what the Quran tells us:

"It is God who created the heavens and earth, who has sent down water from the sky and with it brought forth produce to nourish you; He has made ships useful to you, sailing the sea by His command, and the rivers too; He has made the sun and the moon useful to you, steady on their paths; He has made the night and day useful to you and given you some of everything you asked Him for.  If you tried to count God’s favours you could never calculate them" (Quran 14:32–34)

So that nagging question comes up again, what is our purpose?  Again the Qur'an has the answer:

"I created jinn (Quran spirits) and mankind only to worship Me" (Quran 51:56)

Now, what do you understand about 'worship'? Most will say prayer.  This is correct, however in the Qur'an, worship is much more comprehensive than just praying.  It includes all acts of obedience that are pleasing to our Creator.  Even exercise and eating can be an act of worship if our intention is to stay healthy as we can’t stand up and pray if we are ill!

Why perform worship? It's important to understand that our Creator does not need our worship.  In fact the Qur'an tells us this; it is us who are in need of worship.  We as human beings are more than just flesh and bone, we have a spiritual side that also needs nourishing.  Many people are wealthy materially speaking but unhappy with their lives because they neglect their spiritual wellbeing.  In order for us to experience true peace both our bodies and souls need to be in tune with our Creator:

"Truly it is in the remembrance of God that hearts find peace." (Quran 13:28)

So by converting every aspect of our lives into pleasing our Creator, then we will be in a state of constant remembrance of God and our hearts will be at peace.  This is a revolutionary way of thinking but practically, if someone were to do this, a lot of their actions wouldn’t change; however their thought process behind their actions would and they would find the inner peace so needed in today’s society!

So, the question arises - what is the best way to worship God? Let's think about mobile phones.  Mobile phones are obviously not as sophisticated as human beings, but we share many things in common.  We both have a life span, we both require energy to function correctly, and we can both be damaged if we are not taken care of properly.  When mobile phones develop a problem, the first thing most people do is to refer to the instruction manual for the mobile phone.  Why? Because it has been made to show us the best way of using it and we rightly listen to the experts! The creator of the phone knows the best way to use that phone and they have imparted their knowledge to us in the form of instruction manuals.  Similarly then, the Quran is like an instruction manual for humanity as it is from the one who made us.  God, our Creator, knows us better than we know ourselves and this is why His knowledge, His guidance for how we should live will always surpass any human invented philosophies and ways of life. - islamreligion.com

What is the Criteria for a True Prophet?

 

Rays from the Same Lamp

A natural question to ask someone who believes in any prophet is: ‘What are the criteria for your belief in him?’  Reasonable criteria would be:

(i)   evidence for his claim.

(ii)  consistency in his teachings (about God, afterlife, and similar issues of belief)

(iii) similarity to the teachings of earlier prophets.

(iv) integrity: he must be a man of high morals.

The Bible lends support to our criteria.  The Old Testament says of a false prophet:

1.    Pretends to be sent by God.[1]

2.    Described as covetous,[2]  drunken,[3]  immoral and profane,[4]  influenced by evil spirits.[5]

3.    Prophesizes falsely,[6]  lies in the name of the Lord,[7]  out of his own heart,[8]  in the name of false gods.[9]

4.    Often practices divination and witchcraft.[10]

5.    Leads people into error,[11]  makes to forget God’s name,[12]  teaches profaneness and sin,[13]  and oppresses.[14]

The New Testament says of Jesus’ criteria to identify false prophets:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.  Ye shall know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?  Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit."[15]

We learn the following:

(i)   prophecy will continue after Jesus.

(ii)  beware of false prophets.

(iii) the criteria to identify a false prophet is his fruits, that is his works or deeds.[16]

As stated earlier, Muhammad claimed unequivocally, ‘I am God’s Messenger.’  If a person evaluates his claim on the above criteria, he will find it meets the criteria completely.

