WOMEN OF PARADISE
                                       
   
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Part 1: 'The Black Woman'

  Paradise is for believing men and women.
  
   
   
   We often hear speakers in Friday prayer or in admonitions talking
   about Paradise and all of us find our hearts, minds and thoughts tuned
   on to that 'frequency'. However, majority of the speakers talk about
   Paradise as if it were a house for men only. Reality is not like that.
   Paradise is for the believing men and women. The only price for it is
   sound belief in Allaah, love of Allaah and His Messenger salla Allaahu
   alaihi wa sallam, and obedience to Allaah and His Messenger salla
   Allaahu alaihi wa sallam.
   
   In what follows are the glad tidings given by the Messenger of Allaah
   salla Allaahu alaihi wa sallam, to some of the women among his
   companions.
   
     * Narrated 'Aisha radhiya Allaahu anha: I did not feel jealous of
       any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija
       (although) she died before he married me, for I often heard him
       mentioning her, and Allaah had told him to give her the good
       tidings that she would have a palace of Qasab (i.e. pipes of
       precious stones and pearls in Paradise), and whenever he
       slaughtered a sheep, he would send her women-friends a good share
       of it. [Sahih al-Bukhari]
     * Anas reports that the Messenger of Allaah, salla Allaahu alaihi wa
       sallam, said: 'The best women of mankind are four: Mariam daughter
       of `Imraan, Assiya wife of Pharaoh, Khadija daughter of Khuwailid,
       and Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of Allaah.' [Bukhari and
       Muslim]
     * Narrated Abu Huraira: Jibreel (Gabriel) came to the Prophet and
       said, 'O Allaah's Apostle! This is Khadija coming to you with a
       dish having meat soup (or some food or drink). When she reaches
       you, greet her on behalf of her Lord (i.e. Allaah) and on my
       behalf, and give her the glad tidings of having a Qasab (palace in
       Paradise) wherein there will be neither any noise nor any fatigue
       (trouble).' [al-Bukhari]
     * Narrated 'Ata bin Abi Rabah: Ibn 'Abbas said to me, 'Shall I show
       you a woman of the people of Paradise?' I said, 'Yes.' He said,
       'This black woman came to the Prophet and said, 'I get attacks of
       epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allaah for
       me.' The Prophet said (to her), 'If you wish, be patient and you
       will have (enter) Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allaah
       to cure you.' She said, 'I will remain patient,' and added, 'but I
       become uncovered, so please invoke Allaah for me that I may not
       become uncovered.' So he invoked Allaah for her.' [al-Bukhari]
       
   
   
   The aforementioned ahadeeth clearly state the stature of some of the
   women given the glad tidings of Jannah (Paradise). What can the women
   of today do in order to achieve that pinnacle of success, Paradise?
   
   To do so one MUST learn how these women lived, how they behaved, how
   they spoke, how they dressed, how they walked, etc. In this issue of
   al-Mu'minah we will try to learn from the black woman mentioned in the
   last Hadith, insha'Allaah. The black woman is not even known by her
   name, or her exact whereabouts, rather she is known by her deeds, her
   faith, her modesty, her chastity, and for her being an inmate of
   Paradise. And, in the end, that is what matters most. When Abdullah
   Ibn Abbas radhiya Allaahu anhu said 'this black woman', he did not
   mean to point at her race or to belittle her in any way. Indeed, he
   but meant to teach the people around him a great principle of Islam
   which is mentioned in the verse, [in the meaning of] : 'O people! We
   have created you from a man and a woman and made you into peoples and
   tribes so that you may know each other, verily the most honorable
   among you in the sight of Allaah are the most pious.'
   
   The same principle is mentioned in the Hadith: 'Allaah does not look
   at your pictures (shapes) and bodies but He looks at your hearts (and
   your deeds).' [Muslim] She (the black woman) was physically sick, yet
   she sought cure in the du`a of the Messenger of Allaah, salla Allaahu
   alaihi wa sallam. She knew that the one who cures, ash-Shaafee, is
   Allaah, and Allaah would answer the du`a of His Messenger salla
   Allaahu alaihi wa sallam. We conclude from that that du`a heals all
   diseases be they of the body or of the heart. When commenting on this
   Hadith, al-Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: 'It is inferred from this hadith
   that the cure of diseases through du`a and supplication to Allaah (wa
   al-iltijaa' ilaa Allaah) is the most successful way of healing, but
   this cannot be fulfilled unless two conditions are satisfied: pure
   intention and sincere trust in the effectiveness of the du`a, and
   righteousness and reliance on Allaah.
   
