The experience of motherhood is one of the deepest spiritual, psychological, and physical journeys a woman undergoes. It begins from the moment of pregnancy and continues throughout a mother's life with her children. It is not merely a biological or social responsibility, as some may think, but rather a spiritual journey filled with sacrifices and challenges that strengthen faith in mothers' hearts, encourage self-purification, and foster personal growth and development. In this article, we explore the impact of motherhood on self-purification and deepening faith.

The Responsibility of Motherhood

Islam has greatly honored the role of the mother, emphasizing that she is a source of kindness, mercy, and generosity to those around her. She is also responsible on the Day of Judgment for those whom Allah has entrusted to her care. As stated in the noble hadith, Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The woman is a guardian and is responsible for her husbands house and his offspring.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)

To fulfill this role, a woman naturally finds herself inclined toward a set of virtues that purify the soul, as will be discussed.

The Innate Nature of Motherhood

Motherhood begins from the magical moment a woman discovers her pregnancy, followed by tracking the development of the fetus inside her womb. During this time, she deeply feels the greatness of the Creator and His ability to bring another life into existence within her fragile body. As her body weakens with the increasing weight of pregnancy, she is naturally drawn to turn to Allah in du’aa. Allah says, “It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her. And when he covers her, she carries a light burden and continues therein. And when it becomes heavy, they both invoke Allah, their Lord, 'If You should give us a good [child], we will surely be among the grateful.'” (Al-A'raf: 189)

Motherhood compels a woman to be grateful to Allah, seeking His pleasure for this priceless blessing. It is also an opportunity to increase good deeds, as she fulfills her duties toward her children, such as providing food, nurturing them, managing the household, and more.

Sincerity to Allah in Raising Children

Pure intentions and sincerity for Allah are the strongest provisions for every mother to continue her journey with her children. When she inevitably feels exhaustion or finds her role unappreciated by those around her, it is enough for her to renew her intention and remember that Allah sees her sacrifices for her children. She should never belittle her efforts, as they are counted in her favor, allowing her to continue the path she has begun without hardship.

Patience and Forbearance

With life's pressures, a mother experiences a mix of emotions—anger, stress, anxiety, and guilt. She struggles to control these emotions, often wondering how she can muster enough patience for all these responsibilities. She constantly finds herself needing to cultivate patience and forbearance to persist in guiding her children, answering their endless questions, and showing gentleness even in moments of frustration. Parenting is a continuous process that requires ongoing effort to monitor children and ensure their safety.

A mother can develop patience and forbearance by striving against her own self, frequently seeking Allah’s forgiveness, and controlling emotional reactions through the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah. As the saying goes, knowledge is acquired through learning, and forbearance is attained through practicing restraint.

Self-Accountability

A mother must realize that her children are a reflection of herself, prompting her to correct her own mistakes and monitor her habits. Actions in parenting speak louder than words. Islam warns against saying what is not put into practice. Allah says, “O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.” (As-Saff: 2-3)

In raising children, the educator must begin with themselves before their family. Allah says, “O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones.” (At-Tahrim: 6)

Thus, a mother must first cultivate in herself what she wishes to instill in her children. She is the first role model in their lives, the primary source of instilling values and religious principles. Her daily behavior, expressions, speech, and interactions with others serve as a live example for her child to follow.

Selflessness

Sacrifice is one of the greatest means of self-purification. A mother places her child's needs above her own. While the reward for selflessness is immense, this trait also enhances a mother's ability to control her desires, making her stronger in restraining her whims in ways that benefit both herself and her family. This elevates her spiritually, giving her life a deeper purpose beyond herself, as she finds fulfillment in serving and nurturing others.

Channeling Emotions

One of the greatest blessings of motherhood is that it reconnects a woman to her innate nature, as Allah has endowed women with a deep emotional sensitivity and a natural bond with their children. This connection begins early, during pregnancy and childbirth, as a mother feels an innate sense of responsibility for the new soul she carries. This bond only grows stronger with every step of the journey, no matter how old the children become. A mother provides love and care in a way that can only be described as instinctive, transcending materialistic interests.