In Islamic doctrine, all prophets constitute a spiritual fraternity of brothers with a single ‘father,’ but different ‘mothers.’  The ‘father’ is prophethood and unity of God, the ‘mothers’ are the different Laws they brought.  Emphasizing the spiritual fraternity of all prophets, Prophet Muhammad said:

"I am the closest of all people to the son of Mary (Jesus).  The prophets are paternal brothers, their mothers are different, but their religion is one." (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

All prophets are ‘rays’ from the same ‘Lamp’: the central message of all prophets throughout ages was to dedicate worship to God only.  That’s why Islam views denying a single prophet as equivalent to denying them all.  The Quran states:

"Indeed, those who deny God and His messengers, and wish to separate God from His messengers, saying: ‘We believe in some but reject others’ and want to pursue a path in-between - it is they, they who are truly denying the truth: and for those who deny the truth We have readied shameful suffering.  But as for those who believe in God and His messengers and make no distinction between any of them - unto them, in time, will He grant their rewards [in full].  And God is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace." (Quran 4:150-152)

Denying the prophethood of Muhammad is tantamount to denying all prophets.  The prophethood of Muhammad is known just like the prophethood of Moses and Jesus is known: the numerous reports of their miracles that have reached us.  The Book brought by Muhammad (the Quran) is fully preserved, and His Law is complete and applicable to today’s world.  Moses brought the Law and justice, Jesus brought grace and flexibility.  Muhammad combined between the Law of Moses and the grace of Jesus.

If someone were to say, ‘he was an imposter,’ others are more fit to be charged with this accusation.  Hence, denying Muhammad is denying one’s own prophets.  If a reasonable person looks at two bright stars, he must acknowledge both are stars, he cannot say to one, ‘Yes, this one is a bright star,’ but deny the other!  Doing so would be denying reality and a lie.

Make a table of all the prophets you believe in.  Start from the first one to the last one you believe in.  Answer the following questions:

What is the evidence I believe he was a true prophet?

What was the mission of the prophet in his own words?

Did he bring a Law?  Is his Law applicable today?

What scripture did he bring?  How is its content and meaning?

Is the scripture preserved in the original language it was revealed in?  Is it considered a literary authority, free of internal inconsistencies?

What do you know of his morals and integrity?

Compare all the prophets you have listed and then answer the same questions about Muhammad.  Then ask yourself, ‘Can I honestly take Muhammad out of my list because he does not meet the criteria as other prophets?’  It will not take too much effort to discover that the evidence for Muhammad’s prophethood is stronger and more convincing.

A skeptic need consider what is so unusual about Muhammad’s claim to be a prophet?  When did God declare an end to prophecy before him?  Who decided that there would not be any more divine communication with human beings?  With no evidence to block divine revelation, it is natural to accept a continuity of revelation:

"Indeed, We have sent you with the truth, as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner: for there never was any community but a Warner has [lived and] passed away in its midst." (Quran 35:24)

"And We sent forth Our messengers, one after another: [and] every time their messenger came to a community, they gave him the lie: and so We caused them to follow one another [into the grave], and let them become [mere] tales: and so - away with the folk who would not believe!" (Quran 23:44)

This is true especially when the truth was perverted by Jews and Christians, the Christians claiming Jesus was the son of God and Jews calling him an illegitimate son of Joseph the Carpenter.  Muhammad brought the truth: Jesus was God’s noble prophet born of a miraculous virgin birth.  As a result, Muslims believe in Jesus and love him, neither going to the extreme like the Christians, nor disparaging him like the Jews.

- islamreligion.com

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Footnotes:

[1]Jer 23:17,18,31

[2]Mic 3:11

[3]Isa 28:7

[4]Jer 23:11,14

[5]1Ki 22:21,22

[6]Jer 5:31

[7] Jer 14:14

[8]Jer 23:16,26; Eze 13:2

[9]Jer 2:8

[10]Jer 14:14; Eze 22:28; Act 13:6

[11]Jer 23:13; Mic 3:5

[12] Jer 23:27

[13] Jer 23:14,15

[14]Eze 22:25

[15]Matthew 7:15-17 (King James Version)

[16]According to ‘Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.’

Supermoms

 

A book, Perfect Madness by Judith Warner, published by Riverhead Books, tells us that during her research, Warner discovered that:

·“Seventy percent of American moms say they find motherhood today ‘incredibly stressful.’”

·“Thirty percent of mothers of young children reportedly suffer from depression.”

In the lands where all that glitters is somehow perceived to be gold and therefore desirable, women are discovering that playing roles that were not ordained for them by God is not all it is cracked up to be.

