Islam elevates the status of all men and women. Like men, women play a major remarkable role in Islam. Allah has praised many women throughout history for their unwavering faith, perseverance, strength and bravery in upholding the truth. Allah swt has also made it clear that the success of a nation is also highly dependent on women. In a hadith, the Prophet s.a.w. once mentioned the four women of paradise:
خط رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في الأرض أربعة أخطط، ثم قال: تدرون ما هذا؟ قالوا: الله ورسوله أعلم. قال: أفضل نساء أهل الجنة خديجة بنت خويلد، وفاطمة بنت محمد، ومريم ابنة عمران، وآسية بنت مزاحم امرأة فرعون
The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. drew four lines on the ground, after which he s.a.w. said, “Do you know what this is?” The Companions r.a. replied, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He s.a.w. then said: “The best of the women of Paradise are Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Fatimah bint Muhammad, Maryam bint ‘Imran and Asiya bint Muzahim, the wife of Pharaoh.” (Musnad Ahmad)
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1. Khadijah bint Khuwaylid r.a.
“Mary the daughter of Imran was the best among women (of the world of her time) and Khadijah is the best among women (of this nation).” (Sahih Al-Bukhari)
Khadijah’s name is synonymous and inseparable from the eventful appointment of the last messenger s.a.w. She was the first person to embrace Islam and to have anticipated the arrival of this religion. When Rasulullah s.a.w. came to her in the state of shock of the presence of the angel Jibril a.s., she was the one who convinced and comforted him that he would be safe and that God would never forsake a good-natured person like him. She suggested Rasulullah s.a.w. rest assured, as narrated by Imam Muslim in a hadith, by saying, “By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. By Allah, you command togetherness, you speak the truth, you bear the burden of others, you help the needy, you receive guests and you assist the deserving calamities afflicted!”
She was so happy when her cousin Waraqah bin Naufal, a Christian monk, told her the news that her husband, Muhammad, would be the last messenger of God after hearing about the extraordinary encounter.
Those early years of prophethood were the most difficult, as they received brutal backlashes even from their own families. They were boycotted and, moreover, physically and verbally abused. She was so strong mentally and emotionally that she was the backbone and pillar of the Prophet.
Khadijah was also known to be financially and socially influential, she was Islam’s greatest philanthropist during those difficult times. So it is not surprising that she was called the epitome of a successful woman in both worlds.
Her passing was a great blow to Rasulullah s.a.w. and the believer. She was always mentioned among them and was sorely missed. The year of her passing was the same year that Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet, departed from this world. That year was called “The Year of Sorrow”.
2. Maryam r.a.
Maryam r.a., the mother of Prophet Isa r.a., was from a noble and righteous family of Imran. Her family was mentioned in the Quran and had a sacred chapter named after them, Surah Ali-‘Imran.
Maryam also had a dedicated chapter named after her. This shows that she and her family were loved and honored by Allah swt. and one of the gifts given to them to enhance this honor was the miraculous birth of Prophet Isa s.a.s. as a descendant of this honorable family.
Even before her birth, Maryam’s mother took an oath that her child would become the caretaker and guardian of Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of the holy mosques in Islam, a mosque where Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. led all the prophets in prayer during Isra’ Mi’raj.
إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًۭا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
(Remember) when the wife of ‘Imran said: “My Lord! I consecrate what is in my bosom wholly to Your service, so take it from me. You (Alone) are verily the Hearing, the Knowing.” (Surah Ali-‘Imran, 3:35)
Maryam a.s. then lived her life of obedience to Allah under the care of Prophet Zakariyah a.s. Her service and trust in Allah sw.t. was unparalleled, says Allah s.w.t. in the Quran,
فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍۢ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًۭا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًۭا ۖ قَالَ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَـٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
“Her Lord graciously accepted her and blessed her with a good education and entrusted her to the care of Zechariah. Whenever Zechariah visited her in the sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions. He exclaimed: “O Mary! Where does this come from?” She replied, “It is from Allah. Verily, Allah provides whom He wills, without limitation.” (Surah Ali-‘Imran, 3:37)
Allah, the Exalted, chose Maryam the mother of Prophet Isa a.s. above all the women of the world and gave her a remarkable and special status. Allah says in the Quran
وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَـٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
“And (remember) when the angels said: “O Mary! Verily, Allah has chosen you, purified you and chosen you above all the women of the world.” (Surat Ali-‘Imran, 3:42)
She was the symbol of purity and chastity. Allah swt honored her with the status of a mother and, moreover, a mother of a prophet without being touched by a single man. It was a great trial for her, but she took it upon herself with a heart full of faith and perseverance.
From the story of Sayyidatina Maryam, we see that Allah gives trials to His believing servants, not to disgrace them, but to elevate their status beyond the comprehension of man. We also learn that a pious family that constantly strives to obey Allah’s commandments and protect the purity of their soul in every aspect brings blessings not only to themselves, but also to their children and the many generations to come after them.
