Women Seeking the Reward of Allah The Almighty

10/12/2010| IslamWeb

Women are the peers of  men and they have been assigned the same religious duties as men with the exception of what is proven to be excluded by authentic evidence of the Sharee‘ah (Islamic legislation) such as congregational prayer etc.

Hence, in principle, women are required to do what men are required to do. This includes enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, as the Prophet, said: "Whoever among you sees evil, must change it with his hand; if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart; and that is the weakest degree of Faith."

The word “whoever” here applies equally to men and women, however, it is noticed that women are more likely to be negligent regarding enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil within their families, including their husbands and children and among other women in general.

Negligence in carrying out the duty of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is ‎evil is one of the causes of the rampant phenomenon of the unlawful exposure of women’s adornment before non-Mahram (marriageable) men.

Let me provide an example to clarify my point. If a woman wears indecent clothes at a wedding and only five other sisters from among the one hundred attendees advise her properly one after another directly, in writing, and so on, this would greatly influence this woman and she will most probably refrain from wearing such clothes again.

In fact, many of the women who wear such indecent clothes have never been given any advice. Therefore, the sisters who work in the field of Da‘wah (Islamic propagation) and who seek the knowledge of Sharee‘ah, should undertake their duty by advising and guiding their fellow women.

They should be positive and attend women’s gatherings to advise their sisters, because this is better than refraining from attending such gatherings.

Whoever wants to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil should accustom himself to patience and enduring hardships for the sake of Allah The Almighty seeking His reward. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.}[Quran 31:17]