The Concealment Of Women - Hazrat Maulana Yunus Patel (Rahmatullahi 'alayh)

[amaturrahmaan]

Bismihi Ta'ala

 

 

 

Throughout the Qur`aan Shareef, besides the name of Hazrat Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) there is no name mentioned of any other woman; and yet there are so many verses relating to women; in fact an entire Surah has been named ‘An-Nisaa’ (The Women).

 

When the Beloved wife of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam), Hazrat Ayesha (رَضِىَ الله عَنْهَا) was slandered, Allah Ta’ala revealed 10 verses in Surah Noor^[1], proving her innocence. However, her name is not mentioned.

 

Allah Ta’ala mentions the wife of Hazrat Nuh (عَليْهِ السَّلام) and the wife of Hazrat Lut (عَليْهِ السَّلام) as Disbelievers.

 

 

ضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوا امْرَأَتَ نُوْحٍ وَّامْرَأَتَ لُوْطٍ ^ط كَانَتَا تَحْتَ عَبْدَيْنِ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا صَالِحَيْنِ فَخَانَتٰهُمَا فَلَمْ يُغْنِيَا عَنْهُمَا مِنَ اللّٰهِ شَيْئًا وَّقِيْلَ ادْخُلَا النَّارَ مَعَ الدّٰخِلِيْنَ ◌

 

 “Allah sets for an example to the Unbelievers,  the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut : They were (respectively) under two of Our righteous servants but they betrayed their husbands (i.e. in regard to matters of Truth ) and they profited nothing before Allah on their account, but were told : ‘Enter the Fire along with (others) that enter!’”

[surah Tahreem 66 : 10]

 

The mother of Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) is mentioned as ‘Imraan’s wife’.  The vow she took, when she had conceived, has been mentioned in the Qur`aan Shareef as follows:

 

إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتُ عِمْرٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّىْ نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِىْ بَطْنِىْ مُحَرَّرًا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىْ ^ج إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيْعُ الْعَلِيْمُ ◌
 

“When ‘Imraan’s wife said : ‘O my Lord, I have vowed what is in my stomach to be exclusively for you. So accept (it) from me. You, certainly You, are The All Hearing, The All Knowing.”

[surah Aal-‘Imraan 3 : 35]

 

Hazrat Aasiya (عَليْهَا السَّلام) is mentioned as ‘the wife of Fir’aun’.

 

وَضَرَبَ اللّٰهُ مَثَلًا لِّلَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا امْرَأَتَ فِرْعَوْنَ ^م إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِىْ عِنْدَكَ بَيْتًا فِى الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِىْ 

مِنْ فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهٖ وَنَجِّنِىْ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِيْنَ ۙ
 

“And Allah sets forth as an example to those who believe the wife of Fir’aun (Pharoah) : Behold she said : ‘O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to You,  a house in Paradise, and save me from Fir’aun and his doings and save me  from those who do wrong.’”

[surah Tahreem 66 : 11]

 

Allah Ta’ala mentions only Hazrat Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) by name.

 

وَمَرْيَمَ ابْنَتَ عِمْرٰنَ الَّتِىْٓ أَحْصَنَتْ فَرْجَهَا فَنَفَخْنَا فِيْهِ مِنْ رُّوْحِنَا وَصَدَّقَتْ بِكَلِمٰتِ رَبِّهَا وَكُتُبِهٖ وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْقٰنِتِيْنَ◌

 

“And Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imraan, who guarded her chasity…”

[surah Tahreem 66 : 12]

 

Why has Allah Ta’ala specifically mentioned the name of Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام)?

 

Besides proving the purity and chastity of Hazrat Maryam (عَليْهَا السَّلام) against the false accusations of the Jews, as mentioned in Surah An-Nisaa:

 

وَبِكُفْرِهِمْ وَقَوْلِهِمْ عَلٰى مَرْيَمَ بُهْتَانًا عَظِيْمًا ۙ
 

‘…That they uttered against Maryam, a grave false charge.’

(i.e. that she was unchaste)

[surah An-Nisaa 4 : 156]

 

 

Allah Ta’ala presents her elevated rank in Surah Aal-Imraan :

 

وَإِذْ قَالَتِ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ يٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصْطَفَاكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَاصْطَفَاكِ عَلٰى نِسَآءِ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ◌

 

‘Behold! The angels said : ‘O Maryam, Allah has chosen you and purified you – chosen you above the women of all nations.”

 [surah Aal-Imraan 3 : 42]

 

 

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (رَضِىَ الله عَنْهُ) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) once said : ‘The most highly esteemed women of Paradise will be Hazrat Khadeeja, daughter of Khuwailid; and Faatima, daughter of Muhammad (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam); and Maryam, daughter of Imraan; and Aasiya, daughter of Muzaahim; the wife of Fir’aun.’ (Ahmad)

 

 

Allah Ta’ala mentions Hazrat Maryam by name in the Qur`aan Shareef, stating very clearly the miraculous birth of Hazrat ‘Eesa (عَليْهِ السَّلام). By mentioning ‘Eesa (عَليْهِ السَّلام) as the son of Maryam – ‘Eesa Ibn Maryam’,Allah Ta’ala highlights the fact that Hazrat ‘Eesa  (عَليْهِ السَّلام) is not the son of any father.

 

اسْمُهُ الْمَسِيْحُ عِيْسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيْهًا فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ وَمِنَ الْمُقَرَّبِيْنَ ۙ
 

“…his name will be ‘Eesa the son of Maryam, held in honour in this world and the Hereafter and of those nearest to Allah.”

[surah Aal-Imraan 3   : 45]

 

This also teaches us a very important lesson : Allah Ta’ala has granted women, respect and honour, and He wants them to guard this. Therefore, if there is no real need to reveal her name, then it should not fly around in newspapers, magazines, faxes, over Radio stations, on car number plates, etc.

 

There is no harm in revealing a woman’s name when there is a need to do so. For example, the names of many, many women have been mentioned in the Ahaadeeth of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam), including that of Rasulullah’s (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi waSallam) wives and daughters. There was a genuine need for this since there had to be verification of Ahaadeeth and so forth.

 

In our times of fitnah^[2] and high crime, the concealment of a woman’s name is for her own protection, from the mischief of pranksters and other evil-minded people. There is no lack of evidence to prove the harassment, so many women have faced, who published their names, addresses, telephone numbers, and photographs in newspapers and magazines.

 

Beside the above protection that such concealment offers, it is also a protection from the efforts made by nafs, in seeking ‘name and fame’ – which has become a common motive behind many, both men and women, announcing and publishing name, qualifications, and so forth. This love for ‘name and fame’ is a sickness of the spiritual heart, which renders deeds unacceptable in the Court of Allah Ta’ala. One has to be very much on guard against the snares of nafs and shaytaan.

 

As has been mentioned, there is no sin if this is required or the intention is not “name and fame”.

 

 

[1] Surah Noor : Verses 11 - 20

[2] Fitnah : Trial (It also implies corruption, mischief, etc.)