Jumada al Thani 6, 1438 AH March 5, 2017 AD
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FORTRESS OF TRUTH
inside
The Lady of Uhud ...... pg2
Mujhe Achha Lagta Hai! ........................... Sunnah of Men at Home ........................ Third Wave: The March of Dajjal's Army ......................... Of "isms" And The Need To Rethink Identities ...................
are binding to all and independent of time and space and all proofs will be given to the person under trial on Judgement Day. Allah sums it up in Quran 6:114 [Say] "Then is it other than Allah I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the Book explained in detail?" Tawhid is the Unity of Al-Hakam and includes: • To single out ‘Hukm’ for Allah. • To be content and to seek judgment from Allah alone. • To establish ‘hukm’ of Allah, submitting individually and collectively. • To judge and rule our society’s affairs by what Allah has revealed to His Messenger. • Allah’s judgment has highest sanctity and cannot be overruled by anyone in any case. • Never object to or hold an opinion against the decree of Allah. • To have faith in Allah’s justice.
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Pearls of Revelation
And do not wish for that by which Allah has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And ask Allah of his bounty. Indeed Allah is ever, of all things, Knowing. (4:32) This verse of Surah Nisa was revealed when Um SalamahRA asked: "O Prophet of Allah! Why is it that only men are entitled to fight in the Cause of Allah, while we (women) are not, and why is it that we are entitled to get only half of the heritage?" [Ahmad , al-Hakim and Abu Ya'la ; Sahih: al-Hakim and Ath-Thahabi] Today, when women have been provoked using terms like ‘lesser or second sex’, this settles all feminist discourses once and for all. Allah - Al Hakam has allocated for both men and women a share of privileges according to His Will and Infinite Wisdom. The ProphetSAW said: “Each of you is a shepherd and each of you is responsible for his flock. The ameer (ruler) who governs the people is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock. A man is the shepherd of the members of his household and is responsible for them. A woman is the shepherd of her husband’s house and children and is responsible for them. A slave is the shepherd of his master’s wealth and is responsible for it.” [Bukhaari 7138, Muslim 1829]. Allah prohibits each group from coveting the share of the other as this entails discontent with the Will of Allah. This edge (fadilah) is not a social construct or stereotype built by oppressors but an undeniable Truth. Feminism often equates leadership to oppression. And since, throughout history, most leaders have been men, it is easy to interpret that all of history is oppression of women. Even if, for argument's sake we assume the validity of this equation, isn't authority of women (or sisterhood lobby) oppression of men? (In fact, leading feminists often patronize ‘man-hating’ as a viable political act) It is logical that for justice (adl) to prevail, we need an arbitrating authority on whom we may have faith (imaan). The criterion of The Judge for a person's worth is solely ‘Taqwa’ (and not fairer-stronger sex bias). Taqwa has to be realized by men and women in their respective arena defined by the Creator using the different abilities endowed to both genders. The only equality is that they both are servants (a’bd) and entangled with each other through pivotal relationship with their master, Allah. Human intellect may or may not comprehend it but isn't ‘taqwa’ purely a heart (qalb) beating with the hope of aakhirah thinking only about the pleasure of its Rabb? The sheer irony is that champions of equality show zero tolerance to anybody proclaiming ibadah of Allah but demand tolerance and even right to enforce an instinct-based system. Food for thought (harsh thought it may sound): Even after all the chaos about "empowerment", women ultimately receive what men GIVE them. In fact most feminist experiments were ideas of men to capitalize women as a market. Bernays linked smoking to women-empowerment to market a cigarette company. McKinsey recently stated that women's equality should be "promoted" because it may add $12 trillion to global GDP! So that's what empowerment is?
When AMU abandoned
Ever wondered what all the fuss is about gender equality, patriarchy, male dominance, domestic violence? On one hand, the liberals, with their self-defined ideals of equality, liberty and fraternity have tried to attack the Islamic ideals on social life which are divinely ordained by Allah, so vehemently that it has created a whole generation of Islamic Apologetics, who on the other hand, have interpreted those ideals so sweetly (eat a handful of sugar while reading sweetly, that sweet!) that it ceases to be what it was intended for. The consequent confusion, lack of knowledge and misinformation from the part of some eloquent speakers has diluted the belief and enthusiasm of the Muslim youth. Unless these terms are presented from the sources and in their most blatant forms, this fuzzification of the Muslim mind will not cease. Let's take a look at arguably the most controversial of these terms:
Shehla Rashid
Qawwam
JargonExplained
The controversy surrounding Shehla Rashid's alleged blasphemous post seemed highly misinformed, so we did some digging about the ground realities of the entire episode. Unlike popular narrative, the AMUSU did not cancel the Student Leaders' Meet willingly but were forced to oblige to the demands of the protesters who, unlike what is being portrayed, were not a small group but a general consensus of students and staff. While the national media, liberals in the varsity and Ms. Rashid herself, tried to give it a political image, Ribat found that none of the leaders of the protest had any political history. Apparently, the blasphemy charge on Shehla was not due to the "quoted text" (as projected on social media) but rather the overall tone of the post which supposedly claimed that blasphemy is not "hate speech", hence not to be offended about. This is being looked upon as a part of a campaign of normalizing the Muslims on blasphemy of the ProphetSAW by the liberal lobby. Respect of the ProphetSAW is an integral part of Islam and letting someone assassinate hisSAW character is extremely unacceptable as it demolishes the deen itself. All classical scholars have unanimously opined indiscriminate actions against those who blasphemed. We will be publishing it soon on our blog.
CAMPUS WATCH
Judge
Asma-o-Sifat
Editorial Board
pg3
The
Urooj Khan, B.Tech, AMU
Al-Hakam comes from the root حکمwhich has the connotations of being wise, knowing the true nature of things and to decide. Al-Hakam describes The One who is the supreme arbitrating magistrate, who delivers justice (adl) in every situation, takes the final decision on the nature of all matters, who needs no evidence, consultation, advice, and is aware of all matters (Al-Aleem), who has absolute authority to reward or punish. Al-Hakam refers to the totality of Allah’s power to judge and arbitrate which cannot be compared with the judging of a created being. The modern concepts are based on the ideology of "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law" where right and wrong is decided by peoples' desires. The very definition of adl is the Will of Allah. Any affair settled disregarding Allah's Will is zulm (oppression, injustice). The rulings of Allah
The Shadow Government: Women of the Ummah ........... pg2
pg3
RSS wing holds program on "women empowerment", suffers protest by students of JMI.
