 When the Muslims believed in the revelation, so many of the Quraysh began to persecute them. And we heard about the persecution of the very first martyr, Sumayah, from our beloved state of Husaynah. And there were other men and women who were persecuted. For example, Um Shuraik, she and her husband accepted Islam, and when her husband was away, her in-laws came and they asked her whether or not she had actually converted. And when she affirmed, her in-laws carried her out of her home on their shoulders, basically kidnapped her, took her and force fed her bread and honey, and then would not allow her to have any water. So you can imagine how dry her mouth felt and her throat. And then they left her in the desert sun for three days. And when they did so, and they came back three days later, she had lost her sight. And they asked her, does she still believe in Allah? Does she still believe that there's only one God? And the way that she responded was still one finger up to the sky in affirmation of this belief. This persecution was so intense that we know that there was a migration from Mecca to Abyssinia. And we also likely have heard of when the Muslims stood in front of An-Najashi and Jafar, radiallahu anhu, the son of Abu Talib, stood and responded to An-Najashi's questions on why they were here because the Quraish had sent people to follow them to Abyssinia to get them back. And when Jafar, radiallahu anhu, stood and he explained how the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, took them from the darknesses to the light, the way that they used to harm people and hurt people and didn't take their responsibilities towards people seriously. And then he recited the beginning of Surah Maryam. He said, I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed, the accursed, and the Merciful. Thank you, Jazakum allah khayran. Can you say it to me again? He continued to recite this Surah as Um Salama explained. The narrator of this Hadith is Um Salama, radiallahu anhu. Did you know that Um Salama is the one who narrated it? One who told us of this incident and we wouldn't have known about it if she hadn't. And with Jafar, radiallahu anhu and the Muslims in Abyssinia, were over 20 women who had migrated from Mecca to Abyssinia. Some of them didn't have any animal to ride on because they couldn't afford it. So walking and riding on animals, they went through the desert onto a ship. None of them had gone on a ship before. Now they're going on ship, they're going to Abyssinia and this is where they stay for some time. Who is a scholar who wrote the book, the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the book of the scholar, who wrote the book, the political role, the political roles of women in the time of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and the righteous khulafat. She speaks about how when she did research on his life, but it's not simply that they mentioned, for example, and his wife, but don't mention the name. It's that they simply don't mention women at all. And that this is such a starter books of history, like Ibn Sa'ad's Al Tabaqat, or Ibn Hajr, or Ibn Hisham, that these books talk about the roles of women and the presence of women and the way that women impacted society. And yet, over time, that's shifted. So that many of us today maybe have asked, where really have been women in Islamic society? What are really women's roles or contributions, especially when we keep hearing that there's really only one role that women play in our community? And this isn't to say that all history books right now omit women or that they were intentional in doing so, but the point is there's been a shift of culture even in the books that have been written. And so when a young woman, like myself when I was younger, like many of you when you've been younger or maybe now, are going to the masjid and you're not hearing about any of the women companions, sometimes we wonder, well, did they even exist? I remember feeling so connected to Khalid ibn Waleed, radiallahu anhu, fighting battles on behalf of the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, for the Azza al-Islam, radiallahu anhu, and he would give the adhan and the powerful way that he would give the tafsir of the Quran and I felt so connected to all of these companions, radiallahu anhu. But when I was here, I saw radiallahu anhu, or Khadija radiallahu anhu, or Fatima radiallahu anhu. Of course, I knew, I believed in the immense iman and the sacrifices of these women, but did I feel connected to them? Not really. And the reason was because I have a more extroverted personality, and the only way that women were presented, not Hamdullah by my parents, may Allah bless my parents and my family and all of your parents and families, but in Muslim spaces was often that Khadija radiallahu anhu was a supportive wife, because she was. That Fatima radiallahu anhu was a supportive daughter and mother, which she was. And Aisha radiallahu anhu was a scholar with immense modesty, which she was. But that was all. And to not know their personalities, to not know how they interacted in society, to not understand the rules that they played, made it difficult for me to understand how I can follow their example here in my society, with the personality that I have, which I continue to struggle with until this day, thanks to the wonderful community that I love so much, may Allah bless us all. And I mean that sincerely, may Allah truly bless us all. But I keep hearing this from young women, I keep hearing this from little girls. And the fact that it's still an issue breaks