The Status of the Ummahat al Mu’minin

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَىٰ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ ۗ

The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers.^[1]

In essence, a believer’s mothers are the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while his father is the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.^[2] The Muhajirin and the Ansar are his brothers and those implied in the Qur’anic supplication:

رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ

Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.^[3]

This is the Ahlul Bayt (Household) of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Anyone who disparages even one of the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam will be said to be void of iman, because if he were a believer in the true sense of the word, he would never have disparaged the Mothers of the Believers; a son does not speak ill of his mother.

This motherhood is the same as biological motherhood as far as the rights of respect and honour are concerned, and also as a means of being proud of one’s ancestry. Can anyone boast of having a nobler mother than those whom the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam chose to be his spouses? In fact, they were selected by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala Himself, as Allah says:

لَا يَحِلُّ لَكَ النِّسَاءُ مِنْ بَعْدُ وَلَا أَنْ تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ رَقِيبًا

Not lawful to you, [O Muhammad], are [any additional] women after [this], nor [is it] for you to exchange them for [other] wives, even if their beauty were to please you, except what your right hand possesses. And ever is Allah, over all things, an Observer.^[4]

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala stated regarding Sayyidah Zainab bint Jahsh radiya Llahu ‘anha:

فَلَمَّا قَضَىٰ زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا لِكَيْ لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا ۚ وَكَانَ أَمْرُ اللَّهِ مَفْعُولًا

So when Zaid had no longer any need for her, We married her to you in order that there not be upon the believers any discomfort [i.e. guilt] concerning the wives of their adopted sons when they no longer have need of them. And ever is the command of Allah accomplished.^[5]

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala said regarding their superiority over the women of the world:

يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ ۚ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ

O wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, you are not like anyone among women, if you fear Allah.^[6]

Such is their distinctiveness that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala forbade any of the believers from ever marrying them just as it is prohibited for a son to marry his biological mother. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَنْ تَنْكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمًا

And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity.^[7]

The Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is harmed by any word or action that would hurt his wives, to such an extent that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala even instructed the believers to only address them from behind a veil. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah.^[8]

When this is the level of honour that has been accorded to the Ummahat al Mu’minin, what can be said about those who disparage them, curse them, and attribute to them that which does not befit their noble status? Shortly after the above-mentioned verses, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ أَدْنَىٰ أَنْ يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.^[9]

Then Allah issues a stern warning:

لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ الْمُنَافِقُونَ وَالَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ وَالْمُرْجِفُونَ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ لَنُغْرِيَنَّكَ بِهِمْ ثُمَّ لَا يُجَاوِرُونَكَ فِيهَا إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease and those who spread rumours in Madinah do not cease, We will surely incite you against them; then they will not remain your neighbours therein except for a little.^[10]

This refers to the rumours these hypocrites were spreading concerning the marriage of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to Sayyidah Zainab radiya Llahu ‘anha. She was previously the wife of his adopted son, Zaid radiya Llahu ‘anhu, whose mention was made in the verses cited previously. This verse indicates that criticism of the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is amongst the traits of the hypocrites, and the believers have been sternly warned against imitating them.

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala clarified in this Surah that He will not accept any justification for slandering the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The perpetrator abandons the Qur’an and Sunnah and follows the path of the whimsical and foolish, whom they take as their masters and dignitaries. If he does not repent and dies in this condition:

يَوْمَ تُقَلَّبُ وُجُوهُهُمْ فِي النَّارِ يَقُولُونَ يَا لَيْتَنَا أَطَعْنَا اللَّهَ وَأَطَعْنَا الرَّسُولَاوَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا

The Day their faces will be turned about in the Fire, they will say, “How we wish we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger.” And they will say, “Our Lord, indeed we obeyed our masters and our dignitaries, and they led us astray from the [right] way.”^[11]

Is attributing to them that which does not befit their noble status a meritorious deed? Or is it one of the most heinous crimes? Just imagine for a moment—while you curse ‘Aisha and Hafsah radiya Llahu ‘anhuma—that you are standing in front of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and he is looking at you and listening to your words… How does it feel now? Imagine what the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would be thinking of you?

NEXT⇒ The Wives of the Prophet are the Most Superior of all Women

^[1] Surah al Ahzab: 6.

^[2] This parentage is allegorical on account of the hadith of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “I am to you (the believers) like a father.” (Sunan Abi Dawood, Hadith: 8.)

^[3] Surah al Hashr: 10.

^[4] Surah al Ahzab: 52.

^[5] Surah al Ahzab: 37.

^[6] Surah al Ahzab: 32.

^[7] Surah al Ahzab: 53.

^[8] Surah al Ahzab: 53.

^[9] Surah al Ahzab: 59.

^[10] Surah al Ahzab: 60.

^[11] Surah al Ahzab: 66-67.

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