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muslim girl in modern educational institution , Jamia Millia Islamia , an university in New Delhi, started by Indian Muslims.

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A Day In the Life of A Muslim

by ~Mobeen Tariq

I've chosen to spend my last day of freedom writing.

I know, it's a pretty stupid thing to do. My friends would probably call me nuts. They never really understood what I was all about anyways; just because I'm not up-to-date with all the latest songs and movies, and I don't really like spending my time playing video games. I'm not quite interested in the latest trends or make-up either. Most of the time my style is just simple and natural; just like me. I don't know exactly what image they have of me, but I do know that they're my friends all the same, and I guess they don't really hate being around me because they always take me along wherever they happen to go.

Besides, I already spent yesterday in the mall. Okay, I wasn't shopping for high-heels; I hate those; I'm known for being short and I like it that way. Anyways, I wasn't really shopping at all. I just took off on my own while they were all having lunch; after stuffing myself with an iced mocha and a bag of chips, I wasn't really in for dinner. I decided to take advantage of the hot, stuffy food court and take a little stroll by myself. As usual, I ended up in the first bookstore I found. Just the massive amount of books makes a library or a bookstore the most comfortable place in the world for me. It gives me the chance to be alone without being alone. Okay, that didn't sound right. What I'm trying to say is that I feel like the souls of hundreds of people are just laid out neatly on those shelves closing in on me, so I'm not exactly alone. The difference is that each and every one of those people is waiting to talk to me, to speak to me, but nobody imposes his own voice or thoughts on me: I get to choose who to talk to and who to ignore. I'm the focus, the center of attention, and I don’t have to feel awkward about it because I can just be myself; they won't size me up based on how short I am, how young I look, or the veil covering my hair. They won't mistake me for someone I'm not and they won't judge.

I bought two books; one inspirational and the other more informative. I'd read the inspirational one before, but I still wanted to buy it; to read it over and over again, or perhaps just to keep it on my shelf with the rest of my book collection. Somehow, owning a book is very different from just borrowing it. It's as if the lessons in that book become a part of you once you own it. I can't really explain. Sucks, really, because then my parents don't understand why I spend most of my allowance on books I've read or others I can just borrow from the local library. I knew my Dad wouldn't be so happy. Being me, I'd tell him how I just spent money on over-priced books, one of which I've already read. Being my Dad, he'd reprimand me for wasting money needlessly, and remind me that there was such a thing as a library, and that you don't waste money on a book you'll read only once just to have it on your bookshelf. Anyways, deep down inside I know that he's relieved his teen daughter is spending her money on books rather than make-up or new outfits or God knows what.

Okay, so I'm spending my last day of freedom writing and reading; the informative book, not the inspirational one. It's turning out to be very funny and interesting. I mean, I do like playing video games sometimes, especially puzzle games, word games and car racing. Yeah, I know it's a little childish, but it's fun. The thing is, when I spend too much time doing that I feel very useless; I'm not adding anything to myself nor to the world around me. I might as well not exist. I hate that feeling. Very few people understand that side of me; those few I call my best friends.

So here I am, on my last day of freedom; reading, writing, and analyzing myself and the world around me. It's weird, maybe even stupid, that I've chosen to devote my last day of freedom on the exact same things I'll be doing when I start university tomorrow; things I'll probably long to take a break from after not so long.

Oh, I'm sorry. Was the title misleading?

Discover Islam

The Story of the Prophet Ibrahim & His Wife Hajar 
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Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated, 'Prophet Ibrahim brought Isma'eel's mother (his wife, Hajar) and Isma'eel, while she was still nursing him, and then camped with them next to (the area where) the House (the Kaa'bah) was to be built, next to a large tree just above (the area where now exists the well of) Zamzam and which is also above the Masjid (the Holy Masjid in Makkah). At that time, Makkah had neither inhabitants nor a known source of water. He left them there and left with them a bag full of dates and a Siqaa' (a jug usually made of leather) full of water.

