History has witnessed to itself many women. In each era, thousands of women with different types and manners have come into existence. However, some of them have stood out among the others, and some others have somehow ended up in off beam and have left a dark account. Some have become\u00a0fair role models\u00a0among the women of their time, or even for all ages, and some other have become great\u00a0examples to be avoided.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \n<\/p>\n\n
Looking at the outstanding women of history, the names of four great ladies become distinctive. The Great Prophet of Islam\u00a0(PBUH&HP)\u00a0reveals the name of these four ladies, in his glorious words: \n<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe most excellent women of all times consist of,\u00a0Maryam\/Mary\u00a0daughter of Imran,\u00a0Asiah\u00a0daughter of Muzahim,\u00a0Khadijah\u00a0daughter of Khuwaylid, and\u00a0Fatimah\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0daughter of Muhammad\u00a0(PBUH&HP).\u201d\u00a0(1) \n<\/p>\n\n
On the other hand, God, in the 10th\u00a0verse of the Surah of Tahrim, points to two women as examples of infidel women: \n<\/p>\n\n
\u201cAllah sets forth an example for those who disbelieve, the wife of Nuh\/Noah and the wife of Lout\/Lot. They were under two of our righteous servants, but they both betrayed their husbands.\u201d\u00a0(2) \n<\/p>\n\n
But what really makes these four ladies the most excellent of all women? Is it because they are wives to great persons? It must not be the case. The husband of Asiah\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0was a ruthless and infidel person like the Pharaoh. On the other hand, the Holy Quran points to two sinister women that both were wives to divine Prophets. So what is the secret of greatness of these or viciousness of those women? Analyzing the biography of the four foremost excellent women, one main reason of their superiority becomes clear, furthermore it can lead us to the reason why the two others, pointed by the Holy Quran, are examples of vicious women. \n<\/p>\n\n
The biographies of these ladies reveal that one of the main causes of their brilliancy is their\u00a0faith in God, and\u00a0obedience\u00a0and their unconditional support for the true leader of\u00a0their time. The pages of history clearly testify that Asiah\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0toward Prophet Moses, Lady Maryam\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0toward Prophet Jesus\u00a0(PBUH), Lady Khadijah\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0toward the Great Prophet of Islam\u00a0(PBUH&HP), and Lady Fatimah toward Amir al-Mu\u2019minin\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0all had complete conformity, obedience, and unreserved support. \n<\/p>\n\n
Let\u2019s now set aside the care and support of the other three ladies to the leader of their times. The joint life of Lady Khadijah\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0and the Prophet of Allah\u00a0(PBUH&HP)\u00a0is, from the very beginning until the end, indicative of luminous aspects of the personality of this Quraishi lady. A lady whom, in spite of the significant rank she enjoyed among the Arabs, being the richest person in the Arabian peninsula, became the target of harsh laments by the ignorant women with pre-Islamic traits, to the extent which at the time of giving birth to Lady Fatimah\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0rudely left her and did not help her. But such pressures that only rooted in Lady Khadijah\u2019s\u00a0(PBUH)\u00a0embracing of the Islamic faith, and her marriage to the Great Prophet\u00a0(PBUH&HP), never made her hesitant in her decision, and she always remained in the line of\u00a0supporters of the Prophethood and Islam. \n<\/p>\n\n
An example of such supports was the time, which the Muslims were under severe economical sanctions from the infidels, and had to stay in the defile (Shi\u2019b) of Abi-Talib, under harshest conditions in the hot desert. Lady Khadijah\u00a0(PBUH), around the age of sixty, was definitely not in an age to be able to easily bear the hardships of those days. However, the fact is that she was a caring reliever for the Great Prophet\u00a0(PBUH&HP), and it was she that in those condition offered her\u00a0entire wealth\u00a0to the Great Prophet\u00a0(PBUH&HP)\u00a0so purely that at the end of her life she passed away while almost at complete poverty that she could not afford to have even grave clothes (shroud)\u2026 \n<\/p>\n\n
Yes, a strong faith in God, and her devotion to her true leader, was the most important reasons that made her bear the hardships so easily, and made her one of the four foremost superior ladies of all times. \n<\/p>\n\n
(Selection taken from the book \u201cLady Khadijah\u00a0(PBUH), the Wife of the Prophet; the Example of Altruism and Resistance\u201d, by Muhammad Muhammadi Ishtehardi) \n<\/p>\n\n
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Footnotes:<\/p>\n\n
1-\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe best women in the world are Maryam bint Imran, Asiyah bint Muzahim, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, and Fatima bint Muhammad (may God bless him and his family and grant them peace).\u201d \n<\/p>\n\n
1. Shia references: I\u2019lam al-Wara be A\u2019lam al-Huda, p. 148 \n<\/p>\n\n
Sunni references: Sahih al-Tirmadhi, vol. 1, p. 31 \u2013 Musnad Ahmad Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 135 \u2013 Tafsir Ibn Jarir, vol. 3, p. 180 \u2013 Mustadrak, al-Sahihain, vol. 3, p. 157 \u2013 Osd al-Ghaabah, vol. 5, p. 437 \u2013 Al-Isti\u2019aab, vol. 2, p. 720 and p. 750 \u2013 Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, vol. 12, p. 441 \u2013 Kanz al-Ummal, vol. 6, p. 227 \n<\/p>\n\n
2. Allah has set forth for the unbelievers the parable of the wives of Noah and Lot. They were wedded to two of Our righteous servants, but each acted treacherously with her husband,24 and their husbands could be of no avail to them against Allah. The two of them were told: \u201cEnter the Fire with all the others who enter it.\u201d \nThe Holy Quran, (66:10) \n<\/p>\n\n
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History has witnessed to itself many women. In each era, thousands of women with different types and manners have come into existence. However, some of them have stood out among the others, and some others have somehow ended up in off beam and have left a dark account. Some have become\u00a0fair role models\u00a0among the women […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64807],"tags":[63522,64547,64551,64550,63367,64548,64463,64544,64546,64549,63410,4790],"class_list":["post-16595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-other-elders","tag-amirul-momineen","tag-asia","tag-example-pattern","tag-great-lesson","tag-hazrat-fatima-zahra","tag-hazrat-khadijah","tag-hazrat-khadijah-kobari-peace-be-upon-her","tag-lot","tag-noah","tag-obedience-prerequisite-to-prosperity-en","tag-occasion-letter","tag-4790"],"yoast_head":"\n