RSS affiliate, Forum for Awareness of National Security planned a program on "Triple Talaq" in JMI. Facing criticism, the administration cancelled it. It was revamped as "Brain storming session on Muslim Women Empowerment: Issues and Challenges" and organized on Feb 28. Openly anti-Islamic speakers and political leaders were invited. Confident of the motive behind the beautified name of the event, students of JMI registered their disagreement on the program. As a token of protest, the anti-Islamic pamphlets were torn, speakers silenced and a sister occupied the stage and gave an inspirational speech about the status of women in Islam, the double standards of the pseudo-sympathizers and how the so-called "Muslim" speakers hardly had any basic knowledge about Islam.
Zooming in on
Feminism Md. Adil Hussain, B.Tech, AMU
Humans are living as societies since the time immemorial with its own virtues, vices, and dynamism unique to each age and time. The last one and a half century, however, seems to have grown much more complex than ever in its ideas. The most prominent being the discourse on gender. The story starts with assertion of self esteem by a group disregarded and at times oppressed by a society that just came out of its “age of enlightenment”. The struggle got real and bore fruits. But no comprehensive solutions at hand and xenophobic prejudice against foreign ideas – regardless of their truthfulness - left the heirs of this struggle with loose ends. The next generation wanting to take it forward dragged this inanely to all disciplines; tried to reinterpret the entire human history by seeing it through a new lens. This ‘second wave’ ran for decades until its incoherence got unveiled by itself layers
by layers. This paved way for an offshoot ‘third wave’- which encompasses everything heretic and salacious going on today in the name of feminism. Women campaigning bare-breasted for the “right to expose” is only a tip of the iceberg of the filth this ideology has created. While all these were happenings of a small part of the world, globalization and hegemony of certain nations propelled the idea to the whole world. Now that feminism in itself is not a well detailed ideology and is more of an abstract idea, it is not easy to critique it as well. But given the decades it has been jumping on and off the laps of ‘intellectuals’, we may attempt to critique some of their commonly shared underlying notions. The perception of entire human history as misogynistic before their (ie, feminists’) advent is just nonsensical. It arises because of the very idea of “oppression” and “rights” being vague. Almost everything that ever happened in the past is now attributed to “objectification”, “male chauvinism” or “patriarchy”. When you talk about buzz words, feminists lead the gang! contd on pg 3
pg1
Editor’s Desk Mohammad Haani Farooqi, B.Tech, AMU
Assalamualaikum! The response of the readers on the last two editions was extremely encouraging so we have decided to publish two more free editions. This issue covers the most prevalent fitna of the day: Feminism. In the modern global discourse right and wrong is decided by peoples' desires rather than an authority, let alone Allah. It must be kept in mind that Islam or the Prophet never preached anything like Feminism so we haven’t tried to fit Islam according to the concept rather focused on what Islam teaches Mankind and how its basic ideals are in direct clash with feminism. Islam has defined roles and responsibilities for both men and women according to their capabilities. The so called equality or gender justice is an idea of the most regressive and myopic order which fails to look at the broader concept of a stable society. The idea that ‘a woman can do everything that a man can’ is illogical and presents women as inferior beings. Women are not here to prove anything to men. Men must not be their ideals but rather the Mothers of the Believers. Islam doesn't promote maledominance rather Allah’s dominance. The authority is given to the male member of the family by Allah. It may be like swallowing the red pill for ‘Muslim Feminists & Liberals’ but every open minded person can understand the Hikmat behind it. May Allah protect us from being carried away by fitna of this age. May Allah forgive our mistakes made willingly or unwillingly and protect from creating fitna.
THIS TIME IN OUR
PAST
Mar 3 622 Prophet MuhammadSAW established first Islamic State in Madinah Mar 3 624 In the Battle of Badr, the Muslim forces secure a significant victory against the Mushrik army more that thrice their size. Mar 26 1169 Salah al-Din, a Kurdish soldier, became the emir of Egypt. 18 years later he would liberate Jerusalem from the Crusaders Mar 3 1924 Ottomon Caliphate was officially abolished by the Turkish Republic under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Feb 23 1991 The Kunan Poshspora incident occurred when units of the Indian army, under the pretext of a search operation, raped the women of the village. While the government rejected the allegations as "baseless", official records say at least 23 women were gang-raped by soldiers that night. Human Rights organizations have reported that the number of raped women could be as high as 100.
Faraz Ahmed, B.Tech, AMU
These words are for ‘The Lady of Uhud’- Umm Ammarah NusaybaRA, an Ansari Sahabia renowned for her courageous exploits in the battlefields, particularly in Uhud. She was a faithful and loyal wife, a loving mother, and known for her remarkable patience and forbearance. She was also very learned in the Qur'an and Hadith. She was among the two ladies who participated in the Second Pledge of Aqabah in Mecca. Her eagerness for the cause can be assessed by her participation in the battles of Uhud, Hudaybiyah, Khaybar, the conquest of Makkah and the campaigns of Hunayn and Yamamah. Her skill with the sword in the battle of Uhud astonished those who saw her. Umm Ammarah went to the battle of Uhud not to fight rather to give water to the thirsty. But then the unexpected happened, when archers abandoned their positions for war booties and the tides turned against the Muslims, Umm Ammarah took charge and, along with her sons, provided protection to the ProphetSAW. The ProphetSAW said that in whichever direction he turned in the battlefield, he would see her defending and protecting him. It was then that our prophet prayed for her and her family: “O Allah, make them my Companions in Paradise." In this battle she suffered a deep wound around her neck. Despite the suffering she remained firm in her standing. Rasulullah called it “The day of Umm Ammarah”. If only we knew of it, we wouldn’t need a Women’s Day! Umm Ammarah’s two sons Habib bin Zaid & Abdullah bin Zaid were martyred in the battlefield. Hazrat Zaid was martyred treacherously by Musailamah - the false prophet himself. It was then that Umm Ammarah vowed to avenge her son’s death. At the age of 60, she was part of the army sent by Hazrat Abu BakrRA to confront Musailamah. While the battle was raging, Umm 'Ammarah with her son 'Abdullah on her side pushed her way into the rows of fighters to Musailamah. In the process she sustained 12 injuries, her arm was cut off and bled profusely but what she didn’t do was to stop. Eventually, she found Musailamah lying on the ground hit by Wahshi’s Javelin. Not a moment was wasted by the mother-son duo to avenge Habib’s death. The wounds Umm Ammarah received didn’t deter her, but eventually the injuries proved fatal and on returning to Madinah after the battle, she surrendered her soul to the Creator of the Heavens and Earth. Once Umm 'Ammarah told the Prophet (SAW) that in the Noble Qur'an only men were mentioned and women were often deprived of any importance. Then this Ayah was revealed. "Verily, the Muslims men and women, the believers men and women, the men and the women who are obedient (to Allah), the men and women who are truthful, the men and the women who are patient, the men and the women who are humble, the men and the women who give Sadaqat (i.e. Zakat and alms), the men and the women who observe fast, the men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts) and the men and the women who remember Allah much with their hearts and tongues, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward (i.e. Paradise)." (33:35) Umm 'Ammarah, like the countless of Muslimahs who accompanied the prophet, is an icon and a source of inspiration to women. While the mothers of today want to keep their sons safe from even the slightest of inconveniences, while they pray for a “peaceful” and “normal” life for themselves and their children, while they like to live a life of luxury and comfort, while they demand their “rights” and doubt Allah’s “logic” of creation, there was Nusaybah Umm Ammarah, the woman who spent every second of her and her sons’ lives in Jihad for the sake of Allah, who bore pains for the sake of Islam, who sought recognition not through “feminism” but through the Pleasure of Allah. Nusaybah upon whom the Day of Uhud was named!
