Post 5

the wife of ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (RAA). She used to complain of the pain in her hands caused by  grinding grain with the hand-mill. Her husband ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said to her one day, “Your  father has brought some female slaves, so go and ask him for one of them to come and serve  you.” She went to her father, but she felt too shy to ask him for what she wanted. ‘Ali went  and asked him to provide a servant for his beloved daughter, but the Prophet  could not  respond to those who most dear to him whilst ignoring the needs of the poor among the  Muslims, so he came to his daughter and her husband and said: “Shall I not teach you  something that is better than that for which you asked me? When you go to bed at night, say  ‘Subhaan Allah’ thirty-three times, ‘Al-hamdu lillaah’ thirty-three times, and ‘Allahu akbar’  thirty-four times. This is better for you than a servant.”

  
Then he bid them farewell and left, after giving them this divine help which would make them  forget their tiredness and help them to overcome their exhaustion. 

 
‘Ali (RAA) began to repeat the words that the Prophet  had taught him. He said, “I never  stopped doing that after he had taught me these words.” One of his companions asked him, “Not even on the night of Siffin?” He said, “Not even on the night of Siffin.”  

  
Asma’ bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq served her husband al-Zubayr, and took care of the house. Her  husband had a horse, which she took care of, feeding it and exercising it. She also repaired  the water-bucket, made bread, and carried dates on her head from far away. Al-Bukhaari and  Muslim report this in her own words:

  
“Al-Zubayr married me, and he had no wealth, no slaves, nothing except his horse. I used to  feed his horse, looking after it and exercising it. I crushed date-stones to feed his camel. I  used to bring water and repair the bucket, and I used to make bread but I could not bake it, so  some of my Ansari  neighbors, who were kind women, used to bake it for me. I used to carry  the dates from the garden that the Prophet  had given to al-Zubayr on my head, and this  garden was two-thirds of a farsakh  away. One day I was coming back with the dates on my  head. I met the Messenger of Allah, who had a group of his Companions with him. He called  me, then told his camel to sit down so that I could ride behind him. I told (al-Zubayr), ‘I felt  shy, because I know that you are a jealous man.’ He said, ‘It is worse for me to see you  carrying the dates on your head than to see you riding behind him.’ Later, Abu Bakr sent me a  servant, who relieved me of having to take care of the horse; it was as if I had been released from slavery.”  

  
The true Muslim woman devotes herself to taking care of her house and husband. She knows  her husband’s rights over her, and how great they are, as was confirmed by the Prophet’s  words:  
“No human being is permitted to prostrate to another, but if this were permitted I would  have ordered wives to prostrate to their husbands, because of the greatness of the rights they have over them.”
 

And:  
“If I were to order anyone to prostrate to anyone else, I would have ordered women to prostrate to their husbands.” 

  
‘A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) asked the Messenger of Allah  : “Who has the  greatest rights over a woman?” He said, “Her husband.” She asked, ‘And who has the greatest rights over a man?” He said, “His mother.” 

  
A woman came to ask the Prophet  about some matter, and when he had dealt with it,  he asked her, “Do you have a husband?” She said, “Yes.” He asked her, “How are you  with him?” She said, “I never fall short in my duties, except for that which is beyond me.” He said, “Pay attention to how you treat him, for he is your Paradise and your Hell.” 

      
How can the Muslim woman complain about taking care of her house and husband when she  hears these words of Prophetic guidance? She should fulfill her household duties and take  care of her husband in a spirit of joy, because she is not carrying a tiresome burden, she is  doing work in her home that she knows will bring reward from Allah (subhaanahu wa  ‘ta’aalaa).