The family is the foundation of the Islamic society, and Islam grants special importance to the mother in raising children and instilling good morals in them. Islam also emphasizes the rights of parents. Allah says, “And We have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him, [increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is in two years. Be grateful to Me and to your parents.” (Luqman: 14) The mother’s right is especially emphasized. Abu Huraira reported that a person came to Allah, 's Messenger (ﷺ) and said: Who among the people is most deserving of a fine treatment from my hand? He said: Your mother. He again said: Then who (is the next one)? He said: Again it is your mother (who deserves the best treatment from you). He said: Then who (is the next one)? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Again, it is your mother. He (again) said: Then who? Thereupon he said: Then it is your father. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

This honored status of the mother requires her to engage in continuous self-purification, ensuring that her efforts and sacrifices are worthy of the elevated position she holds.

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Yes, she is half a woman, perhaps the remnants of a woman, facing the brutal Zionist aggression in steadfast Gaza amidst international complicity. She is the woman who lived through the tragedy of the infamous Sednaya Prison in Syria for years. She is the mother now displaced in Yemen, a refugee in Sudan, whose family has been torn apart, losing her husband, a son, or a brother.

Women are often the ones who pay the heaviest price in wars, and they usually pay this price multiple times. They pay it as women subjected to rape and sexual violence, as wives widowed by the killing of their husbands, as mothers whose children become martyrs, and as activists facing oppression and imprisonment, enduring a massive and bloody tragedy with lasting effects for years and decades.

From injustice and oppression to poverty, ignorance, unemployment, and spinsterhood, women in many countries endure harsh suffering due to wars in which they have no stake, yet they remain targets for the machinery of war, the regime’s thugs, and the prisons of dictators. Meanwhile, the world boasts about “women's rights” in the 21^st century.

Eyes are closed, tongues are silenced, and consciences die when the target and victim are Arab or Muslim women. Then, they become deaf, mute, and blind, neither condemning the suffering of these women nor imposing sanctions on those responsible for their ordeal. The suffering of these women, driven to the edge by wars and ongoing conflicts funded by regional and international forces, unfolds under the watchful eye of the international community and global organizations.

When Umm Ahmed stepped on a landmine left behind by years of war in Yemen, it tore apart her frail body. She wasn’t a fighter in a battle, nor was she affiliated with any political party; she was merely a victim caught between lives lost and limbs severed, as reported by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

The 2023 report states that women are sometimes used as tools of war, subjected to physical violence, their social roles shrink and their options diminish as conflicts drag on. This exacerbates their suffering and makes them vulnerable to economic, social, and psychological setbacks.

According to alarming statistics, nearly 90 million girls — one in five girls worldwide — live in conflict zones, facing devastating consequences for their physical and mental health.

Gaza in Agony

The women of Gaza are a living example of this painful reality in a world that annually celebrates women while they are reduced to “half women” in a place that has become a mark of shame on humanity’s conscience. Women and children make up about 70% of the casualties of the “Israeli” war on the Strip between November 2023 and April 2024, according to data from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

More than a million women in Gaza lack access to food, clean drinking water, or sanitary facilities, including bathrooms and sanitary pads. Four out of five mothers skip meals to feed their children. Some 155,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women face medical and psychological hardships, and 328,000 girls have been deprived of education. Over a million women have been displaced, according to the report titled “Gaza: War on Women’s Health,” published by UN Women last September.

Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN Women, stated that two mothers are killed in Gaza every hour. The spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric, reported that around 3,000 women have lost their husbands or become the sole breadwinners for their families in the Zionist war, which claimed over 155,000 martyrs and wounded.