my heart. That so many of us grew up hating ourselves for no reason, literally no reason, other than we were told we were not modest enough for existing. And when we look at Esmeb into Omey, she gives us permission in her example to play so many different rules in society and in our homes. Esmeb into Omey, the wife of Ja'far, the one who gave that speech to Najashi. The Prophet, in an earlier time, when the Quraysh were dealing with a lot of difficulty without food and a butlalib, when he had multiple sons to care for, the Prophet went to his uncle Abbas, and suggested that they both take some of the sons and kind of care for them in their home. And so Ali, radiallahu anhu, went to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, to be cared for in the home financially supported and cared for. And Ja'far, radiallahu anhu, went to the home of Abbas, radiallahu anhu. Abbas was married to Lubaba, who inshallah, Sarah Amin is going to speak about, Omal Fadal. And her sister is Esmeb into Omey's, radiallahu anhu. Other sisters of Esmeb into Omey's are Meymoona, who became a mother of the believers, Salma, who was married to Hamza, radiallahu anhu. And so she marries Ja'far when they're young. And women played a political role in the society of the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, because she was amongst the very first ones to give bayat to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam. This is a political act. And she seeks political asylum in Abbasinia, a political act. And when she is in Abbasinia, growing the community, she had three sons there, along with the small Muslim, small group of Muslims who were there. All of them were part of the Abbasinian society, impacting the society. And the jashi became Muslim while they were there, radiallahu anhu. They stayed there for 10 years. And they impacted the way that Islam began to spread in that part of the world. When finally it was time for them to make hijra to Medina, Subhanallah and Najashi sees them go on to the boat and he's giving them his goodbye. And he says, give my salam to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam. And one of the women narrates, and she says, I got to give a Najashi salam to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam. So now they come to Medina. They've made a hijra from Abbasinia, from Mecca to Abbasinia, and now from Abbasinia to Medina. And when they are in Medina, people are speaking about them. They're speaking about how these people of the boat didn't make, they're not really considered migrants. They're not really considered like the migrants that came to Medina from Mecca. And so Asma radiallahu anhu one time, she is sitting in a room with Hafsa radiallahu anhu. And Hafsa is the wife of the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, and the daughter of Amr radiallahu anhu. And so Amr walks in and he sees a woman he doesn't recognize. And so he asks his daughter, who is this? And she replies and says, this is Asma, I've been to our maze. And so Amr says, oh, this is the one from Abbasinia, the one who was on the boat. I love the shift in narration here, because initially it's Amr speaking to Hafsa radiallahu anhu. How is he? Oh, this one is the one. And then Asma responds and she's like, yes. She takes on the conversation. And so Allah radiallahu anhu, and we love him so much, and he's a person of part promise paradise, radiallahu anhu. And so he speaks to her and he says, we got to Medina before you. Therefore we have more of a right to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, than you do. And this narration is in Bukhari. Asma radiallahu anhu, when she hears this, she got angry. And then she responded to Amr radiallahu anhu. And when she responded, she didn't say, you're right. You are Amr radiallahu anhu. I have nothing to say in front of such a great man, which she could have 100% said and would have been 100% true. radiallahu anhu. She didn't say, well, I'm a woman and so I shouldn't speak in front of a man. Maybe I should go speak to another man to speak to Amr radiallahu anhu. Like maybe she's have a job or speak to Amr radiallahu anhu. She became angry and she responded to Amr radiallahu anhu. And she said to him that they had been there with the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, teaching them and feeding them and helping them and mentoring them. And this is a summary of the hadith. And they were far away. And she's like, I swear I'm not going to eat and I'm not going to drink. I'm going to go to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, and I'm going to tell him what you said. And so she goes to the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, and she expresses the conversation with the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam. And then he gives her the glad tidings that to Amr and his companions, there's not more of a right of the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, to them than to her and her companions. They made Hijrah one time, but Asmah and her companions made Hijrah twice. This narration was so beloved to the community of the migrants from Abyssinia. The Abu Musa al-Ashaari, who's a great companion of the Prophet, salallahu alayhi salam, and the group who came with her kept coming back and asking her to say the narration over and over again because it made them feel so honored. Also note that the conversation before this narration took place was about how they hadn't been really considered immigrants. That was a cultural conversation happening in the community. Asmah, by speaking