Diary of a Revert
My name is Shubhansh Sinha and I became Muslim 5 years ago Shubhansh Sinha Alhamdullillah. I was a normal boy with no exceptional qualities. Right from childhood I went to a convent school. Even though I was not very rich but my father’s sole aim was to give us best education. In missionary school there are moral science classes, they tell about teaching of Eesa(a.s) but those were of no importance to me. I had Muslim friends but they were just like me with no difference. Our thoughts were same, our actions were same, our discussions were same. In school, I used to be among top 5 students in class. So my sole focus was on my studies. At home I was youngest among three brothers and so I was loved and cared a lot. My world was between school, coaching and a few friends. Beyond that I neither knew anything nor wished to. The only exceptional thing which I had was that I prayed a lot. I used to spend 2-3 hours daily praying and going to hanuman mandir every Tuesday and Saturdays. That is huge from standards of Hindus, because no one really cares for religion and that too for a boy of 14-15 years it becomes even more exceptional. When I started
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Through The Sands Of Time
Quran and Modern Knowledge Dr M. Rafiuddin
giving competitive exams my results were average as compared to my elder brothers. The eldest one is IITian and the second one got short by 2 marks and got into Motilal Nehru Allahabad. I got admission into Krishna Institute of Engineering and Technology Ghaziabad. Since I was a shy boy it took me a while to make friends. But slowly my group became of 10 guys among whom nine were Hindus and one was Muslim. The Muslim guy was completely like me. The only objectionable thing he used to say was “Islam can solve all problems of world” and when I used to argue, he used to give me answers. He even started studying Islam to answer me because I was most outspoken against Islam, not because I hated Islam or anything, I just used to say what ever was in my mind. But his replies seemed convincing and I myself started researching about Islam through internet. I didn’t even recognized when I became a supporter of Islam and at the end of my 2nd year on first day of ramazan, my Muslim friend asked me if you believe in kalma then namaz and roza is farz for you. On that day I offered my first eesha namaz and taraweeh and alhamdullillah I became a Muslim. But this was not the end rather beginning of my journey into a world of new thoughts and experiences...
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Abul Ala Maududi
Ladkiyon Ki Bagawat Asbab o Ilaj The Ideal Muslimah Maqsudul Hasan Faizi
Dr Muhammad Ali al Hashimi
Great Women of Islam
Islami Khandan
Polygamy in Islam
Deen Aur Khawateen
Mahmood Ahmad Ghadanfar Bilal Philips & Jamila Jones
Majmua Muqalat
Abul Ala Maududi
Books by Umm Abd Muneeb • • • • • • • •
Mard aur Aurat me Barabri Ashyae Zaroriyat Ka Islami Mayarbarat Aur Bari Bache Ki Sehat Aur Ihtyati Tadabeer Bahu aur Damaad Par Sasural Key Haqooq Devar Aur Behnoi Hifaz-e-Haya Aur Kanwari Larkiyaan jismani harkaat aur shaistagi Ghazz-e-basar: Ghair Mehram Aurton Se Nazar Bachana
The Mightiest Revolution Ever Witnessed Ahmad Mehmood, MTM, BGSU Throughout human history if we search for a revolution, which is most profound, complete and outstanding, it would not be hard for any person with genuine candor to second the idea that it was the revolution brought about by Prophet MuhammadSAW. In fact, we find a lot of names east and west in this world who accept the same besides just Muslims. One such example is the lecture of M.N Roy given in 1920 at Lahore on the ‘Historical Role of Islam’. Before we quote him, let us first see who he was. He was a close friend of Lenin and a member of the Communist International. In other words, he knew what a revolution was since it was his daily bread. He said in unequivocal words that the revolution of MuhammadSAW was unparalleled in Human history and it had nothing whatsoever in common with other conquests like those of Atilla or Alexander. While the latter brought death and destruction the former was the rekindling of a new life and the birth of a new civilization. On a similar note, the more commonly known author Michael H. Hart in his book ‘The 100’ presents what he calls a selection and gradation of the hundred most influential people in Human History in which he puts MuhammadSAW at the top. And he says, "Naturally I owe an explanation being a Christian on giving the first position to MuhammadSAW. This is because he is the only person supremely successful in both the religious and secular walks of life." Alphonse de Lamartine mentions in his ‘History of the Turks’ in very clear words: ‘If the grandeur of the aim, the smallness of the means, the immensity of the results are the three measures of a man’s genius, who would dare humanly compare a great man of modern history with MuhammadSAW? Never has a man accomplished in such a short time such an immense and long lasting revolution in the world, since less than two centuries after his predication, Islam, preaching and armed, ruled over three Arabias, and conquered to God’s unity Persia, the Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and all the known continent of Southern Africa, many islands of the Mediterranean, Spain and part of Gaul. The most famous have only moved weapons, laws, empires; they founded, when they founded anything, only material powers, often crumbling before them. This man not only moved armies, legislation, empires, peoples, dynasties, millions of men over a third of the inhabited globe; but he also moved ideas, beliefs, souls. He founded upon a book, of which each letter has become a law, a spiritual nationality embracing people of all languages and races; and made an indelible imprint upon this Muslim nation, for the hatred of false gods and the passion for the God, One and Immaterial. Never has a man proposed for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a goal more sublime, since this goal was beyond measure: undermine the superstitions placed between the creature and the Creator, give back God to man and man to God, reinstate the rational and saintly idea of divinity in the midst of this prevailing chaos of material and disfigured gods of idolatry.’
