“Shall I not show you a woman of paradise?!” Reminder for our noble sisters, particularly during summer
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Ataa Bin Abee Rabah [may Allah have mercy upon him] narrated: Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with him and his father] said to me, “Shall I show you a woman of the people of Paradise?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “This black lady came to the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] and said, ‘I get attacks of epilepsy and my body becomes uncovered; please invoke Allah for me.’ The Prophet said (to her), ‘If you wish, be patient and you will have Paradise; and if you wish, I will invoke Allah to cure you.’ She said, ‘I will remain patient,’ and added, ‘but I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered.’ So he invoked Allah for her.” [Sahih Al-Bukhaari 5652 & Sahih Muslim 2576]
Let us ponder this remarkable woman’s narrative [may Allah be pleased with her]. She possessed faith, integrity, sincerity, purity, devotion, and humility. Despite facing the challenging ordeal of epilepsy, which caused her distress, anxiety, and restlessness, she approached the Prophet [peace and blessings be upon him] seeking his supplication to alleviate the affliction and calamity she was enduring. The Prophet guided her towards a greater thing than what she initially desired. He advised her to maintain patience in the face of hardship, trial, and tribulation, assuring her that the outcome would be Paradise. Consequently, she chose the virtuous ending and a blissful abode- to become one of the inhabitants of Paradise, with the assurance of Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] if she remained patient. Despite her decision to remain patient, she couldn’t help but feel anxious about the accidental exposure of certain body parts during an epileptic seizure. Even though she was excused due to her uncontrollable illness, her deep sense of modesty, unwavering faith, and pure heart caused her the most concern regarding this exposure. She decided to have patience to achieve Paradise, yet she informed the Prophet, “I become uncovered (during the epileptic fit)” – indicating that she could not bear this situation even though it was beyond her control. The Prophet supplicated for her, and as a result, she continued to experience epileptic fits but never became uncovered due to his supplication.
The narrative of this remarkable woman is conveyed through discussions on noble conduct, beautiful traits, good values, the beauty of modesty, and the purity of a heart. She said, “But I become uncovered, so please invoke Allah for me that I may not become uncovered”. This unveiling, which happened involuntarily and without consent, does not hold her accountable in such circumstances, yet it continued to trouble and worry her. This was her situation – a truly dignified situation, so what about a woman who willingly and openly showcases her beauty to non-Mahrams, flaunting her charms without any hesitation or regard, showing no modesty or concern for this aspect of her faith?! Despite hearing the verses of the Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet, as well as the severe consequences of unveiling, she remains indifferent and unmoved by any of it. As for that lady, who hails from the inhabitants of Paradise, she was pardoned due to her epilepsy and she strongly disliked exposing herself.
However, when it comes to the actions of many women in terms of revealing, uncovering, and flaunting body parts that should remain concealed from non-mahrams, this constitutes a different kind of affliction and they are not excused because it stems from a sickness of vain desires caused by a weak faith, weak adherence to the religion, and a lack of modesty resulting from being consumed by forbidden pleasures. Consequently, they neither concern themselves nor fret over whether their actions please or anger Allah. This particular illness has surged in prevalence nowadays because of the multitude of temptations, diverse desires, and motivations in people’s lives. Imam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] addressed this illness in his renowned book, Zaadul Ma’aad, discussing the impact it has had on individuals, the challenges faced due to intense temptations, and the disruption it has caused to faith, certainty, morals, and modesty. He was speaking about the state of the people of his era, so what would he have stated if he had witnessed the people of a later era succumbing to the allure of numerous temptations?! He said: “Should Allah unveil what is concealed, one would discover that a great number of human souls have fallen prey to the malevolent devils – ensnared and controlled by them, obedient to their every whim, with no power to resist or defy their influence. The cure for this affliction is achieved by connecting a sound mind to faith in the teachings of the Messengers – reflecting on paradise and hell as undeniable truths and as the focus of one’s heart, contemplating the situation of the inhabitants of this world, the descent of retribution and calamities upon them, and its proximity to their dwellings like raindrops, a form of seizure from which there is no escape. This malady is truly severe, yet when it spreads so extensively that one can only see others affected by it, it no longer surprises or elicits disapproval. Instead, for many of those afflicted, it becomes odd to express disapproval towards it. If Allah wishes good for a person, He blesses them with insight into the true nature of this ailment. Thus, this person shall observe the multitude of sick souls surrounding them, each in their unique state of illness. Amongst them, there exists one who is perpetually trapped in the clutches of delusion. Another endures a cycle of temporary recovery, only to be plunged back into the depths of delusion. Lastly, there is one who experiences a single moment of respite, only to be cruelly thrust back into the realm of delusion once more. During their moments of lucidity, they perform virtuous deeds akin to those of the sensible. However, the ailment returns and they stray”.
An excerpt from “Maw’idah An-Nisaa pages 28-31 By Shaikh Abdur Razzaq Al-Badr, may Allah preserve him.