The Difference Between Men and Women's Obligations (2/4)

The Second Level: The Three Circles of Da'wah

The second level deals with spreading the message of Islam to others. A general principle of Tableegh and Da’wah[1], proposed by Islam, is that we should begin by first reforming our own selves. Next, we should focus on those who are closest to us - our immediate family members. Only then we may approach other people. Contrary to this, preaching Islam in foreign lands while the religious condition of one's own house is unsatisfactory, indicates that the process of Da’wah has been inversely prioritized. Such practice can never bring about the desired results as were seen as a consequence of Da’wah carried out by the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and his companions.

If we keep the proper sequence in mind, we can conclude that, for the Muslim woman, the highest priority should be her home. The propagation of Islam is simultaneously carried out in three integrated circles. In the first circle she should bring up her children as Muslims in the true sense of the word. The second circle of Da'wah includes Muslim women and the third consists of Mahram males. These three circles and domains are the premises in which the Muslim woman is required to perform Da'wah. Concerning the first circle, Surah Tahreem states:

"Save yourself and your families from the fire." [Al-Qur’an, Surah At-Tahreem 66:6]

In the same context, we should also consider the following Hadith narrated by 'Abdullah bin 'Omar (radhyAllahu ‘anhu):

“Every one of you is a shepherd and every one of you is accountable for his herd.” [Reported by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud]

Just as a shepherd is responsible for his herd, everyone is responsible and accountable for the people he is in charge of. Then the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) added,

"A man is a custodian of his home and he will be held accountable for his family."

Meaning, everyone will be asked about the duties which he had to perform concerning his family and household, He will be asked about whether he carried out his duties of educating them and fulfilling their rights. Then the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said,

"And a woman is responsible for her husband's home and she will be held accountable for whatever and whoever she is given charge of."

Naturally her children are the most vital part of her husband's home. In another narration, the word 'children' is mentioned separately:

"And a woman is responsible for her husband's household and his children and she is accountable for them."

She is accountable for the servants as well but her main responsibility is with respect to the children.

It goes without saying that the future of a nation depends, to a great extent, on its coming generation and the tremendous task of bearing and rearing it has been placed squarely on the shoulders of the mother. It is the mother who acts as the very embodiment of selflessness, sacrificing her own comfort for the sake of her children. It is the mother who acts as the first school that the child comes in contact with. The poet-philosopher lqbal says about a Muslim mother:

"O Woman! Grind grains while Qur'an is on your lips."

In our childhood we had the privilege of witnessing with our own eyes such mothers who used to recite the Qur'an while nursing their child and grinding grain. Something of value must transfer from the mother to the child in a subtle and imperceptible manner during this process. After all, we are asked to say Adhan [2] and Iqamah [3] in the newborn's ears. There has to be some logic behind this ritual. The infant is obviously not capable of making sense of the words but all of us know that a tape recorder is also a senseless device that efficiently records voice impressions and reproduces them. Therefore, it would not be too far-fetched to assume that some meaningful impressions are conveyed to the child's subconscious, that leave a lasting impact on his personality.

As lqbal (the poet) said:

"In this condition, in your lap, will grow a son like Hussain (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)"

Hence, the command from the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam):

"Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave."

The major responsibility entrusted to the mother is imparting purposeful education and moral values in her children. To seek other avenues at the cost of this major responsibility is certainly not admissible. If, however, her circumstances are such that she can spare some time, she should definitely do Da’wah work outside her home. What actually is happening in our society is that we tend to preach in the remote comers of the world but overlook our homes. We should remember the Qur'anic admonition:

"Do you enjoin righteousness upon mankind and you yourself forget (to practice it)?" [Al-Qur’an, Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:44]

We cannot go on a mission to save the world unless we save ourselves first. Our younger generation is at the receiving end of the most vicious onslaught of western cultural influences. Our youngsters today are exposed to the pernicious effects of media like newspapers, magazines, television and the Internet. In this scenario, if the responsibility of bringing up a child is set aside and women spend more time in preaching outside their homes, then this is an adulteration of the priorities of their responsibilities.

As for stepping out of the home to preach other women, surely this needs to be done in a very organized manner. In this endeavor, middle-aged women are best suited for the task as the restrictions of Islamic dress code are relaxed to a great extent in their case. Surah Al-Noor states regarding the aged women:

"It is alright for them if they put aside their coverings."

They certainly will continue to follow the orders of Satr[4], but the orders of Hijab[5] will now be relaxed in comparison to a young woman. However, what happens in our society is that the ladies who have always been observing Satr and Hijab and staying at home become so accustomed to it that they are reluctant to go out even in their old age. This attitude needs to be changed. They should not hesitate to participate in the activities that involve studying and teaching of the Holy Qur'an in their own cities, even if they are not accompanied by their Mahrams. As far as young women are concerned it is extremely inappropriate for them to go out alone. If they can afford to devote time to the propagation of their Deen, they should cover themselves properly and a Mahram should accompany them. Keeping these general guidelines in mind, Qur'anic study circles must be arranged and there should be a systematic and intensive effort to organize women's gatherings on a regular basis for the purpose of effectively propagating the message of the Holy Qur'an to the masses. This is the most-pressing need of the time.

The third circle of women's efforts in this regard is that of the Mahram men i.e., husband, brothers, father, uncles and nephews, etc. (please note that the husband's nephews are not Mahram). You must have noticed that under the influence of various Islamic movements, more and more, young men and women belonging to the middle class are choosing to adopt the Islamic way of life. We see many bearded young men and veiled young women whose parents and other family members are oblivious of Islamic values. In this scenario, the younger generation needs to reach out to the older one to invite them to the right path of Islam. The third circle for Muslim women, therefore, involves their Mahram men.

Islam does not allow Muslim women to freely mingle even with unfamiliar women. The list of Mahrams given in Surah Al-Noor includes "their women" - meaning familiar women who are known to be of decent, righteous character. Hence, Islam does not allow strange women into homes and it certainly does not allow women to go into strange houses. We believe that the real change in the existing secular system can never be brought about through the prevailing election process. This change calls for a moral, ideological, and intellectual revolution that permeates all the spheres (i.e. political, social and economic) of life. We need to work towards forming a "Hizbullah"[6], and for that, women should ideally be working within the three circles that have been discussed above. In exceptional situations, their duties may exceed the ones already mentioned. However under the present conditions, working within the three spheres mentioned is all that they are required to do in the realm of Da'wah and Tableegh.

(Continued)