When Ibrahim started to depart, Hajar followed him, saying, 'O Ibrahim! Where are you going and leaving us in this valley that does not have any inhabitants or anything else?' She repeated this several times, but he was not paying any attention to her. She then said to him, 'Did Allah command you to do this?' Ibrahim replied, 'Yes.' She said, 'Then certainly, He will not abandon us.' She went back, while Ibrahim kept on walking, until he was next to a hill where he could no longer be seen. He then faced the direction of the House and recited the following supplication,



رَّبَّنَا إِنِّي أَسْكَنتُ مِن ذُرِّيَّتِي بِوَادٍ غَيْرِ ذِي زَرْعٍ عِندَ بَيْتِكَ الْمُحَرَّمِ رَبَّنَا لِيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ فَاجْعَلْ أَفْئِدَةً مِّنَ النَّاسِ تَهْوِي إِلَيْهِمْ وَارْزُقْهُم مِّنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَشْكُرُونَ

"O our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in an uncultivated valley by Your Sacred House; in order, O our Lord, that they may perform prayer, so fill some hearts among men with love towards them, and (O Allah) provide them with fruits so that they may give thanks." [14:37].

Afterwards, Isma'eel's mother nursed nurse him and drank from the water (that Ibrahim left with them). When they ran out of water, she and her son became thirsty. She looked at Isma'eel and saw that he was turning around on the ground (out of thirst). She hated to see him like this, so she left and went up on Mount Safa, the nearest mountain to her, then looked down to the valley, trying to locate any person. She then descended down Mount Safa until she reached the valley, and then raised her sleeve (trying to protect her eyes from the sun). She walked just like an exhausted person would walk until she reached the end of the valley. She then went up on Mount Marwah and stood trying to locate anyone, but she did not see any person. She repeated this sequence seven times.

Ibn Abbas then said, "The Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam said, 'This is why people walk between them (between Mounts Safa and Marwah, while performing the rituals of Hajj).' When Hajar went up on Mount Marwah (for the fourth time, completing seven trips back and forth between Mounts Safa and Marwah), she heard a voice, and said to herself, 'Shush,' and tried hard to listen. She heard something again, and then said (aloud to whom she thought she heard), 'I heard you! Do you have relief so that you will provide us with assistance?' She then saw an angel digging up the ground with his wing where Zamzam exists today, and water then started to flow. She then started to contain the water with her hand (trying to make a pool of mud to collect the water in it), and she was also cupping her hands to fell her Siqaa' (water jug), yet the water was flowing as fast as she was filling."

Ibn Abbas then said,

"'The Prophet Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasallam said, 'May Allah bestow His Mercy upon Isma'eel's mother! If she had left Zamzam - or if she had not cupped her hand - Zamzam would have been a flowing spring.' Ibn Abbas then said, 'So she drank and nursed her son. The angel then said to her, 'Do not fear abandonment, for a House for Allah (the Kaa'bah) will be built in this area by this boy and his father, and most certainly, Allah does not abandon His people.' [Al-Bukhari].

Prophet Ibrahim's sincerity with Allah was evident in his leaving his wife and son in an uninhabited area, just as Allah commanded him. Also, his wife's sincerity with Allah was evident by her attesting with certainty that Allah will not abandon her and her son, since it was Allah Who commanded Ibrahim to leave them in Makkah.

Did Allah abandon them? No, indeed. Prophet Ibrahim and his wife had a type of sincerity that brings strong emotions to all those believers who hear their story. Because of sincerity, Allah made Zamzam flow with water, not only for Isma'eel and his mother, but also for the billions of Muslims throughout the ages, all drinking from it while visiting the House of Allah.

Taken from ”The Muslim Creed” February 2005 Vol. 13 No. 2 Publisher: The Daar of Islamic Heritage 

