Woman Between Islam and Western Society
5. Position of Woman in the Islamic Shari‘ah
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Muhammad, because the circumstances of his life
were such that he needed someone of superlative
virtue, who would put herself and her property
entirely in his hands without ever raising her voice
in complaint. She did, indeed, give up everything
— her life, her property, her leisure and her
comfort — for the sake of the Holy Prophet.
Although her life, as a result, was one of severe
affliction, she was never heard to protest. It was
these qualities then that made her worthy in the
eyes of God to become the life companion of His
Final Prophet. What was the underlying cause of
her superiority? Here are two parts of the
hadith
which throw some light on this.
‘Aishah says that the only other wife of the Prophet
that she ever felt envious of was Khadijah, even
though she was not a contemporary of hers.
“Whenever the Prophet sacrificed a goat,” says
‘Aishah, “he would tell me to send some meat to
Khadijah’s friends.” One day I became annoyed,
“Oh no, not Khadijah again!” I exclaimed,
whereupon the Prophet replied, “I have been
intoxicated with her love.”
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