pg2
Defining the Revolution
The West sees in Islam more than a religion. They see an ideology, a code, a constitution, a system of life. To make the difference crystal clear, three things go to make a religion: A creed or a doctrine, some rituals and some social customs. Any ideology that possesses these three things qualifies as a religion. However a complete system or way of life (deen) needs much more. To completes that circle of ‘Deen’, we require three more things. These are the political system, the social system and the economic system. But the story doesn't end here. Any system can be set up to live a stable life. But what if a system is proposed and it challenges the status quo? Questions everything that the existing systems have been considering "normal"? And instills in its followers a burning passion to setup this system and invite others to adopt it, until all other systems accept its dominance? Then it becomes a revolution. It was MuhammadSAW who in a mere 23 years with a handful of companions envisioned, preached, propagated and succeeded in realizing a revolution. One that aimed at bringing men from the slavery of men to the slavery of Allah.
The Shadow Government: Women of the Ummah
The important question is how could he do that? What was the Prophet’s support system in this world besides the divine guidance? What were his greatest assets and help which Allah bestowed? One of the greatest resources which Allah blessed him with were his wives, the mothers of the believers. Their courage, loyalty and dedication was what sufficed against the mighty kingdoms and power centers of that time. In fact, the entire journey of Prophethood started from the blanket of KhadeejahRA and ended in the lap of AishaRA where he breathed his last. It is extremely important to understand the profound and indispensable role which the Azwaj ul Mutaharaat played. They were the closest personal supporters of MuhammadSAW and custodians of his home. The first grand academy for Islam after the Prophet where even Caliphs went for advice. They were leaders of the women in their matters and their role models in grooming the cradle of the future of Islam as the first teachers of children. Perhaps one of the reasons that this Ummah struggles today is that the ‘other half’ of the Ummah which was well integrated has now detached from the establishment of the deen. On one hand, cultural orthodoxy has curtailed their access to masjids and their Islamic education and knowledge is deemed less important. On the other hand, they are being sent to secular co-educational institutes, exposed to mass-media propaganda and asked to follow a career than be a “regressive” home-maker. Owing to this skewed cultural influence, it is no surprise that the women of the Ummah go astray. And when that happens, they bring down with themselves not only homes, societies, nations and civilizations but also the hope of any change
in the future. The social fabric of the society that was spun by the blessed Mothers of the BelieversRA to integrate the entire Ummah cohesively into the working day to day framework of Islam is sadly no longer in place and needs to be rejuvenated. Pulled by the glittering mirage of the west and curtailed by the possessive and regressive cultural orthodoxy of the east, the Muslim woman of today walks on a tight rope. The balance between these two extremes can be sought only and only from the glorious life of the revered wives of the Prophet, peace be upon them all. It is only in his wivesRA that we see the highest imaginable piousness and knowledge to counsel even the rightly guided Caliphs yet the piety of staying at home, taking care of the minutest of things of the household and showering themselves to the wishes of their husband. In the last issue, we visited the life of our revered first Mother KhadijaRA and witnessed how critical was her role for Islam and to the ProphetSAW when he was denied by the whole world. The pure wives of the ProphetSAW acted as the bridge between him and the women of the Ummah. It was made sure that women in general were a part of the Muslim Community and a partner in its struggles. In essence they were running what can be called a "shadow government", running the affairs of the Islamic State not on the forefront but inside homes. While the men fought the enemies in battlefield, the women brought up the next generation, teaching them how to be great du‘āt and mujahids. They guarded the houses behind the men. And if some of their husbands would slack, they provoked them for jihad. They visited the mosque at the time of sermons and discussed matters of the household and of the deen. They did not “demand” their husbands but would rather have an attitude of “sabr” and “shukr” towards them. Consider Hazrat FatimaRA, how she would live in utter poverty in spite of being the daughter of the Prophet and the wife of AliRA, how her hands would scathe with the housework and yet she wouldn’t complain. Or Hazrat KhansaRA, whose poetry would inspire the men for jihad and who would suit up her own sons for the battlefield. Or Asma bint Abi BakrRA who lived in such poverty because of her husband that when she finally received a slave from her father she said that “it was as if he had set me free”. It was these women whose requests were accepted by Allah and His MessengerSAW roundly and many times Allah revealed verses answering their requests. MuhammadSAW was an example and a perfect guide for the Ummah. However, there was one aspect on which the MessengerSAW was not responsible to guide the women of the Ummah. And that was the feminine role of a woman as a wife, mother and a home-maker and the backbone of the revolution. For that purpose, Allah chose the revered Mothers of the Believers to be an example to the women of the Ummah and a source of their guidance. It is important that we see them as our role models and our women follow their footsteps to regain what has been lost and to reclaim what belongs to the Ummah.
from our readers Alima Ferdous Choudhury, MA,AMU
Loving Allah is a sacrifice Though, Faith and Tranquility comes it Through. Nothing to Care What People See! Veil and Hijab a Sheild Like Tree. Heroic Life With Holiness Comes, And Purity, Solidity, Honour Follows. Veil Why a Muslimah Doubts for Nothing?! With This Only Comes The Spiritual Feeling. Send your entries to ribat.contact@gmail.com
On a
Lighter Note
Checked
these out yet? Makhraj
A guide to help the pronunciation of the letter hijaiyah / Arabic alphabet.
