WOMEN NOTED IN THE QUR'AN
biding
by the Qur'an leads one to the right path, for "News
has come to them that contains a threat: consummate wisdom..."
(Surat al-Qamar: 4-5). In another verse, Allah reminds us that the
Qur'an's verses and accounts of past people provide many examples
and much advice: "There is instruction in
their stories for people of intelligence. This is not a narration
that has been invented, but a confirmation of all that came before,
a clarification of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for people
who believe" (Surah Yusuf: 111).
Allah mentions the devout women who submitted to Him from the depth
of their hearts so that believers could learn about their exemplary
character traits and then emulate them. Also, these verses speak
of women who persist in their unbelief despite being invited to
believe, and thus distance themselves from His mercy.
In the following pages, we will explore the good character examples
of the devout Muslim women mentioned in the Qur'an and reveal the
features of those unbelieving women who became lost in denial. We
can learn several important lessons from those who either could
not or would not comprehend the superiority of faith despite being
under the protection of Prophets.
The Good Character of Pharaoh's
Wife
Allah mentions two female role models for believers: Maryam and
Pharaoh's wife. From the very beginning of this book, we have shown
how Allah chose Maryam above all other women because of her chastity,
heart-felt devotion to Him, and strong faith in Him. The character
of Pharaoh's wife is described below:
Allah has made an example for those who believe: the wife of Pharaoh,
when she said: "My Lord, build a house in
the Garden for me in Your presence, rescue me from Pharaoh and his
deeds, and rescue me from this wrongdoing people." (Surat
at-Tahrim: 11)
Pharaoh's wife is another role model for believing women. She witnessed
from close up Pharaoh's violent nature, the extremes to which he
took his denial, and how he oppressed the Jews.
As "Pharaoh was high and mighty in the land.
He was one of the profligate" (Surah Yunus: 83) reveals,
Pharaoh was a merciless and wicked man who subjected his people
to violence. For example, he did not harm women but killed their
male children. This punishment was unbearable. All of Egypt belonged
to him, and he lived in great wealth and grandeur. No one dared
to disagree with him or rebel against him, for he was, by Egyptian
tradition, claiming to be the god of the Egyptians and the Israelites.
Allah sent Prophet Musa (as) as a reminder to Pharaoh and as a
savior to the Israelites. Upon Prophet Musa's (as)inviting the Egyptians
to Allah's true religion and calling them to forsake their idols
for Allah, Pharaoh threatened everyone that: "If
you take any god other than me, I will certainly throw you into
prison" (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 29). As a result, only a few
young people believed: "No one believed in
Musa, except for a few of his people, out of fear that Pharaoh and
the elders would persecute them" (Surah Yunus: 83). The court
magicians who answered Prophet Musa's (as) call to faith by believing
in him came face to face with Pharaoh's wicked and violent methods:
Pharaoh said: "Have you believed in him before
I authorized you to do so? This is just some plot you have concocted
in the city to drive its people from it. I will cut off your alternate
hands and feet, and then I will crucify every one of you." (Surat
al-A'raf: 123-24)
Another verse reveals the reason for such cruelty:
[The magicians said:] "You are only avenging
yourself on us because we believed in our Lord's Signs when they
came to us. Our Lord, pour down steadfastness upon us and take
us back to You as Muslims." (Surat al-A'raf: 126)
Pharaoh's wickedness toward people who rejected his rule by believing
in Allah was clearly visible. But his wife, despite knowing all
of this, did not fear Pharaoh's retribution or cruelty, for she
considered winning Allah's good pleasure, love, and closeness to
be far more important. Her devotion and submission to Him, as well
as the patience, faith, and courage that she showed while concealing
her belief under difficult circumstances, are exemplary lessons
for all believers.
In addition, it must not be forgotten that since only Pharaoh owned
all of Egypt's treasures and gifts, she was willing to give all
of these up in order to win Allah's good pleasure and living by
Islamic morality. In other words, she considered all of her husband's
possessions worthless. Her sincerity is clearly visible in her prayer:
... when she said: "My Lord, build a house in
the Garden for me in Your presence, rescue me from Pharaoh and
his deeds, and rescue me from this wrongdoing people." (Surat
at-Tahrim: 11)
Her superior character proved that she was not attached to this
worldly life but only desired Allah's good pleasure, mercy, and
Paradise. Allah relates her genuine faith as an example for all
Muslims and made her superior in both worlds.
The Devotion of Prophet Musa's
(as) Mother
Allah reveals that Pharaoh was a transgressor, a wicked ruler who
oppressed his people and slaughtered the male children of his nation:
Pharaoh exalted himself arrogantly in the land
and divided its people into camps, oppressing one group by slaughtering
their sons and letting their women live. He was one of the corrupters.
