The ideal Muslimah : the true Islamic personality of the Muslim woman as defined in the Qur'an and sunnah = Shakhsiyat al-mar®ah al-Muslimah

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Nusaybah bint Ka`b (may Allah be pleased with her) was among the best of companions. She, along with her family, are appreciated for humanitarian and charitable deeds. Who was Nusaybah?

Victorious in the end, the Muslim fighters’ many lessons learned at the Battle of Uhud are forever recorded. Etched in that record is the role that Nusaybah and her family played in defending the beloved of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). There is no doubt that the woman’s deep sense of cleanliness reflects on her home, her husband and her children, because it is by virtue of her concern for cleanliness that they will be clean and tidy. Throughout history, Muslim women have played a vital role in various aspects of the development of their community. However, no one else holds the special title of being the defender of the Prophet himself, as Nusaybah did. She withstood the pain of multiple wounds to ensure that no harm would reach the Prophet. The Muslim woman takes good care of her body, promoting its good health and strength. She is active, not flabby or overweight. So she does not eat to excess; she eats just enough to maintain her health and energy. This is in accordance with the guidance of Allah (SWT) in the Qur’an:The Muslim woman also steers clear of drugs and stimulants, especially those which are clearly known to be haram, and she avoids the bad habits that many women have fallen into in societies that have deviated from the guidance of Allah (SWT) and His Messenger, such as staying up late at night to waste time in idle pursuits. The Prophet (PBUH) considered an unkempt and careless appearance, and scruffy clothes and furnishings, to be forms of ugliness, which is hated and forbidden by Islam. Al Hashimi, Muhammad Ali. The Ideal Muslimah: The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Translated by Nasiruddin Al Khattab. Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, 1997. A thousand years later, the non-Muslim world had still not reached the level of cleanliness that the Muslims had reached.

Also, what’s with the writing of hadith that requires everything to be in one paragraph?? It’s confusing. One thing I never expect from the books are the stories. Other than Quran verses and popular hadiths, there are also many stories that support the topic discussed that actually interesting and surprising in a way. One of the stories I want people to read is this one, that is in the section “She (Muslim woman) may attend the jama’ah prayer in the mosque”. Muslim also reports from `Urwah (May Allah be pleased with her) via `Ata’: “We heard her using the siwak . . .” The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) came to visit us, and saw a man who was wearing dirty clothes. He said, `Could this person not find anything with which to wash his clothes?'” I would say this book is definitely a keeper. It's translated to be an easy read for Muslimahs striving to better themselves. It covers all aspects of a woman's life, beginning with her relationship with the Lord, and moving on the family, neighbors, and society at large. The author uses beautiful verses from the Quran and hadiths to support a point.

At times, I found the explanations to be repetitive, especially when it was common sense. Perhaps the repetitiveness was to reiterate how easy it is to be a good Muslimah and to put greater emphasis on what is an 'Ideal Muslimah.'

The Messenger of Allah said: “No, for he has repented to Allah” —I think he said, “with an act of repentance so great that if the people of Madinah were to repent in this way, it would be accepted from them.” Islam encourages the Muslims to stand out among people, readily distinguishable by their dress, appearance and behaviour, so that they will be a good example, worthy of the great message that they bring to humanity. According to the hadith narrated by the great Sahabi Ibn al-Hanzaliyyah, the Prophet (PBUH) told his Companions, when they were travelling to meet some brothers in faith: Books on early Islamic history praise the contributions of the male companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is crucial that we seek to study the contributions of the female companions of the Prophet as well.There are parts that every Muslim should have known, such as worship Allah, regularly prays five times a day, pays zakah, fasts in Ramadan (and another nafl fasts), Hajj, and so on. There are also parts that I was surprised to find, such as how Muslims should mind their mind, body, and soul, because in my social media feed, all those Muslim accounts mostly discuss about soul (power of ikhlas, etc), marriage (the most popular topic), etc. They rarely talk about mind and body. This book emphasise the importance of taking care of your body, cleanliness, and good appearance (within the Islamic rule). The book also talks about how we should never stop studying, both the deen or the “secular” knowledge that will benefit society.