Orya Maqbool Jan on Current Global Situation and Crisis Sunnah.com
The biggest online, searchable and multilingual database of authentic ahadith. (contd) Zooming in on
JargonExplained
Qawwamiat Safwan Ahmad, B.Tech, AMU
The term Qawwamun appears in Surah Nisa verse 34. The Definition: Let us understand it in the context of what Allah said - men are qawwam over women. Qawwam usually stands for a person who is responsible for the right conduct, safeguard and maintenance of the affairs of an individual, an institution or an organization. Thus man is governor, director, protector and manager of the affairs of the woman. The Rationale: For any organized system, it is rationally and customarily necessary that it has some head or chief or authority so that he can arbitrate in the event of a difference and take decisions to run its affairs smoothly. That such authority is needed in the running of countries, governments and states is universally accepted and practiced. This need, as felt in modern times, was also felt in the older tribal social organizations where the chief of a tribe was taken as the authority for that tribe. Why would a family organization, a micro-sample of the larger organizations, not need someone to head, maintain and run the system? And if so, comes the obvious next question – who? Men or Women? According to the Quran, it would be the Man. But Allah has not left it there. He describes two reasons for the same. The Quran further says that Allah has made some excel the others (in some qualities) under His exclusive wisdom and consideration. This is like the special honor given to Masjid al Haram or Bayt al-Maqdis amongst all the places in the
rules out the competition between man and woman altogether, thus the case of superiority/patriarchy and feminists’ craving for gender war rests in peace. Furthermore, if a hakim(ruler) does not perform his duties and oppresses its subjects, do we rebel and resort to anarchy? If parents oppress their children, does it give children the right to deny the institution of parenthood altogether? No, we rather make parents realize their responsibilities. What an anarchist seeks in the state, the feminists seek in individual and family life, which makes them better anarchists than the anarchists themselves. Someone rightly said:
Femininity is like a flower bud which can grow and bear its fruit only under the shade of qawwamiyat. Because real women need real men!
pesh karta hai aur har qadam par apne sath hone ka yaqeen dilata hai! Muj he Achha Lagta Hai! kandha Mujhe acha lagta hai jab wo badtareen halaat me mujhe apni mataae hayat maan From the popular facebook post of "( "خواتین کا صفحہkhwateen ka safha) Mujhe acha lagta hai mard se muqabla na karna aur us se ek darja kamzor rehna! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab kahin bahar jaate hue wo mujh se kehta hai "Ruko! Mai tumhe le jaata hun" ya "Mai bhi sath chalta hun"! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab wo mujhse ek qadam aage chalta hai. Ghair mehfuz aur khatarnak raste par uske piche piche uske chhode hue qadmo ke nishan par chalte hue ehsas hota hai usne mere khayal se qadre hamwar raste ka intekhab kiya! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab gehrai se upar chadhte aur unchai se dhalaan ki taraf jate hue wo mud-mud kar mujhe chadhne aur utarne me madad dene ke liye baar baar apna hath badhata hai! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab kisi safar par jaate aur wapas ate hue saman ka saara bojh wo apne dono kandhon par bina darkhwast kiye khud hi utha leta hai. Aur aksar wazni cheezon ko dusri jagah muntaqil karte waqt uska ye kehna ke "Tum chodo ye mera kaam hai..."! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab wo Meri wajah se shadeed mausam me sawari ka intezar ke liye nisbatan sayadar aur mehfuz maqam ka intekhab karta hai! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab wo mujhe zarurat ki har cheez ghar par hi muhaiya kar deta hai taaki mujhe ghar ki zimmedariyon ke sath sath bahar Jane ki dikkat na uthani pade aur logon ke namunasib rawaiyon ka samna na karna pade! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab raat me mere sath aasman par taare ginte hue wo mujhe thand lag jaane ke dar se apna coat utaar kar mere shaano par daal deta hai! Mujhe acha lagta hai jab wo mere gham ansuon me bahane ke liye apna mazboot
Take the example of “worth” of women as they call it. Apparently a woman can't gain respect until she becomes like men. So being in the public sphere is considered the only means of empowerment while feminine qualities are disgraced. Upbringing children at home is seen lowly because it doesn’t “contribute” to society and isn’t “productive” (because nothing is worthy of respect until it is professionalized. Thanks Capitalism!). But a woman who sleeps for money is a professional and hence should be called a "sex worker"; not by a derogatory term like "prostitute"! There is no dearth of such incoherences in feminism. But when #My_Choice is the ilaah and career/casual sex the ibadah, is it a surprise? Does the East know? : The discourse on sexual identity. Very often the eastern feminist looks forward to their western counterpart for guidance. But is the East ready to tread that path? Or more precisely, does the East really know what western feminism entails? It all starts with fighting for women's rights, but ends up questioning the very idea of sex-based identity itself. That is to say one should not be identified with one of two genders because there are not just two genders- they're extremes of the gender spectrum and there lies a vast "grey area" between the two! And that one shouldn't be tagged with an identity at birth just by the form of their genitals, rather they should be free to choose their own identity as they grow. And once gender isn’t defined, why should sexuality be? Because sexual perversion and heresy is a logical outcome of this discourse. Women who get into the feminist discourse, often end up in man-hating and repulsion from the very idea of manhood and since you have the rampant propaganda about homosexuality being “natural”, what will stop them from giving it a try? Hollowing up society from within The society is but an organization of individuals whose first level is family. What if the first level of organization is broken apart - or worse - hollowed from within? That is exactly what feminism is doing to the building block of society: the family. And this is done by messing up the structure of the family - roles, rights and responsibilities of each individual. On one side women are running away from household
Feminism
world. It is a God-given authority. Men have done nothing to get it and there is nothing wrong with women that they do not have it. It is simply based on the wisdom of creation, an exclusive privilege of the Creator. The second reason relates to what is achieved with effort. The Quran says that men spend their money, pay mahr and are responsible for meeting women's needs. This describes the social structure in Islam. The man is responsible for earning and spending for the family. The responsibility of being mothers of children and that of managing and holding the house and the family has been placed upon women. In Islam, Qawwam is responsible for fulfilling every need of the woman which, beside the basic financial and security needs, include psychological needs, entertainment and so on. It essentially encompasses provision of all that is required for her to contribute towards Islam effectively. The term also extrapolates to men as a whole being the qawwam over women. If man fails to fulfill his responsibility of a qawwam, apart from what must be done legally about it, it is a question on his ghairah. On the other hand, if a woman desires to transgress the bonds of qawwamah, it is the matter of her haya. Many feminists consider this legislation as threat to the safety of woman, children and to the family institution as it codified supreme power of husband in the family sphere. Contrary to this, Islamic teachings protect a woman from worldly troubles and command men to protect her and maintain her for all worldly necessities. It must be understood that the woman has been bestowed with different set of responsibilities. So this
kar tahaffuz dene ke liye mere aage dhaal ki tarah khada ho jata hai aur kehta hai "daro mat mai tumhe kuch nahi hone dunga!" Mujhe acha lagta hai jab wo mujhe ghair nazron se mehfuz rehne ke liye naseehat karta hai aur apna haq jatate hue kehta hai ke "Tum Sirf Meri ho...!" Mujhe acha lagta hai! Lekin afsos ham me se aksar ladkiyan in tamam khushgawar ehsasaat ko mehez mard se barabari ka muqabla karne ki wajah se kho deti hain. Safed ghode par sawar shehzadon ne aana kahin isi liye to nahi chhod diya kyunki ham ne khud ko masnoo'aat ki tarah intekhab ke liye bazaron me pesh kar diya hai? Jab mard ye maan leta hai ke aurat usse kamzor nahi tab wo uski madad ke liye hath badhana chhod deta hai. Tab aise khubsurat lamhat ek ek karke zindagi se nafi hote jaate hain aur phir zindagi be rang aur badmaza ho kar apna tawazun kho deti hai!