   The fact that the Prophet salla Allaahu alaihi wa sallam said: 'If you
   wish, be patient and you will have (enter) Paradise' is a proof for
   the virtue and reward of patience during sickness. In another Hadith,
   he, salla Allaahu alaihi wa sallam, says: 'Whenever a hardship affects
   the Muslim, he will be forgiven for it even when he is picked by a
   spike.' [Muslim]
   
   And in another Hadith, also narrated by Muslim, Ummu as-Sa'ib cursed
   fever, to which the Prophet salla Allaahu alaihi wa sallam told her:
   'Do not curse fever, for it takes away the sins like the blaze [fire]
   takes away the impurities of iron.' The black women preferred the
   suffering of this world to getting the eternal reward of Paradise! She
   suffered from sickness, yet her pain and discomfort did not force her
   to forego pleasing Allaah! And no matter who one is, if one is in the
   path of Allaah, one will encounter difficulties, because Paradise is
   rounded by hardships. If things are easy and life is rosy, then one
   must check oneself; are we following the true Islam? Especially in
   this western environment it may be difficult for a young woman to wear
   the dress of modesty, the hijab (even though it is mandatory), not to
   talk to men and keep away from them (which is also mandatory), except
   if necessary.
   
   All these may be difficult to achieve for some in the beginning, but
   when one overcomes herself for the sake of Allaah, then all the other
   obstacles become baseless. So, how to overcome oneself? By knowing
   Allaah by His names and attributes; by loving and obeying Allaah and
   His Messenger, salla Allaahu alaihi wa sallam; and then the help of
   Allaah will come, insha'Allaah. She (the black woman) preferred being
   patient, but could not tolerate that her honor, her modesty and her
   chastity be damaged or even touched, nor that any part of her body be
   uncovered, though she had no control over it. Indeed she was a real
   slave and servant of Allaah; she was a faithful, a believer, a
   Muslimah, a righteous and pious woman, a truthful woman, and she was
   loyal to Allaah and His Messenger, salla Allaahu alaihi wa sallam. Not
   only having these awe-inspiring qualities, she was also a wise and a
   great woman, as her memorable words rang ...: '... but I become
   uncovered, so please invoke Allaah for me that I may not become
   uncovered.'
   
   If words are to be written in Gold, these words should be written in
   gold ... Remember this simple equation:
   Iman + Suffering + Patience = Paradise
   It can also be inferred that the righteous Muslim woman inherently
   loves to be covered, loves modesty and chastity and hates revealing
   her body and her beauty. The black woman, radhiya Allaahu `anha could
   sustain being so sick but could not bear to be uncovered in front of
   people.
   
   The issue, one must understand, is not of black or white or Arab or
   non-Arab, rich or poor, noble[with lineage] or not, it is rather of a
   creed so deeply rooted in the hearts of Muslims like blood flows in
   the arteries and veins of people. They are those who are totally
   committed to Islam. Fourteen Hundred years of history showed that
   Muslim women could sustain hunger, poverty, sickness but could never
   sustain disobeying Allaah. The wife would tell her husband when
   leaving for work: 'Fear Allaah in us, for we can sustain hunger and
   thirst but we cannot sustain Hell fire [i.e. do not acquire unlawful
   earning].'
   
   Dear sisters, ask yourself what made Khadija radhiya Allaahu `anha be
   greeted by Allaah Subhanahu wa Ta`ala and by Jibreel alaihi as-Salaam.
   Ask yourself what made Khadija be rewarded a Palace in Jannah as no
   one can imagine. Reading the biography of Khadija and others like her
   in greatness, one would wish to be at their service; to carry their
   shoes, wash their clothes, to serve them in any possible way and get
   du`a from them. It is sad that we just don't know the great
   personalities of this Ummah. If only we strive to study the lives of
   the righteous that preceded us, we would find in them immense guidance
   for our existence, and if we know them and follow them we could be in
   the forefront of mankind ...
   
   It is said, 'Iman (faith) is not by hope, it is rather what occurs in
   the heart and is proved by the deeds [maa waqa`a fil qalbi wa
   saddaqahul-`amal].' We leave you to think about this and pray to
   Allaah to make us all among the dwellers of Paradise and to bestow
   upon us the faith and the patience that lead us to Paradise. And to
   bless the present Muslim Ummah with many women like the black woman,
   radhiya Allaahu `anha (may Allaah be pleased with her), who help us
   focus on the straight path ...
   
   Acknowledgment: Some of the ideas were expressed in an article written
   by Haled Abu Sail which appeared in the Da`wah magazine, Iss. 1514,
   page 32.