One of the most prominent distinguishing features of the Muslim woman is her deep faith in Allah (SWT), and her sincere conviction that whatever happens in this universe, and whatever fate befalls human beings, only happens through the will and decree of Allah (SWT); whatever befalls a person could not have been avoided, and whatever does not happen to a person could not have been made to happen. A person has no choice in this life but to strive towards the right path and to do good deeds - acts of worship and other acts - by whatever means one can, putting all his trust in Allah (SWT), submitting to His will, and believing that he is always in need of Allah's (SWT) help and support.

The story of Hajar offers the Muslim woman the most marvellous example of deep faith in Allah (SWT) and sincere trust in Him. Ibrahim `May peace be upon him' (PBUH) left her at the Ka`bah in Makkah, above the well of Zamzam, at a time when there were no people and no water in the place. Hajar had no-one with her except her infant son Isma`il. She asked Ibrahim, calmly and with no trace of panic: "Has Allah (SWT) commanded you to do this, O Ibrahim?" Ibrahim (PBUH) said, "Yes." Her response reflected her acceptance and optimism: "Then He is not going to abandon us." Reported by Bukhari in Kitab al-Anbiya¹

Here was an extremely difficult situation: a man left his wife and infant son in a barren land, where there were no plants, no water, and no people, and went back to the distant land of Palestine. He left nothing with her but a sack of dates and a skin filled with water. Were it not for the deep faith and trust in Allah (SWT) that filled Hajar's heart, she would not have been able to cope with such a difficult situation; she would have collapsed straight away, and would not have become the woman whose name is forever remembered night and day by those who perform hajj and `umrah at the house of Allah (SWT), every time they drink the pure water of Zamzam, and run between the mounts of Safa' and Marwah, as Hajar did on that most trying day.

This deep faith and awareness had an amazing effect on the lives of Muslim men and women: it awoke their consciences and reminded them that Allah (SWT) witnesses and knows every secret, and that He is with a person wherever he may be. Nothing gives a clearer idea of that consciousness and fear of Allah (SWT) at all times than the story of the young Muslim girl related in Sifat al-Safwah and Wafiyat al-A'yan and cited by Ibn al-Jawzi in Ahkam al-Nisa' (pp. 441, 442):

"Narrated `Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: `When I was accompanying `Umar ibn al-Khattab on his patrol of Madinah at night, he felt tired, so he leant against a wall. It was the middle of the night, and (we heard) a woman say to her daughter, "O my daughter, get up and mix that milk with some water." The girl said, "O Mother, did you not hear the decree of Amir al-Mu'minin (chief of the believers) today?" The mother said, "What was that?" The girl said, "He ordered someone to announce in a loud voice that milk should not be mixed with water." The mother said, "Get up and mix the milk with water; you are in a place where `Umar cannot see you." The girl told her mother, "I cannot obey Him (Allah) in public and disobey him in private." `Umar heard this, and told me: "O Aslam, go to that place and see who that girl is, and to whom she was speaking, and whether she has a husband." So I went to that place, and I saw that she was unmarried, the other woman was her mother, and neither of them had a husband. I came to `Umar and told him what I had found out. He called his sons together, and said to them: "Do any of you need a wife, so I can arrange the marriage for you? If I had the desire to get married, I would have been the first one to marry this young woman." `Abdullah said: "I have a wife." `Abd al-Rahman said: "I have a wife." `Asim said: "I do not have a wife, so let me marry her." So `Umar arranged for her to be married to `Asim. She gave him a daughter, who grew up to be the mother of `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz.'"

This is the deep sense of awareness that Islam had implanted in the heart of this young woman. She was righteous and upright in all her deeds, both in public and in private, because she believed that Allah (SWT) was with her at all times and saw and heard everything. This is true faith, and these are the effects of that faith, which raised her to the level of ihsan. One of the immediate rewards with which Allah (SWT) honoured her was this blessed marriage, one of whose descendants was the fifth rightly-guided khalifah, `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz `May Allah be pleased with him' (RAA).

The Aqeedah (faith) of the true Muslim woman is pure and clear, uncontaminated by any stain of ignorance, illusion or superstition. This Aqeeda is based on faith in Allah, (SWT) the One, the Most High, the Eternal, Who is able to do all things, Who is in control of the entire universe, and to Whom all things must return:

( Say: `Who is it in Whose hands is the governance of all things - Who protects [all], but is not protected [by any]? [Say] if you know.' They will say, `[It belongs] to Allah,' Say: `Then how are you deluded?') (Qur'an 23:88-89)
 
 

This is the pure, deep faith which increases the character of the Muslim woman in strength, understanding and maturity, so that she sees life as it really is, which is a place of testing whose results will be seen on the Day which will undoubtedly come:

( Say: `It is Allah Who gives you life, then gives you death; then He will gather you together for the Day of Judgement about which there is no doubt': but most men do not understand.) (Qur'an 45:26)