responsibilities and on the other, they are overloaded with the challenge of matching steps with men in the every field. In this blind quest for feminist-equality, "femininity" is being amputated. The tender nature that defines a woman, softens a man towards his wife when he comes back home, guides a child at every step to be a responsible person, is lost in this mad race of societal acceptability where “boldness” is a strength and shyness (haya) is a weakness. The lost cradle of knowledge. Education is one area whose importance all kind of activists endorse-at least apparently. While there are tonnes of dollars being pumped into the education industry by philanthropists, had it not been beneficial if a little attention would be paid to the first school of a child - the mother? The ever increasing disgust with the institution of motherhood - which drives its strength from feminists' vilification of its notions by coining of slangs like "bachcha paida karne ki machine" & "chaar diwaari me qaid" - is the sole reason behind the first cradle being lost. Seeing this disgust on the rise, the rise in juvenile crime rate should be no surprise. This disgust paves way for delayed marriages, pre-marital & promiscuous relationships, and by extrapolation - irregular sexual tendencies. Which further is responsible for low fertility rates, sexually transmitted diseases, and deviancies like homosexuality. The Solution Let us focus again on the root of the problem – from where it arose: an unguided movement left with loose ends. Why not first check for a complete and comprehensive solution with open heart - free of all prejudice? A movement bound by a sound ideology is highly unlikely to disintegrate, deviate and cause another problem. No ideology can meet such criteria of encompassment except Islam.
And in case you think that we need a way of life, say feminism, to supplement the “deficiencies” of Islam because Islam is apparently not doing “justice”, you’ve got some real problem with Allah: the All Wise, All Knower and the Judge. Any pact between two parties is useless without a third party which can understand both and can enforce, punish and reward them based on their commitment to the pact. That party is Allah and the pact is Islam! On this discourse, we need to use terms with caution sticking mostly to the terms used by the classical scholars. Modern terms carry their own connotations which is hard to clarify each time we use it. Like when we talk about human rights, we better use huqooqul ibad. And unlike feminism (or any other cult) when we advise a person we focus more on their duties rather than their huqooq. Because we don't want a society messed up from inside: everyone demanding their rights and no one caring about their responsibilities. The building block of Islamic society is the family and Allah has ordained different responsibilities to the two (yes, two!) genders. The Qur’an likened the creation of the male and the female to that of a pair complementing each other “… like twin-halves of a whole.”. Islamic society has definite genderroles. That doesn’t mean that roles may not overlap, at times, but the general rule is that men and women stick to their roles. Call it sexist if you’d like! The man is the protector and the warrior. The woman is the nurturer and educator. Among the man’s duties as protector comes “qawwamiat”. Today, Islam is being forced to accommodate to deceptive notions and viewed from biased and cancerous ideas like equality, freedom, tolerance, liberalism etc. Some apologists and progressive “Muslims” have acquiesced to the feminist idea so much so that they try to reinterpret Islam itself. The ideals of Islam are reformed to fit in the feminist mind. This might be very offensive to some, but seeing the evil feminism has caused in this age, I wonder if simpletons calling the beloved Prophet (pbuh) “the first feminist” is any less than blasphemy!
pg3
The Days of
Fitan
Third Wave:
The March of Dajjal's Army Ibne Zaid, B. Tech, AMU
The title may appear alarming to many but if we observe the signs of the last day and the appearance of Dajjal as have been described in multiple ahadith of RasulullahSAW, it won’t be an exaggeration. Let us first take a look at a few precursors of the end-times: • Family ties will be cut. • The children will be foul and filled with rage. • Off-springs will become a cause of grief and anger to parents. • Children of fornication will become widespread or prevalent. • People will indulge in homosexuality. • A slave (lady) will give birth to her master. • People will commit sexual intercourse in public like donkeys. • Women with children will be displeased (on account of them bearing off-spring) and barren women remain happy (on account of having no responsibility of off-spring). • Trade will become so widespread that a woman will be forced to help her husband in business. • Women will be naked in spite of being dressed, these women will be led astray & will lead others astray. The realization of the above signs today needs no explanation. What is even more shocking is a hadith that Ibn Kathir narrates: “The most people who will come out to him (Dajjal) will be women, to the extent that a man will return to his wife, his mother, his daughter, his sister, and his aunt, and he will tie her (or them) up with a cord, fearing that she (or they) will go out to the Dajjal.” Today’s world is a stark realization of men trying hard to keep their women away from the vague concept of liberalism that is destroying relationships and families, yet all of their efforts seem to fail. It is also a reminder to the men, of their responsibility: their “qawwamiat”. The last quiz was quite tough. We received a few responses but most of them were quite vague . (A few of them were even plagiarised from the internet which is strongly discouraged!) It is important to remember that we cannot dodge the apparently discomforting things about the shariah by playing safe and opting for "secular" and "democratic" means. Shariah is a part of imaan and opting for anything else without any scholarly argument is tantamount to shirk. We'll be giving a comprehensive answer and uploading relevant books on our website
(blogribat.wordpress.com) very soon. And now for the next quiz. This time an easy one: 1. What was the age of the ProphetSAW at the time of his second marriage? 2. How many women were present in first and second pledge of Aqabah? 3. Tayyamum and Tasbeeh are related to which women? 4. Who encouraged H. IkrimahRA to accept Islam? 5. A sahabiah who was like a mother to the ProphetSAW married to H. ZaidRA - an adopted slave who was like his son - gave birth to a child? What was his name? Send your answers to ribat.contact@gmail.com under subject “Quiz” on or before March 12 2017
Of "isms" and The Need
to look fair and beautiful so that fashion industry doesn’t topple. At this point, I might sound like a conspiracy theorist but as long as I am able to hit the nail on the head, so be it. I have absolutely no qualms in saying it loud and clear that feminism, as it is in the market today, has everything to do with the prevalent ‘consumerist culture’ and how women operate in it. On the flip side, however, this is not to deny that women do not need empowerment and that crimes against women are not the harsh reality. A woman needs empowerment and strength but that which no man or society shall buy for her. It comes when she empowers herself by submitting herself to her Creator rather than falling prey to a creation.