up, changed that narrative to then become amongst the highest, the elevated spiritual status to have made Hijrah twice with the community. When we use our voice as women, we may not see the outcome in our lifetime, but we help shift cultural narrative and that's why your voice is so critical for our community just like Asmah teaches us. Ja'farullah Anhu was sent as a flag bearer, as a leader in the battle of Mu'tah. After Zaid ibn al-Haritha was martyred, Ja'farullah Anhu was martyred. This was about a year or less from the time they came from Abyssinia into Medina. And so the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, who it was said, Ja'farullah Anhu looked the most like him. This is his cousin. He was so happy when Ja'far came from Abyssinia that he said he wasn't he wasn't sure what made him happier. The fact they think Ja'far or the fact that they had won the battle of Khaybar that day. And so when the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is informed of the passing of Ja'farullah Anhu or knows about the passing of Ja'farullah Anhu. He was known as Ja'far Al-Qiyar. Al-Qiyar because he lost both of his arms. And so now he doesn't need the arms of us to move. Inshallah, he is considered a martyr in paradise. When the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam came to the house of Asmah, Liliullah Anhu, he was emotional and he was overwhelmed as he was hugging and kissing her three boys. And so she asked him, she was afraid to ask him about the news because there might have been news about Ja'farullah Anhu. When he confirmed her husband's martyrdom, she was overcome with emotion just like the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was overcome with emotion. And in this moment, subhanallah, while the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam is affirming the immense loss to the community and his immense personal loss, while he is seeing her children and so saddened by the fact that they are now an orphan, while he said to Faltima, that this is a summary of what was said that this is certainly a day to be sad, someone to really cry over. He informs Asmah, Liliullah Anhu, not to scream and tear her clothes. This is such an interesting point. Have you ever heard that women should not go to the grave? Have you ever, have raised your hand if you have never been to the grave, to a graveyard, to a cemetery? Raise it really high. Let's look around. Women who've never been to a graveyard or cemetery. Okay, raise your hand if you've been told women shouldn't go to the graveyard or to the cemetery. Okay, raise your hand if you have been told you shouldn't even pray the Janaza. All right. In the beginning, in Mecca, the companions, Liliullah Anhu, were new in their belief. They were still following or learning, so learning about Islam and about the cultural practices that they used to practice, not being appropriate anymore. One of those practices was going to the graves and when they were at the grave, they would call out to the dead. One is they would praise them to the point of almost worship. Two, they would take them as intercessors between them and Allah. Three, they would hire people. Part of their custom was to hire people and specifically women to come to the grave and to basically build up the personality of the person who died. So they could pay someone, a person could pay someone before they died or pay women specifically because this was especially a part of the pre-Islamic women's culture, to go to the grave and to be the hype people of this dead person so that the people still living could be like, wow, all the living come from that family? They would become arrogant about who had passed away. So the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam forbid men and women from going to the grave to protect them from falling into these practices that could lead to calling out to the dead instead of Allah. Once their hearts were firm, once e-men had been strengthened in their hearts, then the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam changed that ruling and instead ordered and recommended that the believers, men and women, go to the grave, go to the cemetery because it's an opportunity to remember how short life is. It's an opportunity to think about our own lives and how we're going to live when we're here. And it's an opportunity for grief, to process grief, to realize that Allah is the only one who's really with us in these moments. And this is why there's a specific narration of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, cursing women who frequent graves, going day and night every single day, day and night every single day, obsessively going and not doing anything else and not being able to focus on other things in life, including the responsibility upon your own body. Why? Because this was a practice that was especially common amongst women, that included ripping their clothing and screaming. Asma'u'llah had been in Abyssinia, so she had not been in Medina, she had not been in Mecca for many years in which the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam was teaching filth. So in this moment, the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, despite the fact that he has lost his own cousin whom he loved so much after being apart from him for 10 plus years, despite the fact that he has so much mercy for these new orphans, that he is crying and overwhelmed with emotion, despite the fact that he says to the people of Medina to cook food for Asma'u'llah and her family so that she doesn't have to worry about that in this moment. She can focus on her family, her children and her grief. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam respectfully, kindly, lovingly teaches her filth. Have you ever been taught filth in such a way, in such a moment? Or have you been in the midst of your grief and because you are a woman, have been told, you cannot even cry this person that you love is going to hear you crying and they're going to be punished? The immense pain that women experience sometimes in even the biggest spaces of pain is a testament to the strength of your faith. We ask Allah to make us sincere and give us the bat. And I didn't give you so many references in what I just mentioned because of the shortness of the time. That discussion is literally an entire hour. But how did I just finish writing a manuscript for a book addressing all these issues related to women and inshallah all the sources are going to be in there, inshallah in two years when it's published. So inshallah in one year, inshallah. But the point is that we have too raw, we have so much scholarship that has addressed this and why it is and the way it is in the context. Has any of that context been even ever mentioned to any of you when it's been told women shouldn't go to the grave? Where is the context? Context is so critical because if we only take one statement, then we can say, oh the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, just send this to Asmaa radi allahu anha in her pain. We don't know that he was in pain. We don't know that he went to love and support her family Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. After Jaffa radi allahu anhu passed away, Abu Bakr radi allahu anhu lost his wife Umru Man, the mother of Aisha radi allahu anha. And after the ida of Asmaa radi allahu anha, Abu Bakr and Asmaa radi allahu anha got married. And so now she marries and she's pregnant and they go to make Hajj while she's pregnant and guess what happens? She gives birth on their way to Hajj. But radi allahu anhu asked the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam like, what should she do? She's in Nisas now. She is bleeding a particular type of blood that we're not supposed to do Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam and they're going for Hajj. And in Amra or Hajj, there are parts that you need to begin to do. So what should she do? The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam doesn't say, oh, she should turn back or we should stay here and no one should go. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam just teaches the filth of what to do and she continues on the way and makes Hajj, the farewell Hajj with the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. The same Hajj in which Aisha radi allahu anha also got her period and that she shared the fact that she had gotten her period. And now all of the Muslims until the end of time know that Asma radi allahu anha was in postpartum bleeding during Hajj and that Aisha radi allahu anha was in her period during Hajj. So that all of us women today, when Allah has honored us with something that's so critical for the continuation of humanity that we do not feel like it's something terrible, like it's a punishment from Allah, like it's something that we need to be ashamed of because it's a natural part of our bodies that Allah SWT created us with and we can still go for Hajj and Amra even in this state. What a mercy from Allah that He has given these women as examples to us that we have because of their modesty, because of their modesty, we know these stories, because their modesty meant commitment to Allah. And what better commitment than being so clear about what's happening to you that you can help other women's centuries later. When Faltima radi allahu anha was very sick and passing away, Asma radi allahu anha was taking care of her and as she was taking care of her, Faltima told her that she doesn't like the fact that when a woman passes away or when she passes away that the burial shroud kind of shows the shape of her body. And so Asma had seen in Abyssinia that they would build with sticks and with different pieces of nature kind of like a like not a coffin but something that would hold the body when it's being delivered from the jinn as a to the to the grave. So as Faltima radi allahu anha asked to see what that looked like and so Asma radi allahu anha built it for her. Faltima saw it, she liked it and when Faltima passed away she was taken in this coffin like box and that was how her body was transported radi allahu anha. And it was from Asma radi allahu anha seeing that in Abyssinia and then sharing that with Faltima radi allahu anha. But also let's take a minute to consider that Faltima radi allahu anha is passing away and her concern is that the shape of her body is going to be noticed after she dies radi allahu anha. Yes we have an obsession about speaking about modesty in our community sometimes and may Allah bless our community and help us you know feel loved in every way. But also on the same end we speak about hijab in ways that sometimes women in our community feel so hyper sexualized that we don't even feel comfortable being woman in muslim spaces completely covered because of the hyper sexualization of women in our community. Faltima radi allahu anha her concern was in connection to Allah. It wasn't a political act, it wasn't about it wasn't about when sometimes we seek that hijab and we say oh you know don't be obsessed with the dunya it wasn't it was worship that's all it was it was worship for her and as a community we need to step back especially considering