3. Asiyah Bint Muzahim
Asiyah, the brave and righteous wife of the wicked Pharaoh / Fir’aun, had gotten her husband to adopt baby Musa a.s. when they found him at the river Nile. Although Asiyah was not the biological mother of Prophet Musa, her love for him was extraordinary and it grew every day. They have been shielded from him since the first time they describe her eyes on him as a baby. They were degenerate in not killing Prophet Musa a.s. and insisted that Prophet Musa a.s. be their beloved child and bring great benefit to them later on.
This was at a time when infanticide was the law of the land. All the newborn Jewish boys were executed and slaughtered because of the prophecy that one of them would eventually overthrow Fir’aun and change him. Asiyah not only raised Prophet Musa a.s. in the palace of Fir’aun, but was also one of the first to accept monotheism as preached by her adopted son.
Fir’aun was the greatest tyrant of his time and a ruthless king. He was the leader of an exceptional civilization and was surrounded by wealth and power. He was sure that he was God and commanded his people to worship him. Although Asiyah was Fir’aun’s wife, they had no similarities with him. She was one of the faithful followers of Prophet Musa a.s. and she believed strongly in his message without any doubt, knowing that whoever followed Prophet Musa a.s. would face severe punishment and severe torture.
Despite being married to an absolute tyrant recognized even in the Qur’an, she was still a woman of full conviction and unshakable faith like the Prophet s.a.w. described her.
On the other hand, Allah s.w.t. made Asiyah the wife of Fir’aun and Maryam the mother of Prophet Isa as an example for the believer, Allah praised them and spoke highly of them:
وَضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱمْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ٱبْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتًۭا فِى ٱلْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِۦ وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ. وَمَرْيَمَ ٱبْنَتَ عِمْرَٰنَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمَـٰتِ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ ٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ
“And Allah sets an example for the believer: Pharaoh’s wife, who says: ‘My Lord! Build me a house in paradise with You, deliver me from Pharaoh and his (evil) deeds, and save me from the unjust people.”
In these verses, Allah s.w.t. showsus that having faith is an individual struggle; Asiyah lived with a cruel oppressor, Fir’aun, but he did not define Asiyah in any way. Asiyah had every reason to hide her faith but her love for Allah overcame her fear of being tortured and finally she professed her faith that led her to her death. Asiyah was tortured in the most cruel way, and again and again Fir’aun asked her to change her mind, and each time she affirmed her faith in Allah, the God of Prophet Musa and Prophet Harun a.s. Fir’aun was furious and felt deeply betrayed and decided to end her life. Asiyah was not affected by the severity of the torments, she performed a prayer that was preserved in the Qur’an.
4. Sayyidatina Fatimah Bint Muhammad s.a.w.
The pure and modest, the obedient and the humble. The warrior and the security. The pious and the God-fearing. The first who Rasulullah s.a.w. met after his passing and the leader of the believing women in Paradise.
Fatimah r.a. was five years old when the first revelation descended on Rasulullah s.a.w. They described as witnesses to the hardships and tortures that the believers experienced in the early years of Prophethood. She was at a young age when her mother, Khadijah r.a. passed away. With the loss of her mother, the backbone and strong pillar of the family, she also loses her childhood. However, it didn’t make her weak and helpless. Instead, she was stronger than any kids her age, mentally and spiritually.
Even when Fatimah r.a. was a young girl she was already protective of Rasulullah s.a.w. Her love for her father was so deep that she would sacrifice her timid self and show extraordinary courage to save Rasulullah s.a.w. to protect. Once when the Prophet s.a.w. was bowing down to Allah s.a.w., ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu’eet, a foremost enemy of the Prophet s.a.w., placed offal and filthy blood-soaked entrails of a camel sacrificed in the name of one of the idols on the back of the Prophet .
When she saw how cruel Rasullah s.a.w. had been treated, Sayyidatina Fatima r.a. ran to him, removed the dirt with her small hands, cleaned her father’s head and face, expressed her sorrow with her tears, comforted him and brought him back to their home. With her extraordinary care for her father, her strength to endure afflictions with him and comfort him, it is not surprising that she was called “her father’s mother.”
Fatimah r.a. bore a remarkable resemblance to her father s.a.w. According to A’ishah r.a., Fatimah r.a. did not only resemble Rasulullah visually s.a.w. but also in her manner of speaking, sitting, standing, and walking she resembled him, in other words, all her manners and gestures were exactly like his. When her father visited her, she welcomed him and kissed his forehead with love and respect. They were extremely close and whenever she visited her father, he got up and hugged her. It was as if she left the sweet aura of her personality wherever she went.
If the Prophet s.a.w. saw her troubled or sad, he was also sad. And if her father saw her happy, he would be happy too. This is reflected when the Prophet s.a.w. said
فَاطِمَةُ بَضْعَةٌ مِنِّي، فَمَنْ أَغْضَبَهَا أَغْضَبَنِي
“Fatimah is part of me, and whoever angers her angers me.” (Saheeh al-Bukhari)
Fatimah r.a. led a very humble life and was always in a state of gratitude towards Allah swt. Fatimah r.a. is a role model for all of us, she deserved to be followed by all believing women because she is every way looked like Rasulullah s.a.w. She lived a virtuous and exemplary life that guaranteed her a high place in paradise. May we be among those who listen to their great stories and follow in their footsteps.