( Did you then think that We had created you in jest, and that you would not be brought back to Us [for account]?) (Qur'an 23:115)

( Blessed is He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things has Power - He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.) (Qur'an 67:1-2)
 
 

On that Day, man will be brought to account for his deeds. If they are good, it will be good for him, and if they are bad, it will be bad for him. There will not be the slightest injustice:

( That Day will every soul be requited for what it earned; no injustice will there be that Day, for Allah is Swift in taking account.) (Qur'an 40:17)
 
 

The Balance (in which man's deeds will be weighed) will measure everything with the utmost precision, either in a person's favour or against him:

( Then shall anyone who has done an atom's weight of good, see it! And anyone who has done an atom's weight of evil, shall see it.) (Qur'an 99:7-8)
 
 

Nothing could be hidden from the Lord of Glory on that Day, not even if it were as insignificant as a grain of mustard seed:

( We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgement, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be [no more than] the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it [to account]: and enough are We to take account.) (Qur'an 21:47)
 
 

No doubt the true Muslim woman, when she ponders the meaning of these ayat, would think about that crucial Day and would turn to her Lord in obedience, repentance and gratitude, seeking to do as many righteous deeds as she is able, in preparation for the Hereafter.

She Worships Allah (SWT)

It is no surprise that the true Muslim woman enthusiastically worships her Lord, because she knows that she is obliged to observe all the commandments that Allah (SWT) has enjoined upon every Muslim, male or female. So she carries out her Islamic duties properly, without making excuses or compromises, or being negligent.

She Regularly Prays Five Times a Day

She offers each of the five daily prayers at its appointed time, and does not let domestic chores or her duties as a wife and mother prevent her from doing so. Prayer is the pillar of the - whoever establishes prayer establishes faith, and whoever neglects prayer destroys the faith.² Prayer is the best and most noble of deeds, as the Prophet `Peace and Blessing be upon him' (PBUH) explained in the hadith narrated by `Abdullah ibn Mas`ud (RAA):

"I asked the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): `What deed is most beloved by Allah?' (SWT) He said, `To offer each prayer as soon as it is due.' I asked him, `Then what?' He said, `Treating one's parents with mercy and respect.' I asked him, `Then what?' He said, `Jihad (fighting) for the sake of Allah (SWT).'"³
 
 

Prayer is the link between the servant and his (Rabb). It is the rich source from which a person derives strength, steadfastness, mercy and contentment, and it is a means of cleansing the stain of his or her sins:

Abu Hurayrah (RAA) narrated:

"I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: `What would you think if there were a river running by the door of any of you, and he bathed in it five times every day, would any trace of dirt be left on him?' The people said: `There would be no trace of dirt on him.' He said: `This is like the five daily prayers, through which Allah (SWT) erases sins.'"⁴ (Sharh al-Sunnah 2/175).

Jabir (RAA) said:

"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: `The five daily prayers are like a deep river flowing by the door of any of you, in which he bathes five times every day.'"⁵
 
 

Prayer is a mercy, which Allah (SWT) has bestowed upon His slaves; they seek its shade five times a day and praise their Rabb (Lord), glorifying Him, asking for His help and seeking His mercy, guidance and forgiveness. Thus prayer becomes a means of purification for those who pray, men and women alike, cleansing them from their sins.

`Uthman ibn `Affan (RAA) said:

"I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say: `There is no Muslim person who, when the time for prayer comes, performs wudu' properly, concentrates on his prayer and bows correctly, but the prayer will be an expiation for the sins committed prior to it, so long as no major sin has been committed. This is the case until the end of time.'"⁶ (Sahih Muslim 3/112).
 
 

There are very many Hadith which speak of the importance of salah and the blessings it brings to the men and women who pray, and the rich harvest of benefits that they may reap thereby, every time they stand before Allah (SWT) in an attitude of humility and repentance.

She May Attend the Jama`ah (Congregational)

Prayer in the Mosque

Islam has excused women from the obligation to attend the jama`ah prayer in the mosque, but at the same time, they are permitted to go out of the house to attend jama`ah on condition that they dress up well enough not to cause any temptation. Indeed, the first Muslim women did go out and pray in the mosque behind the Prophet (PBUH).

`A'ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said:

"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) used to pray fajr, and the believing women would pray with him, wrapped up in their outer garments; then they would go back to their homes, and nobody would recognize them."⁷

And:

"The believing women used to attend fajr prayer with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), wrapped up in their outer garments. Then they would go back to their homes after they had finished praying, and no one would recognize them because of the darkness."⁸
 
 

The Prophet (PBUH) used to shorten his prayer if he heard a child crying, because he understood the concern the child's mother would be feeling. In a hadith whose authenticity is agreed upon he (PBUH) said:

"I begin the prayer, intending to make it lengthy, but then I hear a child crying, so I shorten my prayer because I know the stress facing the mother because of his crying."⁹