The tragedy of Gaza’s women has long exposed the hypocrisy of the West and the international community regarding women’s rights, with no protection umbrella to shield them from death by shelling, starvation, cold, or captivity. They are defenseless, unarmed, and not military targets to provoke Netanyahu’s jets, Ben-Gvir’s cannons, or Smotrich’s bombs. The world has never moved to establish a no-fly zone to protect civilian women and children or impose severe sanctions on the aggressors, as it did in response to Russia's war on Ukraine.

Of course, the blood of Ukrainian women differs from that of Palestinian women. The international community’s response to women differs based on their nationality, religion, and language. Palestinian women pay the price as females, Arabs, and Muslims, while the world annually celebrates International Women’s Day as the processions of female martyrs continue in Gaza.

True recognition of women should be an opportunity to show solidarity with women in conflict and war zones, especially Palestinian women. It should involve legislating laws to protect them, safeguard their dignity and honor, allocate funds to meet their needs, and rehabilitate them psychologically, medically, educationally, socially, and economically. They should be honored in international forums to ensure they are not reduced to “half women.”

Urgently, reconstruction efforts should extend beyond rebuilding infrastructure to rebuilding these women, providing recovery environments, healing their wounds, compensating them for lost education, facilitating marriage for widows, supporting mothers who have lost children, rescuing those who have lost homes, and ensuring their security while holding aggressors accountable to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies anywhere in the world.

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At a time when women were oppressed and deprived of their rights, Islam granted them special care and surrounded them with mercy and protection. The strength of women lies in their perceived weakness, as they are naturally more emotional. Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ instructed good treatment toward women, recognizing their nature and elevating their status. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: “Act kindly toward women, for they were created from a rib and the most crooked part of a rib is its top. If you attempt to straighten it you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked; so act kindly towards women.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

As Sheikh Abu Ishaq Al-Huwaini mentioned in his book Lessons from Sheikh Abu Ishaq Al-Huwaini: “A woman is naturally weak and inclined to find comfort in men. Her strength lies in her perceived weakness. Those who sought to 'liberate' women aimed to liberate them from their husbands and make them adopt the characteristics of men. This is impossible, as no man can live in harmony with another man as a spouse. Thus, woman's strength lies in her nature.”

While Islam is often accused of oppressing women and violating their rights, in Western civilization, women are treated as cheap commodities and tools for serving men's interests. Women are exploited in degrading ways to satisfy material and carnal desires. They are stripped of their dignity and reduced to mere entertainment objects, forced to undress and dance for money while men reap enormous profits at the expense of their humanity.

Despite Western claims of liberating women, this so-called liberation has trapped them in new forms of enslavement. Women are pushed into harsh work environments alongside men without consideration for their unique nature. In the West, young women are expected to become financially independent at an early age, often working under difficult conditions that may jeopardize their dignity and honor. A woman who does not have an illicit partner during her teenage years is often viewed as socially abnormal. These practices starkly contradict the West's claims of equality and freedom, revealing the humiliation and degradation they impose on women, in contrast to Islam protecting women's dignity and upholding their rights.

Given the delicate and emotional nature that Allah instilled in women, Islam's mercy encompasses their lives in various aspects, as mothers, wives, and daughters. This compassionate approach has a profound impact on family life and society as a whole. As mothers, Islam elevates their status and encourages kindness and devotion to them. Even in matters of custody and worship, Islam takes their feelings into account. The Prophet ﷺ shortened prayers upon hearing a child crying, out of consideration for the mother's distress. As wives, Islam stipulates that marriages be based on affection and mercy. The Prophet ﷺ advised good treatment toward wives, recognizing their differing temperaments and ensuring respect for their opinions and status within the family. He ﷺ even consulted his wife Umm Salamah during the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. As daughters, Islam strongly rejected the pre-Islamic practices of oppressing them. The Prophet ﷺ emphasized the importance of daughters' rights through numerous hadiths, such as: “There is no one who has three daughters, or three sisters, and he treats them well, except that he enters paradise.”

