A believing woman guards herself and her honour in the absence of her husband from being touched by other men, and she does not expose her beautification in front of them.

In the name of Allāh, Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation; may Allah extol the mention of our noble Prophet Muhammad in the highest company of Angels, bless him and give him peace and security―and his family, his Companions and all those who follow him correctly until the establishment of the Hour.

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From the attributes of a righteous wife is that she guards and preserves herself and her honour in the absence of her husband from being touched by another man or exposing her beautification to any other man. She pays attention to herself, her chastity, her modesty, and her honour. She also takes the responsibility of looking after their children and home seriously. Allāh (the Most High) stated,

فَٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ قَـٰنِتَـٰتٌ حَـٰفِظَـٰتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُ
“The righteous women are devoutly obedient, and they guard in their husbands’ absence what Allāh orders them to guard.” (An-Nisā: 34)

Imām As-Saʿdī (rahimhullāh) explained, “Righteous women are devoutly obedient” means that they are obedient to Allāh (the Mighty and Majestic). “And they guard in their husbands’ absence” means that they are obedient to their husbands even when they are absent—she guards herself and his property.¹Taysīr Al-Karīm Ar-Rahmān (1/344)

Allāh’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) stated, “The best of your women are those who bear you many children, they are loving, comforting and tolerant—so long as they fear Allāh and obey Him. And the worst of your women are those who display their beautification, don’t cover themselves and they walk with a fanciful swagger—they are the hypocrites who will not enter Jannah except as rarely as one sees a crow with a red beak and red feet!”²Al-Bayhaqī in As-Sunan (7/82) and declared sahīh by Al-Albānī in As-Sahīhah (nos. 1849 and 1850). This hadīth shows the stark difference between the loving, humble, modest and God-fearing believing woman on one side, and the immodest, disobedient and conceited woman on the other, who has the traits of hypocrisy. One is a woman of Jannah and the other is a woman of Hellfire, and Allāh’s refuge is sought from the Fire.

A believing woman looks to that which will raise her in the sight of Allāh, that which will bring her nobility and honour, “No one humbles himself for Allāh’s sake except that He raises him in rank.”³Muslim (no. 2588). She does not envy the sinful, disobedient women, and their fleeting pleasures ― she is not tempted by their lowly behaviour and morals because she is a woman who fears Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic. She knows that Allāh has created her for a noble purpose, and she does everything within her ability to please Him (the Most High). When the sincere and humble woman reads these narrations, she sees in them direction and purpose for her life, whereas before that she was lost and without purpose.

لَقَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُوا عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلٍ مُّبِينٍ

“Indeed, Allāh conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom (i.e., the Sunnah) while before that they had been in manifest misguidance.” (Āli ʿImrān: 164)

The believing woman is not deceived by those who seek to exploit her and remove her from the light of guidance, and she knows that Allāh’s Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) spoke the truth when he said, “Whichever woman prays her five Prayers, fasts the month of Ramadān, guards herself from fornication, and obeys her husband, it will be said to her on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Enter Paradise through whichever of its gates you wish.’”⁴Ibn Hibbān in his Sahīh (6/184—Ihsān), and others. Declared sahīh by Al-Albānī due to witnessing narrations, see Ādāb Az-Zifāf (no. 287). And how many women are there, even Muslim women, who do not realise what this tremendous hadīth contains of hope and promise for the believing woman.

Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid.

Excerpt from the book: “The Characteristics of a Righteous Wife in Light of the Quran and Sunnah.”

Footnotes:

• 1
  Taysīr Al-Karīm Ar-Rahmān (1/344)
• 2
  Al-Bayhaqī in As-Sunan (7/82) and declared sahīh by Al-Albānī in As-Sahīhah (nos. 1849 and 1850).
• 3
  Muslim (no. 2588).
• 4
  Ibn Hibbān in his Sahīh (6/184—Ihsān), and others. Declared sahīh by Al-Albānī due to witnessing narrations, see Ādāb Az-Zifāf (no. 287).