Womens Rights In Islam

Women’s rights started at 1848 Seneca Falls, NY. That date was the very first public appeals that dealt with women’s rights. That appeal wanted to reach the equality of rights between women and men in learning, belongings, willpower, and other matters. It was also stated in the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal. ...” Some people did not like the idea of female equality because they thought females were less intelligent. That was just the beginning of more to come for women’s rights and for more heated up arguments. The whole point of this research is to prove that women in the Middle East or in the Islamic community in general have rights and they are not treated poorly. Women can buy, sell, own property, work, make their own decisions, and even just stay home if they wanted to. In the year 1850 in Worcester, Mass was the first National Women's Rights Convention. That convention was held yearly except for the 1857 through 1860 because of some issues.
     These days it looks like the media and the whole world are only concerned about the women and their rights in the Islamic community. The people and the media seem to attack Islam with vicious vocabulary and ferocious attention about how they think Muslims treat their females. Not giving attention to other communities that mistreat the female gender. Before judging the Islamic community about how they treat their women, everyone needs to separate the religion from the cultural. Culture and religion are two different subjects. Culture is the way people saw their granddads live life and do certain things in a certain ways.
     Some people and countries misinterpreted what Islam came with, and they mix it with the cultural of the country. For instance Islam is the first religion to lay down the rights of women and equally for the rights of men. The media does not report or do the proper research about the rights of women in Islam because the media is only interested in the controversial events. Who wants to hear cheerful news? Why would someone care about a man buying a house or a car for his wife on her birthday? What some of the things people care about these days? They care about how couple of uptight people mistreated their wives, daughters, female relatives, and their women in general. The embarrassing part of the media’s reports is that most of it if not all is a lie and made up.
     In “The CIA World's Facts Book” the number of Muslims increased by 235% in the last fifty years up to nearly 1.6 billion. The number of Muslims increased more than any other religions. For example Hinduism has increased by 117%, Buddhism by 63%, and Christians have increased by only 47% (page #17).  Would the number of Muslims increase if Islam came with no rights for women and told men to mistreat them? I think the number would have declined and Islam would became a minority and at some point vanish. What if 1% to 5% uptight people that misinterpreted Islam’s message treated their women bad? Does that make all of the 1.6 billion Muslims brutal and vicious people? Not a chance. But the media wants to show Muslims in a bad view, as in savages. Communities that do not have any respect to the female gender, that stole all their rights and required them to stay home and not go to school, work, or even own property.
     But to show that the media is wrong, let us take Dr. Saqqaf as an example. She is a known Saudi Arabian writer. She started writing in a column in a newspaper when she was ten years old. A funny story also happened when Dr. Saqqaf’s husband told his friends that he went to Dr. Saqqaf's parents to get their permission if she can marry him, his friends all look at him in a shocking way and told him “But she is so old” (Hanley #3). They thought she was old because they have been reading her columns and short stories since they were small kids. How come the media never talked about her in their news? See what I mean? The media never talks about the famous Muslim women that have their print in the Islamic community because then they can not say that Muslims are savages and so on because they forced them women to stay home and not work. Dr. Saqqaf is just one example of many famous Islamic writers. Another example is Dr. Hend M. Ben Khuthaila. If Islam as a religion taught men to force their women to say home, would she been voted one of the top influential women in the Arab world? I guess not. Other women that are icons are Dr.Sarah Al-Oraini, Dr. Munaira Eid, and Dr. Wafa M. just to name a few those famous women all taught in the College of Education in King Saud University.
Another reason why people and countries around the world think that Islam is a demanding religion is because it tells their women to wear hijab and have to cover most of their body parts. It’s unusual look for women when they cover their arms, legs, back, front, and their head except for their faces. People cannot help to look away. They have to ask questions on why they wear it, but the sad part is they ask the wrong people. The hijab, which is the cover on the head, and the abayah, which is more like a long dress that has long sleeves, is to protect women from the seducing they might cause without them knowing.
     Islam has two sources for guidance: first, the Qur'an, the revealed word of Allah and secondly, the Hadith or the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad who was chosen by Allah to be the role model for mankind. The question now, why do Muslim women wear it? Muslims women observe hijab simply because Allah has told them to do so. They also think it is truest test of being a Muslim. Allah even told women to wear hijab in the Holy Qur'an "O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59).
     Of course there are other secondary reasons. One of these reasons is to give women and men an equal evaluation for intelligence and skills instead of looks and sexuality. Most guys around the world think of females as sex objects. There are also requirements that women and men should be met.  I will not go into the men’s requirements only because the topic is about female. There was an incident that was reported by Abu Dawood, one of the believers that collected the Hadith of the Prophet. Abu Dawood said: “Ayesha, The Prophet’s wife, , reported that Asmaa the daughter of Abu Bakr came to the Messenger of Allah while wearing thin clothing. He approached her and said: 'O Asmaa! When a girl reaches the menstrual age, it is not proper that anything should remain exposed except this and this. He pointed to the face and hands.”
     That Hadith talks about looseness in the clothing. The clothing should be loose enough so it will not describe the shape of the woman's body. Another requirement is that the clothing needs to be thick enough so it will not show the color of the skin or the parts of the body. Hijab is not purely a covering dress for women but it is more like a behavior, dialogue, and appearance in public. As it was stated before men also have requirements they need to live up to when they dress. Clothing was not meant to be limitations but rather a way in which society will function in an appropriate, Islamic approach.