The life of the Prophet ﷺ serves as an exemplary model of kindness toward women. His respect and care extended to his wives, his tenderness toward his granddaughter Umamah bint Abi al-As, and his deep love and respect for his daughter Fatimah’s feelings, even on his deathbed.

Among the manifestations of Islam's mercy toward women is the protection afforded to them during wars. The Prophet ﷺ prohibited killing women, children, and elderly people, as well as separating mothers from their children in captivity. He reprimanded Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) when he let some female captives from Khaybar pass by the dead bodies of their relatives and began to weep. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Has mercy been removed from your heart, O Bilal?” (Reported by Ibn Ishaq in Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah)

It was narrated that ‘Urwah said: My father Az-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) told me that on the day of Uhud, a woman came running, and when she was about to reach where the slain were, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not want her to see them, and he said, `The woman, the woman!` az-Zubair (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I thought that she was my mother Safiyyah, so I went running towards her and caught up with her before she reached the slain. (Reported by Ahmad)

In another narration, it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed Hamzah who was killed and disfigured. He said: “If Safiyyah were not grieved, I would have left him until the birds and beasts of prey would have eaten him, and he would have been resurrected from their bellies.” (Reported by Abu Dawood)

Women did not participate in combat during wars; their roles were mostly limited to treating the wounded and providing food and water, unless circumstances required them to fight. However, warfare was primarily the responsibility of men. This exemplifies Islam's honor and protection of women, in contrast to a time when women are now exploited under deceptive slogans of freedom.

Islam's mercy shines as a beacon of light amidst the darkness of ignorance, reminding the world that true compassion and genuine care can never be found without Islam!

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• Western Allegations of Women's Freedom: Between Truth and Propaganda, by Ja'far Mas'oud Al-Hasani Al-Nadwi.
• Islamweb
• Islamqa
• Islamway
• Aljazeera.net

If the family is a universal institution present in all societies, then our cultural specificities are under attack by Western feminist thought. This thought seeks to exploit issues related to women and the family to impose a “new universal legal framework,” under the pretense that this framework represents a shared human value. However, in reality, it reflects only Western culture, ⁽¹⁾ adopting a unilateral and biased perspective. Therefore, one of the main objectives of this research is to establish a link between Western feminism and the changes occurring within the modern family. These changes work to weaken internal bonds, undermine family cohesion, and destabilize the cognitive map regarding the importance and relevance of the family in contemporary times. This has exacerbated conflicts between its members, increased rates of disintegration, and heightened physical and emotional violence.

Among the means employed is the creation of cadres of Arab intellectual women, including writers and human rights activists, who influence the modification of family laws and enforce changes in decision-making positions and within society. This is achieved by exploiting technological means and under the guise of economic development. Western feminists have encouraged the establishment of large networks of organizations and associations, hosting international conferences, drafting global conventions, and working tirelessly to devise strategies and policies aimed at dismantling the family and destabilizing its foundations and values. ⁽²⁾

How does the intellectual framework of Western feminism affect the intellectual security of the Arab family?

To answer this question, it can be stated that the family is the primary incubator for upbringing and personality development. “A child raised within a family learns the rules of life, such as being trained to speak the truth, and is prepared according to their abilities to act well and respectfully, honor family and relatives, establish religious principles, and respect the law.” ⁽³⁾ Without coercion, such a child grows up with morals as second nature, values deeply rooted in their character, and becomes a beneficial and active member of society.

One of the main reasons for family disintegration is the isolation imposed by technological media, the absence of meaningful dialogue, and the growing forms of violence in all its manifestations. Each family member now views life based on the source from which they derive their ideas. There are practices of distortion and misleading targeting cognition directly, and unfortunately, the minds of children and adolescents are being nourished by values that are not ours in various frameworks. Due to the lack of expertise among educators and parents, children have become prey to atheism, victims of crimes and electronic deviations, and are driven to suicide, depression, and psychological fragility because cognition governs behavior.