Allah (SWT) showed great mercy to women by sparing them the obligation to offer the five compulsory prayers in congregation in the mosque. If He had made this obligatory, it would have placed an intolerable burden on women, and they would not have been able to fulfil it, just as we see many men failing to pray regularly in the mosque and finding themselves with no other choice but to pray wherever they are, in the workplace or in the home. The woman's heavy burden of household chores and attending to the needs of her husband and children do not permit her to leave the house five times a day; it would be impossible for her to do so. Thus the wisdom behind the limiting of compulsory attendance at the mosque to men only becomes quite clear. Her prayer at home is described as being better for her than her prayer in the mosque, but Allah (SWT) gives her the freedom of choice: she may pray at home if she wishes, or she may go out to pray in the mosque. If she asks her husband for permission to go out to the mosque, he is not allowed to stop her, as the Prophet (PBUH) stated in a number of hadith, for example:

"Do not stop your women from going to the mosque, although their houses are better for them."¹⁰

"If the wife of any of you asks for permission to go to the mosque, do not stop her."¹¹
 
 

The men heeded the command of the Prophet (PBUH), and allowed their women to go to the mosque even if this was against their own wishes. There is no clearer indication of this than the hadith of `Abdullah ibn `Umar, in which he said:

"One of `Umar's wives used to pray fajr and `isha' in congregation in the mosque. She was asked, `Why do you go out (to the mosque) when you know that `Umar dislikes this and is a jealous man?' She said, `What is stopping him from forbidding me (to do so)?' He said, `The words of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH): "Do not prevent the female servants of Allah (SWT) from attending the mosques of Allah (SWT)."'"¹²
 
 

In accordance with the Prophet's teaching which allowed women to attend the mosque, and forbade men to stop them from doing so, the mosques were full of women coming and going, both at the time of the Prophet (PBUH), and whenever it was possible in the following periods. Women would come to pray, attend lectures and classes, and take part in the public life of Islam. This was the case from the time congregational prayer was prescribed for the Muslims. The Muslims used to pray in the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), before the qiblah was changed to the Holy Ka`bah. When the command of Allah (SWT) to take the Ka`bah as their qiblah was revealed, the men and women who were praying were facing towards Palestine, so they turned to face the direction of the Ka`bah, which meant that the men and women had to change places.¹³

The mosque was, and still is, the centre of light and guidance for Muslim men and women; in its pure environment acts of worship are performed and from its minbar messages of truth and guidance are transmitted. From the dawn of Islam, the Muslim woman has had her role to play in the mosque.

There are many sahih reports, which confirm the woman's presence and role in the mosque. They describe how women attended salat al-jumu`ah, the eclipse prayer, and the Eid prayers, responding to the call of the muezzin to join the prayer.

A report in Sahih Muslim tells us that Umm Hisham bint Harithah ibn al-Nu`man said:

"I never learned `Qaf. Wa'l-Qur'an al-majid . . .', except from the Prophet (PBUH) himself. He used to recite it from the minbar every Friday, when he addressed the people."¹⁴
 
 

Imam Muslim also narrates that the sister of `Amrah bint `Abd al-Rahman said:

"I learned `Qaf. Wa'l-Qur'an al-majid . . .' from the Prophet (PBUH) himself on Fridays, when he used to recite it from the minbar every Friday."¹⁵
 
 

The Prophet (PBUH) taught the Muslims to prepare themselves and present a neat and clean appearance at jumu`ah prayers by encouraging both men and women to take a shower (ghusl):

"Whoever comes to jumu`ah, man or woman, should take a shower first."¹⁶
 
 

Hadith reports also tell us that Asma' bint Abi Bakr (May Allah be pleased with her) attended the eclipse prayer (salat al-kusuf) with the Prophet (PBUH). She could not hear the Prophet's words clearly, so she asked a man who was nearby what he was saying. This hadith is reported by Bukhari from As' herself:

"The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) stood up to address us (after the eclipse prayer), and spoke about the testing that a person will undergo in the grave. When he mentioned that, the Muslims panicked somewhat, and this prevented me from hearing the latter part of the Prophet's speech. When the hubbub died down, I asked a man who was nearby, `May Allah bless you, what did the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say at the end of his speech?' He said, `"It has been revealed to me that you will be tested in the grave with something similar in severity to the test (fitnah) of the Dajjal . . ."'¹⁷
 
 

Bukhari and Muslim also narrate another report from Asma', in which she says:

"There was a solar eclipse at the time of the Prophet (PBUH) . . . I finished what I was doing, then I came to the mosque. I saw the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) standing (in prayer), so I joined him. He stood for so long that I felt I needed to sit down, but I noticed a woman who looked weak and tired and said to myself: This woman is weaker than I, so I must continue to stand. Then he bowed, and remained in that position for a long time; then he raised his head and stood for such a long time that anyone who came in at this point would think that he had not yet bowed in ruku`. He completed the prayer when the eclipse was over, then he addressed the people, praising and glorifying Allah (SWT), and saying `Amma ba`d.'"¹⁸