"And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them, and men are a degree above them." (Qur'an 2:228). If that verse was to be read out loud to people and ask them what does it mean to you? Almost all the answers will be close to that men are better than women and they own them. However; that is not what this verse means. That’s why people need to go and ask scholars that studied and spent time researching the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad. The degree in that verse means maintenance and protection. That verse also refers to the natural difference among sexes, which gives the right to the stronger sex to protect the weaker one. That however, does not imply superiority or advantages before the law.
     One of the second largest debates about the women’s rights in the Islamic community is if they are forced to get married to someone they do not agree on marrying, and if still have rights. Women when they get married their rights do not vanish they still have all their rights in addition for the kind treatment and companionship. That was mentioned in the Holy Qur'an: "...But consort with them in kindness, for if you hate them it may happen that you hate a thing wherein God has placed much good." (Qur'an 4: l9), and was strongly recommended by the prophet Muhammad: “The best of you is the best to his family and I am the best among you to my family. The most perfect believers are the best in conduct and best of you are those who are best to their wives.” It was narrated by Ibn-Hanbal, No. 7396. When the marriage is not working either the husband or the wife can ask for a divorce; nevertheless, there are certain steps and waiting periods should be followed by both men and women requesting divorce. Someone might ask why are there steps and periods? Well divorces sometimes are quick decisions because of all the stress that is happening in the family and because of the break down in emotions. The women are naturally more emotional then the men, the divorce should be brought up in front of a judge. The women have the same right plus they can divorce their husbands without the court option, only if that was allowed or mentioned in the married contract. In some aspects of the Islamic law marriage and divorce are interesting and both situations are handled in an equal treatment. When the marriage is not going great and it is impassible men are taught in Islam to find a cordial way to end that marriage. “When you divorce women, and they reach their prescribed term, then retain them in kindness and retain them not for injury so that you transgress (the limits).” (Qur'an 2:231).
     Mothers also have rights no different from solitary women. In fact the kindness to the parents was considered in Islam and in the holy Qur'an to be next to the worship of Allah: "And we have enjoined upon man (to be good) to his parents: His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness..." (Qur'an 31:14) and the Qur’an recommended special treatment of mothers: "Your Lord has decreed that you worship none save Him, and that you be kind to your parents . . ." (Qur'an 17:23). An incident happened in the Prophet Muhammad’s time where a man came to him and asked him: “O Messenger of God, who among the people is the most worthy of my good company? The Prophet said, Your mother. The man said then who else: The Prophet said, Your mother. The man asked, Then who else? Only then did the Prophet say, Your father.” It was narrated in Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The Prophet Muhammad had a famous saying that is still being used in Islam. The Prophet says:"Paradise is at the feet of mothers." It’s narrated in Al'Nisa'I, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad. As you can see, mothers and women do not lose their rights when they get married rather they increase.
     Islam also talked about the economic feature for women. In the Islamic law the woman’s right to have and make her own money, real estate, or other properties is fully recognized. These rights go through no change whether the women are single or married, and they still can sell or buy any mortgage or even lease or sell her property at once. As for the women’s employment Islam stated first the role of the mother or the wife in society. Neither aunt nor baby-sitters can possibly take the role of the mother. The mother is more than a female giving birth to children, a mother is like a school where children can be taught. She is like educators that have more patience than any other person on the world to teach her children and when they mess up she tell them how to do it the right way. A gracious and vital role like that, which for the most part shapes the future of nations, cannot be look upon as "idleness". Islam does not disagree with women searching for employments whenever there is a necessity for it, particularly in positions which fit her nature and in which society needs her most. Even early Muslim scholars like Abu-Hanifa and Al-Tabary did not hold anything against women looking for employment. Also Islam talked about the women’s share and how no person can claim it but her even if that person was her father of husband: "Unto men (of the family) belongs a share of that which Parents and near kindred leave, and unto women a share of that which parents and near kindred leave, whether it be a little or much - a determinate share.” (Qur'an 4:7). That verse from the Holy Qur'an states that the women’s share in most cases is one-half the man’s share but that does not mean that the woman is worth half what is a man worth. It would be hideously not in agreement with the overwhelming evidence of woman's evenhanded treatment in Islam. The share was made that way is because in Islam a man is fully responsible for the maintenance of his wife, his children, and in some cases of his needy relatives, particularly the females, and that responsible is not reduced even if his wife had enough money or had more wealth than her husband. Plus when a woman gets married her wealth will not be transferred to her husband. Whatever she had before she got married will stay for her and under her name until she willingly wants to help her husband financially.
     Women in Islam were never treated unfairly or had their right suspended. Their rights were always there and they were given their rights before the women’s rights movement in 1848 Seneca Falls, NY. In fact, women had and still have rights no matter what their stats is. If a woman gets married her rights increases because of the kindness treatment will be added. It does not mean that when they are not married men can abuse them or not treat them kindly. Also when a wife becomes a mother then every person in that household should respect her even more. As the Prophet Muhammad said: "Paradise is at the feet of mothers." That implies making sure the mother is treated kindly to the level of when the mother is treated right that person will have like a half free pass to enter Heaven. Women in the Islamic society are like big diamonds. If someone had a big diamond what would he or she do? Would they leave it out there without care and letting anyone to touch it and take a look at it? No one would. What the person would do is make sure it’s clean and shiny everyday and keep it in a safe place so it will not get rusty or old. I just hope people stop listening to the wrong sources and pay attention to the real truth so the truth can be discovered and we all can live in harmony and happily ever after.

