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 | Subject: Sisterhood in Islam  Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:42 pm | |
|  email i received from Islamswomen.com - Quote :
Sisterhood in Islam is something very special that a sister who has come from a life as a non Muslim and embraced this beautiful religion of Islam notices immediately. Her sisters in Islam treat her in a manner that no one has ever done before, not even her family.
So what makes this relationship so special?
She loves them as sisters for the sake of Allah
It doesn't matter what your skin color is, the language you speak, the status of your family, whether you are rich or poor, in Islam we are all united like a single family. Our belief in Allah united us: "The believers are but a single brotherhood..." [Noble Quran 49:10]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There are three things that whoever attains them will find the sweetness of faith: if Allah and His Messenger are dearer to him than anyone or anything else; if he loves a person solely for the sake of Allah; and if he would hate to return to Kufr after Allah has rescued him from it, as much as he would hate to be thrown into the fire." [Bukhari and Muslim]
The status of two who love one another for the sake of Allah
There is great reward in loving one another for the sake of Allah. "Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade on the day when there is no shade but Mine." [Muslim]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "A man went to visit a brother of his in another village. Allah sent an angel to wait for him on the road. When the man came along, the angel asked him, 'Where are you headed?' He said, 'I am going to visit a brother of mine who lives in this village.' The angel asked, 'Have you done him any favor (for which you are now seeking repayment)?' He said, 'No, I just love him for the sake of Allah.' The angel told him, 'I am a messenger to you from Allah, sent to tell you that He loves you as you love your brother for His sake.'" [Muslim]
And we are encouraged to tell one another, to promote a loving bond between each other: Anas said that a man was with Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), when another man passed by. The first man said, "O Messenger of Allah, indeed I truly love this man." Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked him, "Have you let him know that?" He said, "No." Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, "Tell him." He caught up with him and told him, "Truly I love you for the sake of Allah," and the man said, "May Allah love you who loves me for His sake." [Abu Dawud]
Effect of love for the sake of Allah on the life of a Muslim woman
It is important that we greet one another in the proper Islamic manner. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "By the One in whose hand in my soul, you will not enter paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not tell you of something that if you do it, you will love one another? Spread Salam amongst yourselves." [Muslim]
And when one of us is hurting, oppressed or suffering in some way, we all feel it: "The believers, in their mutual friendship, mercy and affection, are like one body: if any part of it complains, the rest of the body will also stay awake in pain."
She does not forsake or abandon her sister
We don't let our differences or misunderstandings keep us apart, we work to keep our relationships strong.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "No two people who love one another for the sake of Allah, or for the sake of Islam, will let the first minor offence of either of them come between them." [Bukhari]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said: "It is not permissible for a Muslim to be estranged from his brother for more than three days, both of them turning away from one another when they meet. The better of them is the one who is first to greet the other." [Bukhari and Muslim]
And all it takes to mend that relationship is greeting your sister with "As-Salamu Alaykum" (peace be with you) a greeting of peace. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "It is not permissible for a man to be estranged from a believer for more than three days. If three days have passed, then he should go and give Salam to him; if he returns the Salam, then both of them will have share in the reward, and if he does not respond then the one who gave the Salam will be absolved of the sin of estrangement." [Bukhari]
We always want the best for one another and avoid harming our sister in Islam. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do not envy one another, do not outbid one another (in order to inflate prices), do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, and do not enter into a transaction when others have already entered into it. O servants of Allah, be brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He does not oppress him, humiliate him or look down upon him. Taqwa is here" - and so saying, he pointed to his chest three times. "It is evil enough for a man to look down upon his Muslim brother. The whole of a Muslim's being is sacred to another Muslim - his blood, his wealth and his honor are inviolable." [Muslim]
And we do not bear grudges. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The doors of paradise are opened on Monday and Thursday, and every servant who does not associate anything with Allah will be forgiven, except for the man who bears a grudge against his brother. It will be said, 'Wait for these two until they reconcile, wait for these two until they reconcile, wait for these two until they reconcile.'" [Muslim]
She is tolerant & forgiving towards her sisters
Allah says in the Noble Quran: "...[those] who restrain anger and pardon (all) men - for Allah loves those who do good." [Noble Quran 3:134]
And Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained: "There are three sins, whoever dies free of these sins will be forgiven for anything else, if Allah wills: associating anything with Allah; practicing magic or witchcraft; and bearing resentment towards his brother." [Bukhari]
She meets them with a smiling face
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do not think little of any good deed, even if it is just greeting your brother with a cheerful countenance." [Muslim]
She is faithful & kind towards them
We try our best to emulate the beautiful example of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who showed greatest of kindness and tolerance. Anas, his servant and constant companion, described his noble character thus: "I served the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) for ten years, and he never said to me 'Uff! [The smallest word of contempt]. If I did something, he never said 'Why did you do that?' and if I did not do something, he never said 'Why did you not do that?'" [Bukhari and Muslim]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There is no kindness in a thing but it adds beauty to it, and there is no absence of kindness but it disfigures a thing." [Muslim]
And we behave with the best manners towards our sisters: Anas also said: "Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never used obscene language, or uttered curses and insults. If he wanted to rebuke someone, he would say, 'What is the matter with him, may his forehead be covered with dust! '"
She does not gossip about them
We avoid back biting, slandering, gossiping about our fellow sisters in Islam. "...Nor speak ill of each other behind their back. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it. But fear Allah, for Allah is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful." [Noble Quran 49:12]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned Mu'adh ibn Jabal. He took hold of his tongue and said, "Restrain this." Mu'adh said, "O Messenger of Allah, will we be held responsible for what we say?" Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "May your mother be bereft of you! Is there anything that causes people to be thrown into hell on their faces (or he said: on their noses) but the harvest of their tongues?" [Ibn Majah]
She avoids arguing with them, making hurtful jokes & breaking promises
And we are careful to speak in a manner that will not hurt our sisters feelings. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): "Do not argue with your brother, do not joke excessively with him, do not make a promise to him then break it." [Bukhari]
She is generous & honors her sisters
We are always keen to share what we have no matter how small it may be. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Spread Salam, offer food generously, uphold the ties of kinship, stand in prayer at night when people are sleeping, and enter paradise in peace." [Ahmad]
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said: "In paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside, and whose inside can be seen from the outside. Allah has prepared them for those who feed others generously, who are gentle in speech, who fast continuously, and who stand in prayer at night when people are sleeping." [Ahmad]
She prays for her sisters in their absence
And when our dear sister and friend is away from us, we supplicate for her. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The quickest prayer to be answered is a man's supplication for his brother in his absence." [Bukhari]
You are not a true believer until you love for your sister what you love for yourself. We love for our sister to be in paradise as much as we love to be there ourselves, and we strive to please Allah together, side by side in this beautiful relationship called sisterhood in Islam.
Khadejah Jones
Share Islam Team
ShareIslam.com
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