To Rethink Identities Nada Zaim Faruqi, LLB, AMU
pg4
Once the men lose their qawwamiat, they let their women loose to follow the fitnah. Indeed Dajjal hasn’t appeared but the signs are a precursor. Relationships are shattered. The women are out of their homes, seduced by the ideas of third-wave feminism. They have started dressing like men in order to be perceived as equal. The clothes have shrunk to the extent that “clothed yet naked” isn't just a metaphor anymore. Take a look at the carnivals and music gigs. (Interestingly, the Dajjal is prophesied to use music and women to attract people!) A slave giving birth to her master is interpreted as pointing to surrogacy which is becoming rampant in 'developed' nations. Feminists will claim that the rampant sexual orgies in modern cities where people have public intercourse like donkeys are not advocated by feminism, but isn’t it a logical outcome of the widespread slogans of “own you sexuality”, "you only live once", “my body my choice” or “free the nipple”. And guess what? The best secular response to this wanton destruction of every sacred value that binds the sexes together is a public distribution of condoms! #facepalm Dajjal wants to challenge what religion and society have claimed for thousands of years: that women and men are functionally different. In doing so, he is essentially claiming that all prophets were wrong! That women and men have no functional difference. Anything a man does, a woman can (read: should) do. A lot many of us may consider Muslims to be free from these issues and the seduction of Dajjal. So I end this discourse with an authentic hadith from Abu Dawood. The ProphetSAW said: “I swear by Allah that a man will come to the Dajjal thinking he is a believer and follow him because of confused ideas roused in him by Dajjal.” [Graded Sahih by Albani] "Confused ideas" indeed. Aren't the Muslims today "confused" about what the "correct" interpretation of Islam is? Do we know which of the modern ideas nullificy our imaan? Reflect!
“Trying to be a Liberal Muslim?” a batch-mate made a passing comment as I was reading Maulana Maududi in class. This question, by itself, has the potential to suggest that the contemporary Muslim community has a lot of introspection to do. The factual incorrectness of the question, that there was hardly anything “liberal” (in the conventional sense of the term) about a man that is known for his critique of capitalism and his radical ideas about the revival of Islam, reflects a deep-seated ignorance amongst Muslims and sans exaggeration, is one of the tragedies of our times. This ignorance has left gaps in our understanding about how a Muslim identity is supposed to be a ‘complete package. It is because of these gaps, that we tend to add qualifications to the Muslim identity such as ‘Liberal Muslim’, ‘Muslim Feminist’, ‘Progressive Muslim’, etc. A Muslim, by definition, is supposed to be ‘a complete being’ who is not on the lookout to subscribe to the newest –ism in the market. Feminism, it is claimed, is an ideology that liberates women from the stronghold of the prevalent patriarchal mindset. If one happens to explore the think tanks and the activists in this area then one would find that they, very shrewdly, have us believe that the only relationship that exists between a man and woman is that of the oppressor and the oppressed. “If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!” To validate their quest for “equality”, they'll fail to see beyond that dichotomy. A tried and tested method to control a population is that the oppressor first instills a certain inferiority complex in the subject of oppression so that the latter starts believing that they need “empowerment” thereby reinforcing the oppressor’s authority to reign over the oppressed. Feminism, pretty much like Liberalism, seeks to exploit the subject of oppression and is guilty of just that. Hence, the talk-shows on women empowerment constantly asserting that women are the oppressed lot. They would capitalize, say, on her ‘right’ to shun traditional clothing so they can use her body to sell products or they would make an issue out of her right to go out and work so that childcare industry flourishes or they would constantly press upon the ‘need’ for women
Empowerment & much more happens when we submit to the One that created us.
This helps in the foundation of healthy families and societies where men and women are not at odds but in harmony with each other. One does not get to dictate the other because the individuals are not in charge of their own moral standards but the moral anchor is One for all- Allah the Almighty. The artificially-created image of a ‘macho man’ that has nothing but six-packs to flaunt which is the symbol of masculinity today and the contemporary beauty standards for women hold zero relevance under Allah’s laws wherein men and women are judged by their imaan. When both remind themselves and each other of their obligations and the consequences of non-compliance, families and societies at large are likely to witness less crime and more inner work. No matter the age we live in, the Creator’s law shall always reign supreme. Imran Salha says, and rightly so, “We need to go through long phases of erasing. We need to re-examine why we think the way we think and understand that the source of all Truth is God (SWT) and His Messenger (SAAW); and His law is the starting point, the end point, and all the points in between for us. Western Civilization needs to justify to me through my Islamic framework why things are okay or not okay, and not the other way around.” Let’s not become a group of people which can be likened to a “donkey with a sack of gold on its back.” Let us understand Islam and the Ideal Muslim Identity (sans any prefix or suffix) so that we can be the proud carriers of our faith and share its beauty with others.