It can also be said that Western feminist thought manifests in diverse narratives, exploiting the culture of images through computer games, animated films, stories, and series to legitimize immorality, disdain religion and values, and focus on altering terminology to change the way the world thinks about the family. This aims to gain acceptance and compliance among young generations and children and reinforce legitimacy through deceptive premises.

Abdel Wahab El-Messiri argues, protesting the lack of critical depth in Arab-Islamic studies of concepts and terminology: “We always suffice by transferring their ideas from their points of view, without posing any questions stemming from our own vision, historical experience, and humanity. Nor do we address the overarching and ultimate issues hidden within the texts we transfer and explain.” ⁽⁴⁾

Western feminism has practiced deception through the authoritative use of terminology in an overt manner. “It has easily infiltrated meanings entirely contrary to the original purpose for which the term was developed.” ⁽⁵⁾ For example, the term reproductive health essentially facilitates the practice of fornication while taking precautions to avoid pregnancy or contagious diseases. The linguistic construct is entirely innocent of this meaning, appearing instead to pertain to birth control for married women.

The Presence of Western Feminist Terminology in Shaping the Culture of the Arab Family

In this section, I attempted to categorize Western feminist terminology in a table, summarizing its main aspects. In upcoming discussions, in Allah’s will, we will delve further into analyzing these terms within their intellectual frameworks, highlighting their disparities, issues, and deriving their impacts and outcomes on the culture of the Arab family. This will help us address the central question concerning the influence of Western feminist terminology in shaping the culture of the Arab family.

Table of Western Feminist Terminology (Terms, Issues, Frameworks, Outcomes)

The Debate Between Feminism and the Authoritative Use of Terminology

Feminists seek to influence audiences by promoting numerous terms from an authoritative position. It has become necessary to uncover the connotations of these terms and clarify their reality and intellectual stance because they carry the general vision of feminist thought. We live in a terminology crisis, intellectually feeding on the culture of others. Addressing the realm of terminology means revealing the significant debate Western feminism has reached. Feminism rejects theory as a male act and focuses on producing terms as linguistic constructs and carriers of foreign ideas intended to control and influence. Feminism primarily alters terms to change the global perception of family issues.

To be continued, in Allah’s will...

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1. Sayedah Mahmoud Mohamed, The Concept of Feminist Empowerment from Western and Islamic Perspectives, Helwan University, Egypt, 1st Edition, 2021, p. 15.
2. Kamaliyah Helmy Toulon, International Conventions and Their Impact on Family Dismantling, 3rd Edition, University of Tripoli, Lebanon, 3rd Edition, 2023, p. 4.
3. Sayed Mohamed Othman, Family Stability and Its Impact on the Individual and Society, Youth Foundation, 2009, p. 18.
4. Abdel Wahab El-Messiri, The Issue of Liberation and Female-Centerality, p. 3.
5. Najiyah Al-Warimi, Excavations in Ibn Khaldun’s Discourse, Al-Batra Publishing House, 1st Edition, 2008, p. 111.

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As voices advocating for women's rights grow louder and social movements continue what they call a struggle for equality, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was ahead of his time in promoting women's rights and honoring their status.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) established firm principles that guaranteed women rights unknown in the societies of his time. In an era when women's rights were suppressed, the teachings of Islam elevated their status, calling for their respect and recognition of their active role in society—making it an inspiring model for all times.

In this regard, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Take my advice with regard to women: Act kindly towards women, for they were created from a rib, and the most crooked part of a rib is its uppermost. If you attempt to straighten it; you will break it, and if you leave it alone it will remain crooked; so act kindly toward women.” (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim) This hadith embodies the compassion and kindness Islam advocates in dealings with women, reflecting the elevated status granted to them.

