May Allah swt bless the great women who came centuries before us and from whom we may be guided by their example – like Hajra – the Mother of the Believers, who frantically searched for water between the hills of Safaa and Marwa, while her hungry baby, Ishmail cried, whose footsteps have now been followed by billions of pilgrims; like Khadijah, the first convert to Islam, whose wealth supported the early Muslims and allowed her husband to preach the message of God and change the world; like Aishah, from whom the early Muslims were told we can learn half of our religion, and of whom the Prophet said that everywhere he looked there was a sword coming towards him and everywhere he looked there was one sword that intercepted all the others and that sword was the sword of Aishah; and like the mother of Moses, who heard the message of God who told her to nurse Moses before sending him away, promising her that he would come back to her one day and she did that, sending him down the river, showing her great faith to God by sacrificing her child to become a great Prophet (did any man have to make this same kind of sacrifice?) and the mother of Isa, Maryam, who gave birth all alone – except God was there – and then on His command, returned to her village with her baby, to courageously – allow the baby to explain – what had happened; and Rabiyah – who said, “O God! If I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship You in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise. But if I worship You for Your Own sake, grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty.” Are these the Matriarchs of our faith? Where would we be without their courage, love and faith? Are there more? Please add. Please share.
Contributed by Shala Khan Salter, Chair of MPV Canada and board member of Muslims for Progressive Values.