Women in the West, who have long been battling both themselves and the natural order to be “superwomen,” are finding that banging their heads on the glass ceiling is giving them more than a headache.  They are finding themselves on a merry-go-round that will not stop.  Their makeup and their hair must be perfect; their size must be unrealistically thin; their children must be perfect, talented, and high achievers; their houses must be spotless; and all this must be achieved in the stolen hours between working and sleeping.

This is more than just struggling against the glass ceiling in pursuit of career goals: It is banging your head against a wall on a relentless and ongoing basis. As Judith Warner states, “I have seen so many mothers banging their heads against a wall: treating their pain - the chronic headache of their lives - with sleeping pills, antidepressants and anxiety meds, and a more and more potent, more and more vicious self-and-other-attacking form of anxious perfectionism.”

The chronic headache of their lives …!  Is that a life?  This is mere survival in a life of stress and loneliness.  The superwoman goal is unachievable not because women are incapable, but because they fail to see that fulfilling natural and predestined roles is undoubtedly the real super achievement.  Playing mother, wife, and career woman all at the same time is not an enviable position, and, except in cases of necessity, the woman’s role as caregiver and homemaker should take precedence over career and outside activities.

Islam defines women as superwomen - but with a different meaning.  Islam recognizes that the role of wife and mother is of paramount importance.  Islam defines marriage as half of the religion.  Islam clearly states that Heaven lies at the feet of mothers.  Islam goes much further than just recognition; it clearly defines the roles that women play and states rights and obligations with clarity and common sense.

The role of a mother in bringing up children is greater than that of a father.  She is responsible for their emotional, behavioral, and intellectual development.  She is responsible for instilling the love of Islam in them, especially in their early formative years.  When a woman understands the teachings of Islam and her own role in life, she understands her complete responsibility for the upbringing of her children, as is referred to in the Quran:

“O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones.” (Quran 66:6)

More than 40 years ago, Muslim women who were secure in their roles and their lives could see the damage being caused by a Western lifestyle.  In 1962 after observing her Western sisters, Salma Al-Haffar said in the Damacus newspaper Al-Ayyam,:

“It is truly a shame that women lose the most precious thing that nature has given them, that is, their femininity, and then their happiness, because the constant cycle of exhausting work has caused them to lose the small paradise which is the natural refuge of women and men alike, a refuge that can only flourish under the care of a mother who stays at home.  The happiness of individuals and society as a whole is to be found at home, in the lap of the family; the family is the source of inspiration, goodness and creativity.”

Nowadays, a woman is often forced to make choices that are not easy.  Often, she feels that she must work to help financially support the family.  Often, she is the family’s sole breadwinner.  However, before we focus blame on the stresses and demands of society today and blame them for the destruction of family values and the pain and anguish of failing supermoms, let’s recall how we have unrealistically idealized the lives women’s lives in the 21st century.

On the other hand, the lives of Muslim women must be guided only by the precepts of the Quran and the Sunnah.  We must not be fooled by slogans such as “times have changed.”

The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, was sent with a message for all mankind, in all times and in all places.  The guidelines sent down to us by our Creator, God Almighty, are perfect and cover all situations.  God made it clear that a woman’s first responsibility is to her Creator, then to her husband, and then to her home.  There is nothing in Islam that prevents a woman from continuing her education, from working or from pursuing outside activities.  Nothing, that is, except the well-being of her family.

The importance that Islam places upon marriage is clear.

“And among His signs is this that He has created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them; and He has put love and mercy between you. Verily in that are signs for those who reflect.” (Quran 30:21)

The usual by-product of marriage is children, and these children are the future of society.  What greater role can there be than that of mother?  How can the women who fulfill this role be regarded as anything but superwomen?  Women who understand their religion are secure in the fact that God Most High knows what is best for His slaves.

Women must be vigilant, for our society’s future rests in their hands, and being burnt out supermoms achieves nothing but stress and anxiety.  Unfortunately, many non-Western women today are blindly rushing to follow a well-worn road.  It is a road of consumerism and excess, and it leads nowhere. That nowhere has no substance; it is merely a feeling of emptiness and loss. It is better not to follow such women into oblivion; let us learn from their mistakes.

As is evident from the research found in Perfect Madness, the Western lifestyle being clutched to so desperately is not a cure for what ails us. The motherhood that needs to be sought is compatible with God Most High.  That is it, nothing more.  If we achieve this, we are the real superwomen; the true supermoms. - islamreligion.com