Year Sixteen
Issue No. 932 - 01/Jamadah-1/1432 AH
Corresponding to April 05, 2011 AD
Contents:
* Mihrab Platform:
Woman’s Jihadi and Political Role in Light of Lady Zeinab’s Biography
Mihrab Platform
Woman’s Jihadi and Political Role in Light of Lady Zeinab’s Biography
The main axes of the subject:
1- Full partner in everything
2- When necessity urges
3- Who do women imitate?
4- Bintil Huda, in the steps of her grandmother
Purpose:
We will explain the role that woman can play in fields to preserve the journey
while giving attention to the rules of Islam.
Exporting the subject:
Imam al Khomeini (RIP) said: “Women must take part in social and political
activities equally with men while preserve the affairs that Islam commanded her
with.1
Full partner in everything:
Some people might think that the categorization which exists in most domains of
life with their different dimensions and that man taking the first seat in the
roles of certain domains of life makes him the only landlord and the owner of
the privilege and preference regarding those domains. These are the achievements
of the nations and societies in being liberated from submission and subjugation,
accomplishing sovereign and independence, achieving the political systems that
make the public proud, and accomplishing growth and prosperity on the level of
uncovering the tendencies and capacities that are stored with the generations as
well as achieving the civilized and civil progression of life in general.
However, equity and contemplation necessitate that one recognizes the existence
of direct roles that some people execute and that there are indirect roles
regarding the aforementioned fields. No achievement can be made on the level of
the different dimensions of life in general without the unity of these roles.
Moreover, the issues, when relating to the categorization of the society, tell
us that woman – who equals half the society – represents the base on which the
roles of all the sections of the nation rise.
Although she is not required to take part or play a role in a field of the
military type, yet her reward that she obtains behind her family work and social
role does not lessen in value. Moreover, she can even excel the role of the
Mujahid and martyr. The examples regarding this domain are numerous.
One example was Asma’a Bint Yazid al Ansariyah, who brought to the prophet (a.s.)
questions that could be thought by someone as being recent or brought up by
modern civilization. She said:
“Yes you – groups of men – were preferred by taking part in group prayers,
paying quick visit to patients, attending funerals, going to Hajj year after
year, while we sew your clothes and raised your children. Hence the question,
what is our share in your reward O messenger of Allah?
The prophet (a.s.) looked at her and said:
“Go away woman and tell the women behind you that each one of you playing the
role of a good wife, asking her husband’s satisfaction and approving whatever he
approves equal all of that. Hence, the woman left while she hailed and exclaimed
the greatness of Allah with happiness.”2
Scholar al Tabtabaei said after this speech commenting (in brief): “A woman’s
feeling of being deprived from the virtue of Jihad in the way of Allah was not
neglected by Islam. Instead, it followed in succession and was given a value
that equals merits and virtues of real pride even though some of these tasks are
being devalued in significance in our present time. The cause for this issue is
that our society is being influenced by cultures and educations that are
distanced from Islam. In fact, Islam evaluates the issues according to their
true values, where the human merits compete for the satisfaction of Allah (The
Exalted). Let each one take its path and perform its designed role, only then,
all human services will be equal and their tasks will be balanced.
For example, Islam did not give merit to only martyrdom in the battlefield and
self sacrifice – although it proves a great virtue – but also a woman abiding by
her marital task is also of equal virtue.”3
When necessity calls:
The aforementioned represents the attitude of Islam. However, this does not mean
that, when necessity calls and a greater cause invites all the sections of the
society, a woman should stay at home. On the contrary, the active partnership of
woman represents a conclusive element in protecting the greater causes and in
taking the procession to its destination.
Nevertheless, woman exiting her home to perform different jobs and roles come
with great responsibility and extreme caution that must be considered.
The fulfiller of the dream of prophets, Imam al Khomeini (RIP) said: “Today,
women must take their social roles and religious commitments while preserving
their general coyness. In shade of the general chasteness, they can practice
their social and political activities.”4
The Imam (RIP) says in a different position:
“Like men’s obligation in contributing to the political causes and preserving
their society, women also must participate and preserve the society. Women must
participate in the social and political activities equally with men but of
course by preserving the affairs that Islam commanded.”5
Who do women imitate?
The paradigm that must be adopted must possess the qualities of perfection
within it to the highest levels of manifestation and illumination. In addition,
woman’s progression and involvement in the general fields must simulate the
example of preserving Islam in the course as well as acknowledge its rules. Such
example must also be aware and reach its peak in recognizing the gravity of the
stage and the role coupled with the required patience, altruism and generosity
without allowing the intimidating scenes and enormity of losses weaken its will
or divert its commitment. Imam al Khomeini (RIP) speaks of the role of the
mother of the children of Hashim regarding this field:
“They must take the stance, which Zeinab (a.s.) took after that greatest
tragedy, dwarfing all other calamities with her challenge against blasphemy and
hypocrisy. That incident clarified issues in their most beautiful images.”6
He adds regarding the achievements and virtues of Zeinab (a.s.):
"We have repeatedly seen that great women raised their voices, such as Zeinab (a.s.),
saying they sacrificed their children and all their beloved ones in the way of
Allah (The Exalted) and dear Islam, and they were proud of it.”7
Wasn’t that the case of all the mothers of Mujahideen who have become martyrs?
How the mothers, sisters and wives played the role of fearlessness and great
sacrifice, then after the martyrdom of the Mujahid, they continued to play the
role to preserve the journey of Jihad and generosity? They learned all that from
Zeinab (a.s.).
The Imam (RIP) says: “The woman that challenged the tyrant – Yazid Bin Muawiyah,
had men talked, he would have killed them all – stood in his face, blaming him
without any fear. She stood and addressed Yazid making him feel that he was not
a human being nor he had any relation to humanity. Women must be endowed with
such courage.”8
Bintil Huda, in the steps of her grandmother:
One of the best examples that followed in the steps of her great grandmother
Zeinab (a.s.) was Sayyidah Bintil Huda al Sadr, the sister of the martyred
authority, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al Sadr (RIP). She accompanied her brother on
his way of struggle to his destiny of martyrdom. Hence, she offered herself in
oblation and stood like a rising tower against a tyrant autocrat. She did not
weaken or wean on a day when the supporters and partisans were scarce.
She (RIP) says: “The time of silence has gone. Why should I be silent while
seeing a wronged authority fall in the hands of these criminals…? Allah
witnesses that I wish martyrdom for his sake… It is equal to me whether I live
or die as long as I am certain that my attitude was merely for the way of Allah
and for his own satisfaction.”9
1- Woman’s position
in the ideology of Imam al Khomeini (RIP), P. 101-102
2- Al Dorr al Manthour, by al Sayouti, Vol. 2, P. 518
3- Tafsir al Mizan, by scholar al Tabtabaei, Vol. 4, P. 35, summarized and
inflected
4- Woman’s position in the ideology of Imam al Khomeini, P. 97-98
5- Meem Noun, P. 101-102
6- Woman’s position in the ideology of Imam al Khomeini, P. 68-69
7- Noon Meem, P. 69
8- Noon Meem, P. 67
9- Quoted from book “Al Shahid al Sadr, years of afflicting and days of siege”,
author scholar Muhammad Ridha al No’amani, P. 218-219.