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                                            Work Cited and the Sources
1- Hanley, Delinda C. “Saudi Arabian Women Dispel Myths and Stereotypes”. Accomplishment of Saudi Arabian women in the society.
2- Al-Aziz, Ahmad T. “Saudi Arabian women in the Arabian community”. Trans. Hussan Al-Shumary. Saudi Arabia: Al-Jareer.
3- Al-Humad, Abdullah. “Women rights in Islam”. Trans. Abdullah Al-Humad. Saudi Arabia: Dar Al-Hikmah.
In that article, Abdullah writes about few of the many rights that the women have in Islam. How they have the right to buy and sell land, own a successful business, and many other rights. That article is another good mark to the Arab or in general the Islam community because if people or the news want to show something different we as proud Arabs and Muslims can prove them wrong.
4- Najem, Salha. Personal interview. 01 Jan 2003.
Salha is a Saudi Arabian woman and I interviewed her on Jan. the first in 2003 to ask her what she thinks about the Hejab. She said: “Hejab is one of the great things that Islam taught us” She also added “Hejab is like a body-guard in a way, it protects us as women and make us feel more safe and covered rather than going out to the markets  with clothes that does not cover some part of our bodies.”
5- The Holy, Qur'an: Translation of verses is heavily based on A. Yusuf Ali's translation, The Glorious Qur'an, text translation, and Commentary, The American Trust Publication, Plainfield, IN 46168, 1979.
6-Abd Al-Ati, Hammudah, Islam in Focus, The American Trust Publications, Plainfield, IN 46168, 1977.
7-Allen, E. A., History of Civilization, General Publishing House, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1889, Vol. 3.
8-Al Siba'i, Mustafa, Al-Alar'ah Baynal Fiqh Walqanoon (in Arabic), 2nd. ea., Al-Maktabah Al-Arabiah, Halab, Syria, 1966.
9-El-Khouli, Al-Bahiy, "Min Usus Kadiat Al-Mara'ah" (in Arabic), A 1- Waay A l-lslami, Ministry of Walcf, Kuwait, Vol.3 (No. 27), June 9, 1967, p.17