While many today raise diverse slogans about equality and honoring women, the reality reveals that many of these claims lack serious implementation. In contrast, the Islamic message provided a practical and comprehensive model for respecting women and enhancing their status. This was achieved through clear prophetic teachings that affirmed women’s rights and dignity in all fields, including marital, social, and economic rights, highlighting the distinguished position Islam afforded women over fourteen centuries ago.

Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) teachings preceded all modern claims in honoring women. His noble teachings embodied the highest principles of justice and equality. By reflecting on these principles, we uncover how Islam’s vision for women was ahead of its time and continues to serve as a pioneering model for promoting women’s rights and respect.

The Prophet’s Role in Establishing Women’s Rights

Questions often arise about the status of women in Islam compared to their conditions in societies contemporary to Islam’s emergence. Islam came to restore the dignity and rights of women, which had been taken away before the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) mission. Islam sparked a rights revolution by empowering women and granting them a respectable position in all aspects of life.

Comparing the status of women in Islam to that in contemporary societies reveals how advanced Islam was in terms of women’s rights. Islam laid down solid foundations for their protection and rights, with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taking the lead in advocating for honoring women, preserving their rights, and setting unchanging principles that endure through the ages. Some of these principles include:

• Justice and Equality: Islam emphasized justice and equality between men and women, affirming that women are men’s partners in humanity with equal rights and responsibilities. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Yes. Women are counterpart of men.” (Narrated by Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi). This hadith highlights that women share the same essence as men and are equal in their humanity.
• Role in Family and Society: Islam granted women a special role as partners in managing household affairs and raising children, stressing good treatment and respect. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best of you is he who is best to his family, and I am the best among you to my family.” (Narrated by at-Tirmidhi)
• Right to Education and Work: Islam gave women the opportunity to learn and work, making the pursuit of knowledge an obligation for both men and women, with regulations to preserve their dignity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah), affirming that education is a mandatory right for women just as it is for men.
• Financial Independence and Inheritance: Islam determined women’s share in inheritance, granting them financial independence previously absent in other societies. This was part of their rights, ensuring their freedom in financial matters. Allah says, “Allah instructs you concerning your children: for the male, what is equal to the share of two females.” (An-Nisa: 11)

Modern Slogans and Feminist Movements

When comparing modern slogans about women’s rights to Islam’s implementation of these rights, it becomes evident that Islam was a pioneer in affirming women’s dignity and rights over 1,400 years ago. Some of these modern slogans, however, go beyond the boundaries of Sharia and conflict with human nature (fitrah).

Modern slogans about women’s rights and Islamic teachings overlap in several areas, including emphasizing the importance of honoring women and respecting their rights. Both aim to promote women’s dignity and fundamental rights. Like feminist movements today, Islam encourages empowering women through education and work, contributing to their economic and social independence. Both Islam and modern slogans also strive to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, reflecting a shared commitment to equality and justice.

However, there are some differences between Islamic principles and modern slogans. While Islam emphasizes equality in humanity and dignity, it also recognizes natural differences between men and women in some rights and responsibilities based on human nature.

On the other hand, some modern slogans advocate for absolute equality, which may overlook natural distinctions established by Sharia. Additionally, Islam provides women with the freedom to make choices within the framework of Sharia, while some modern slogans call for unrestricted freedom that could negatively impact women and society in ways that contradict Islamic values.

Finally, while Islam seeks to empower women within a framework that preserves their dignity and chastity, some modern slogans advocate for unchecked empowerment, potentially conflicting with principles of family and societal stability.

The teachings of Islam, through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), were ahead of their time in promoting women’s rights and honoring them in ways that surpassed modern social movements. Islam established solid foundations of equality and justice, granting women rights that were unheard of in the Prophet’s time and even in some contemporary societies.

However, despite Islam’s advancement in affirming women’s dignity, challenges remain in effectively applying these principles in many Islamic and Arab societies. It is therefore essential to draw inspiration from Islamic teachings and work towards achieving the practical implementation of the principles of equality and justice, thereby enhancing the status of women and fully guaranteeing their rights.

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