Year Sixteen
Issue No. 932 - 01/Jamadah-1/1432 AH
Corresponding to April 05, 2011 AD

Contents:
* Mihrab Platform:
Woman’s Jihadi and Political Role in Light of Lady Zeinab’s Biography

Mihrab Platform
Woman’s Jihadi and Political Role in Light of Lady Zeinab’s Biography

The main axes of the subject:
1- Full partner in everything
2- When necessity urges
3- Who do women imitate?
4- Bintil Huda, in the steps of her grandmother

Purpose:

We will explain the role that woman can play in fields to preserve the journey while giving attention to the rules of Islam.

Exporting the subject:

Imam al Khomeini (RIP) said: “Women must take part in social and political activities equally with men while preserve the affairs that Islam commanded her with.¹

Full partner in everything:

Some people might think that the categorization which exists in most domains of life with their different dimensions and that man taking the first seat in the roles of certain domains of life makes him the only landlord and the owner of the privilege and preference regarding those domains. These are the achievements of the nations and societies in being liberated from submission and subjugation, accomplishing sovereign and independence, achieving the political systems that make the public proud, and accomplishing growth and prosperity on the level of uncovering the tendencies and capacities that are stored with the generations as well as achieving the civilized and civil progression of life in general.

However, equity and contemplation necessitate that one recognizes the existence of direct roles that some people execute and that there are indirect roles regarding the aforementioned fields. No achievement can be made on the level of the different dimensions of life in general without the unity of these roles.

Moreover, the issues, when relating to the categorization of the society, tell us that woman – who equals half the society – represents the base on which the roles of all the sections of the nation rise.

Although she is not required to take part or play a role in a field of the military type, yet her reward that she obtains behind her family work and social role does not lessen in value. Moreover, she can even excel the role of the Mujahid and martyr. The examples regarding this domain are numerous.

One example was Asma’a Bint Yazid al Ansariyah, who brought to the prophet (a.s.) questions that could be thought by someone as being recent or brought up by modern civilization. She said:

“Yes you – groups of men – were preferred by taking part in group prayers, paying quick visit to patients, attending funerals, going to Hajj year after year, while we sew your clothes and raised your children. Hence the question, what is our share in your reward O messenger of Allah?

The prophet (a.s.) looked at her and said:

“Go away woman and tell the women behind you that each one of you playing the role of a good wife, asking her husband’s satisfaction and approving whatever he approves equal all of that. Hence, the woman left while she hailed and exclaimed the greatness of Allah with happiness.”²

Scholar al Tabtabaei said after this speech commenting (in brief): “A woman’s feeling of being deprived from the virtue of Jihad in the way of Allah was not neglected by Islam. Instead, it followed in succession and was given a value that equals merits and virtues of real pride even though some of these tasks are being devalued in significance in our present time. The cause for this issue is that our society is being influenced by cultures and educations that are distanced from Islam. In fact, Islam evaluates the issues according to their true values, where the human merits compete for the satisfaction of Allah (The Exalted). Let each one take its path and perform its designed role, only then, all human services will be equal and their tasks will be balanced.

For example, Islam did not give merit to only martyrdom in the battlefield and self sacrifice – although it proves a great virtue – but also a woman abiding by her marital task is also of equal virtue.”³

When necessity calls:

The aforementioned represents the attitude of Islam. However, this does not mean that, when necessity calls and a greater cause invites all the sections of the society, a woman should stay at home. On the contrary, the active partnership of woman represents a conclusive element in protecting the greater causes and in taking the procession to its destination.

Nevertheless, woman exiting her home to perform different jobs and roles come with great responsibility and extreme caution that must be considered.

The fulfiller of the dream of prophets, Imam al Khomeini (RIP) said: “Today, women must take their social roles and religious commitments while preserving their general coyness. In shade of the general chasteness, they can practice their social and political activities.”⁴

The Imam (RIP) says in a different position:

“Like men’s obligation in contributing to the political causes and preserving their society, women also must participate and preserve the society. Women must participate in the social and political activities equally with men but of course by preserving the affairs that Islam commanded.”⁵

Who do women imitate?

The paradigm that must be adopted must possess the qualities of perfection within it to the highest levels of manifestation and illumination. In addition, woman’s progression and involvement in the general fields must simulate the example of preserving Islam in the course as well as acknowledge its rules. Such example must also be aware and reach its peak in recognizing the gravity of the stage and the role coupled with the required patience, altruism and generosity without allowing the intimidating scenes and enormity of losses weaken its will or divert its commitment. Imam al Khomeini (RIP) speaks of the role of the mother of the children of Hashim regarding this field:

“They must take the stance, which Zeinab (a.s.) took after that greatest tragedy, dwarfing all other calamities with her challenge against blasphemy and hypocrisy. That incident clarified issues in their most beautiful images.”⁶

He adds regarding the achievements and virtues of Zeinab (a.s.):

"We have repeatedly seen that great women raised their voices, such as Zeinab (a.s.), saying they sacrificed their children and all their beloved ones in the way of Allah (The Exalted) and dear Islam, and they were proud of it.”⁷

Wasn’t that the case of all the mothers of Mujahideen who have become martyrs? How the mothers, sisters and wives played the role of fearlessness and great sacrifice, then after the martyrdom of the Mujahid, they continued to play the role to preserve the journey of Jihad and generosity? They learned all that from Zeinab (a.s.).

The Imam (RIP) says: “The woman that challenged the tyrant – Yazid Bin Muawiyah, had men talked, he would have killed them all – stood in his face, blaming him without any fear. She stood and addressed Yazid making him feel that he was not a human being nor he had any relation to humanity. Women must be endowed with such courage.”⁸

Bintil Huda, in the steps of her grandmother:

One of the best examples that followed in the steps of her great grandmother Zeinab (a.s.) was Sayyidah Bintil Huda al Sadr, the sister of the martyred authority, Sayyid Muhammad Baqir al Sadr (RIP). She accompanied her brother on his way of struggle to his destiny of martyrdom. Hence, she offered herself in oblation and stood like a rising tower against a tyrant autocrat. She did not weaken or wean on a day when the supporters and partisans were scarce.

She (RIP) says: “The time of silence has gone. Why should I be silent while seeing a wronged authority fall in the hands of these criminals…? Allah witnesses that I wish martyrdom for his sake… It is equal to me whether I live or die as long as I am certain that my attitude was merely for the way of Allah and for his own satisfaction.”⁹

1- Woman’s position in the ideology of Imam al Khomeini (RIP), P. 101-102
2- Al Dorr al Manthour, by al Sayouti, Vol. 2, P. 518
3- Tafsir al Mizan, by scholar al Tabtabaei, Vol. 4, P. 35, summarized and inflected
4- Woman’s position in the ideology of Imam al Khomeini, P. 97-98
5- Meem Noun, P. 101-102
6- Woman’s position in the ideology of Imam al Khomeini, P. 68-69
7- Noon Meem, P. 69
8- Noon Meem, P. 67
9- Quoted from book “Al Shahid al Sadr, years of afflicting and days of siege”, author scholar Muhammad Ridha al No’amani, P. 218-219.