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Value of Women and their Position before the time of Prophethood

Umm Musa. She realized the value of women and their position before the time of Prophet-Hood. She praised Islâm for glorifying and exalting her, and she thanked its first call for being concerned with her and for its guidance. She did not leave men to do things by themselves without her. Just as she followed the new religion in all stages in faith and punishment in its path, and migrated to it and called to it by tongue and by the sword by herself and along with her family members, husband, son and family. So as to safeguard the din and show enthusiasm for it and she dedicated her night and day to it along with her travel, her presence, her residency and her Hijra (migration), as a virgin, as a wife and as a mother.

She was dutiful and at times surpassed men, as the first of the believers was a woman and the first martyr in the path of Allâh was a woman and likewise she was dutiful in spreading the din and preserving it, accepting it and conveying it. It is known that some women were those who reported thousands and hundreds and tens of ahadith of the master of the Messengers. Her condition progressed and the Muslim woman increased in self-trust, mighty status and happiness with Islâm. From women were to be found admonishers, scholars, jurists and Hadith specialists throughout the different times and epochs, in all areas and regions. She found herself after loss and ruin and from going from condition to condition, from a condition wherein she was a despised thing within the family and society during her childhood and her youth with no rights, no respect and no care for her opinions and presence.

Men enslaved her submissiveness and if she was asked she would not answer and if she was needed to gather firewood, fetch water, pick-up the date-kernels for the camels and feed the dogs she had to do it if she quiet. She was a garment for the thirst of desires in aversion and distrust as from the day of her entry into the world faces would be grieved and souls would be perplexed and disturbed as to what to do with her, should the father keep the baby girl or bury her alive in the ground? Her glad-tidings were thus indignation, anger and to be buried alive into the earth, yet intelligence was her distinctive character throughout the length of her time with the light of the heavens and guidance of the Prophets. Men with their idolatrous actions and upbring of soothsaying tried to conceal her delightful origins and yet her body, shining and glowing and not fearing or turning away.

Reference: “The Noble Women Scholars of Hadith” pg: 83-84

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