INSPIRATIONAL MUSINGS Allama Iqbal
ف ی م �رام د ی�ا لک آپ ےن �ی اصف اصف وظع خ "رپوہ آ�ر سک ےس وہ ج ب "� رمد یہ زن وہ ےئگ
!�یغ وکیئ دن یک �بات ےہ اے رمد وہش دنم �رت ہن ھجت ی ی ہن زن اوٹ اچےہ یگ،م وہ یگ ت آ� ےہ اب وہ دور ہک اوالد ےک وعض ا ل ووٹ اچےہ یگ وکلسن یک ربممی ےک ی ی کا � ےہ اعمرشت اک امکل ی !رمد ےب اکر و زن یہت آوغش ف ی وہظر اسفد اک ےہ �ریگن اعمرشت م ن �ارہ زن انشس ی � ہک رمد اسدہ ےہ ب ی چ ف غ ت ت را� ی � � مہ ےتھجمس ےھت ہک الےئ یگ کا ربخ یھت ہک الچ آےئ اگ ااحلد یھب اسھت ی
Al-Kabair
Editorial Board
THE MAJOR SINS
Mushabihat
The MessengerSAW said: “Allah curses men who imitate women and women who imitate men.” [Al-Bukhari] Mushabihat or imitation by men of women or vice versa is one of the major sins in Islam. Of late with the growth of man-made philosophies of life there has been tremendous growth in ideas which deny and challenge the wisdom of Allah’s law. Women are violating their natural disposition and imitating the men in the name of “Breaking Stereotypes”. They are taught that speaking softly and being shy are signs of weakness and they need to assert authority. Men on the other hand are being taught to imitate women, both in actions (look at how they talk now) and in appearance (take a look at men's hairstyle and dresses in some high-end party). This has led to complete terminologies such as "trans gender", "gender fluid" etc. The difference between the sexes is being blurred as gender is being termed as a "social construct". The explicit sexual imitations in comedy shows (which should rather be called "vulgarity" shows) don't escape anyone's attention. The newest Bollywood movies seem to be a propaganda targeted especially at normalizing these deviations in people. So you have a trend of male characters showing feminine qualities like emotional attachment and female characters who are strong and authoritative. The inclusion of homosexual/ transsexual characters is increasing everyday. There's only one end to these means! Another form of mushabihat is imitating the Disbelievers. And this includes imitating them in not just appearance and action (you know, the cool guy/gal persona?) but also in their rituals and festivals. Like what? Like New Year, Women's Day, Valentine's Day, carnivals and music concerts. So the next time your friend calls you for that awesome celebration party... Think!
Akbar Allahabadi ख़ुदा के फ़ज़्ल से बीवी-मियाँ दोनों मुहज़्ज़ब हैं हिजाब उनको नहीं आता इन्हें गस ़ु ा नहीं आता तालीम का शोर ऐसा, तहज़ीब का गल ़ु इतना बरकत जो नहीं होती नीयत की ख़राबी है नूरे इस्लाम ने समझा था मुनासिब पर्दा शमा -ए -ख़ामोश को फ़ानस ू की हाजत क्या है बेपर्दा नज़र आईं जो चन्द बीवियाँ ‘अकबर’ ज़मीं में ग़ैरते क़ौमी से गड़ गया पूछा जो उनसे -‘आपका पर्दा कहाँ गया?’ कहने लगीं कि अक़्ल पे मर्दों की पड़ गया. कर दिया कर्ज़न ने ज़न मर्दों की सूरत दे खिये आबरू चेहरों की सब, फ़ै शन बना कर पोंछ ली दरअसल न दीन है न दनु िया पिंजरे में फुदक रही है मुनिया तिफ़्ल में बू आए क्या माँ -बाप के अतवार की दध ू तो डिब्बे का है , तालीम है सरकार की हरम-सरा की हिफ़ाज़त को तेग़ ही न रही तो काम दें गी यह चिलमन की तितलियाँ कब तक
Sunnah of males at home Hisham Jameel Siddiqi, BA, AMU
• To be kind towards one’s spouse and children. This certainly helps in attaining happiness which can’t be attained by harshness. AyeshaRA relates that the ProphetSAW said: “When Allah - may He be Glorified - wills some good towards the people of a household, He introduces kindness among them."[Musnad Ahmad and Sahih Jami] • To help in the household works. The ProphetSAW would often sew his own clothes, mend his own shoes and help in the other works whenever he was at home. • Being affectionate towards family members and joking with them. The ProphetSAW said: “Everything in which Allah’s name is not mentioned is idleness and play, except for four things: a man playing with his wife…”[al-Nisai and Sahih Jami] • Resisting bad behavior and characteristics like lying, backbiting, gossip, etc. amongst the members of the household. Hazrat AyeshaRA reported: “If the Messenger of Allah came to know that one of his household had told a lie, he would try to ignore him until he repented.” [Musnad Ahmad and Sahih Jami]
THE DIVINE ECHO
"The best of you is the best to his wives, and I am the best of you to my wives," [Jami` at-Tirmidhi Sahih] "The best of women is that who pleases her husband when he sees her, obeys him when she is commanded, and who does not secretly betray him with regards to herself and her money in that which he dislikes." [Tabarani, Sahih]
Editorial Board Islam defines a society based upon submission to Allah and none other. The building block of this society is the family and hence the relationship between husband and wife. It is then no surprise that the ProphetSAW called marriage as half the deen and his ahadith are laden with values about marital life. The above two ahadith outline the best of men and women and interestingly, both are centered around the institution of marriage. An analytical look at the psychology of men and women would tell us that men inherently are more aroused visually while women are more into emotional affection. Hence, when a woman dresses to please her husband (in contrast to dressing up to rock the party!), it triggers dopamine secretion in the brain and he associates her with pleasure and reward. The same happens when a man deals with his wife with kindness and affection. Another general psychology of men, is to command respect and obedience (provided he's a man and not a replica of the kind of men he watches on TV). It is nothing new to find a man angry at his wife simply because she did something that he disliked (even if it wasn't really bad). It is built in the system of men. They are offended easily. On the contrary, Allah has made the woman more immune to sudden outbursts and is generally more forgiving. The quest for "gender equality" today has unfortunately tattered the social fabric and in the process, the very fundamental block of the Islamic way of life. Dressing to please your husband is now considered degrading because she is not "his private property!" Apparently the feminist discourse is happy with a woman being "public property" when she dresses to please her co-workers or smiles and talks gently as a receptionist or even "owns her sexuality"(#MyChoice). But, dress to please her husband? Noway, sir! And yes, you should take orders from your boss. It's you job after all. But obey your husband? "I'm not a slave!" Then there are men who are kind with people in the public sphere but the worst imaginable, inside their homes. If you track the rise of feminism in Muslim societies, don't be shocked to discover that it was a response to some real injustices done to women. (from the Islamic perspective, not the feminist one). Whatever happened to "best to your wives"! On the other side of the spectrum are men who are "broad minded" and "modern" and wouldn't care what their wives do. "She's free to do what she wants!" Whatever happened to your Qawwamiat! We seem to have forgotten that Qawwamiat is part of being good to your wife: to be responsible for all her affairs. Interestingly, however hard the society may try to prove them "equal", the psychology of both the genders still behaves the way Allah made it. The woman, if she doesn't experiences the feeling of being wanted at home, looks for it outside. The man, in the absence of a wife who is waiting at home to make him happy, now prefers to spend his time "elsewhere". If only our role models changed. If only we tried to be less like the Brangelinas and more like MuhammadSAW and KhadijaRA!