globally and consider are we building the identity of our sisters helping our sisters feel connected because hijab was not revealed until at least 14 years after the beginning of the revelation. Do all of us have 14 years of mentorship by someone like the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam where the focus is building our iman and building our individualized personalities and ourselves and our connection and the importance of our contribution before we obsessively speak about hijab. Faltima radi allahu anha saw this as an act of worship as it is and so when Asma radi allahu anha is taking care of her body she was one of three who washed the body of Faltima radi allahu anha we can see the honor that she gave to her wishes after Faltima radi allahu anha passed away Abu Bakr radi allahu anha passed away and Abu Bakr had stipulated that he wanted Faltima excuse me excuse me Asma to wash his body not his sons not Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr the son between Asma and Abu Bakr or any of his other children Asma radi allahu anha she washed the body of the first caliph of Islam one of the the best the the most righteous companion radi allahu anha and after she had washed his body she came out and she said today I am fasting and it is a very cold day do I need to make a mussel because I made a mussel for the person who passed away and there are two narrations one say she spoke to a group of muhajirun another said she spoke to Usman radi allahu anha and Amr radi allahu anha overheard and they said no you don't she washed the body of her husband she is an immense grief and she said she's fasting and she's wondering does she need to make mussel despite the fact that she's exhausted and she's emotionally overwhelmed and it's a freezing cold day does she still need to make mussel the fact that she's considering these issues shows to us that we can be focused on the technicalities of how to practice while still fully embracing all aspects of our pain and our joy and our personalities and who we are internally and externally she marries Ali radi allahu anha radi allahu anha and one day her son Muhammad the son of jaafar gets into an argument with her other son Muhammad the son of Abu Bakr and she has two sons with Ali radi allahu anha and so they get into an argument and what is like my father was better than your father and the other one says my father is better than your father and so what does she Ali radi allahu anha say he says what did you say to her and she says i told them that jaafar was the best of the youth and Abu Bakr was the best of the elders and Ali said to summarize he was like would you leave for me radi allahu anha in asma radi allahu anha we also see that when she is in grief subhanallah she's still narrating hadith that she's gone through so much in her life but she doesn't compromise on who she is and the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam taught her a dua or she narrated a dua and this dua that she narrated when you say it when you're afflicted with sadness or depression when you make this Allah will lift it from you and that dua is allahu rabbi allahu rabbi my lord allah is my lord my caretaker my nurture and there's no one worthy of worship with him and i'd like to add and say that when you make this dua if you're going through depression or anxiety or you are having thoughts of unaliving or anything related also seek therapy because the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam was there as a mentor he was there as emotional support for the companions he was teaching du'a's to he himself sallallahu alayhi wasallam sought support from umsalama radi allahu anha from khadija radi allahu anha we have specific narrations of this so when the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam is teaching us about du'a's that we can say to help us through those times of emotion it doesn't mean only say this du'a and all of a sudden everything's great make this du'a and also seek support maristan is right here may Allah bless drania and all those involved in trying to support the emotional overwhelming experience emotionally overwhelming experiences that many of us may experience finally as matlulillah anha teaches us that like the woman companions we can be shy or we can be extremely bold we can be extroverts or introverts or someone in between our mix of it we can be housewives and stay at home moms or we can work or we can be a mix of all but no matter what we have a role to play you were created in this time period in this space in this land for a reason a love place you hear intentionally you're not a random person that was born and that's going to die you were here for a reason whether that means you are here to support the next generation of children and grandchildren with the most healing love you can share so that inshallah we can work towards a healed umma or whether that means you are building an institution or working or whatever it means you have a role to play and in asma we see that even unfortunately when we speak about women we actively consider her relationship status as what gives her worth and yet whether a woman is a divorced or a widow or has always been single or married three times like asma radi allahu anha you have worth because of who you are as a believer you have worth because of who you are in connection to allah's panawata and how you use any of those relationships in your life to come closer to him and to help others come back to him does that color favorite thank you 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