(Surat al-Qasas: 4)
Prophet Musa (as) was born in Egypt during this oppressive rule.
Allah chose him and commanded him to struggle against Pharaoh's
oppression. Allah informed his mother that she should protect him:
When We revealed to your mother: "Place him into
the box and place it upon the sea. The sea will wash it up on
the shore, where an enemy of Mine and his will pick it up." (Surah
Ta Ha: 38-39)
We revealed to Musa's mother: "Suckle him and
then when you fear for him, place him upon the sea. Do not fear
or grieve; We will return him to you and make him one of the Messengers."
(Surat al-Qasas: 7)
Allah reminded Prophet Musa's (as) mother not to fear or grieve.
Rather, she was to put her newborn baby into a box and then place
it upon the water. Carrying out such an order requires one to have
a most genuine faith and trust in Allah, not to mention submission.
But his mother was tried with such an event and passed this test,
which revealed her superior character as well as her devotion to
and trust in Him. Thus, she became an example for all believers
until the Day of Judgment.
After she had carried out His order, and knowing that this test
would try her to the limits, Allah strengthened her heart with patience
and perseverance:
Musa's mother felt a great emptiness in her heart
and she almost gave him away; only We fortified her heart so that
she would be one of the believers. (Surat al-Qasas: 10)
As the following verse reveals, Prophet Musa's (as) mother asked
his sister to follow him without being seen so that she could know
what happened to her son: "She said to his
sister, 'Go after him.' She kept an eye on him from afar, and they
were not aware" (Surat al-Qasas: 11).
Allah determined a destiny for Prophet Musa (as) and created everything
so that it would unfold as He willed. He had Prophet Musa (as),
who was to fight Pharaoh, brought to his palace and raised by his
family. Allah also had him suckled by his true mother, for his sister
advised Pharaoh's family to raise him and suggested her own mother
as his wetnurse:
We first made him refuse all wetnurses, so she
asked: "Shall I show you to a household who will feed him for
you and be good to him?" (Surat al-Qasas: 12)
Subsequently, Allah reunited Prophet Musa (as) with his mother
for the following reason:
That is how We returned him to his mother so
that she might delight her eyes and feel no grief, and so that
she would know that Allah's promise is true. But most of them
do not know this. (Surat al-Qasas: 13)
As the verse makes clear, Allah tested the devotion of Prophet
Musa's (as) mother and, in return for her patience, submission,
and strength of character, arranged events so that she could take
care of him. Allah also made this event a cause for Prophet Musa
(as), who would one day assume great responsibilities in Egypt and
fight to free the Israelites from Pharaoh's oppression, to be brought
up in Pharaoh's palace in close proximity to him. Allah reveals:
The family of Pharaoh picked him up so that he
might be an enemy and a source of grief to them. Certainly Pharaoh,
Haman, and their troops were in the wrong. (Surat al-Qasas: 8)
The wife of Pharaoh said: "A source of delight
for me and for you; do not kill him. It may well be that he will
be of use to us, or perhaps we could adopt him as a son." They
were not aware. (Surat al-Qasas: 9)
Allah creates everything according to a specific destiny and tries
people with events within this destiny. As He reveals, our Lord
gives good news to those who are patient, as in the case of Prophet
Musa's (as) mother, and will guide them to goodness with His mercy:
We will test you with a certain amount of fear
and hunger, and loss of wealth, life, and fruits. But give good
news to the steadfast. (Surat al-Baqara: 155)
The Women Prophet Musa (as)
Helped
Allah reveals that after leaving Egypt, Prophet Musa (as) went
east toward Madyan. There, he saw two women who were waiting near
a well so that their animals drink. When he asked them about this,
they told him that because their father was too old to do this job,
they had to bring their animals. However, they had to wait because
of the shepherds who were already at the water. Allah reveals this
situation:
When he arrived at the water of Madyan, he found
a crowd of people drawing water there. Standing apart from them,
he found two women holding back their sheep. He asked: "What are
you two doing here?" They said: "We cannot draw water until the
shepherds have driven off their sheep. You see, our father is
a very old man." So he drew water for them. (Surat al-Qasas: 23-24)
Their behavior shows that they were strictly chaste women who sought
to protect themselves in environments that they considered unsafe
and unbecoming. The shepherds caused them to stay away from the
well. Prophet Musa's (as) trustworthy appearance convinced the women
that it would be alright to speak with him. After learning of their
plight, he took it upon himself to help them by watering their animals.
The behavior of these two women is a good example for all Muslim
women. In spite of being in need, they preferred to guard their
chastity even though it complicated matters for them. Knowing that
it was more important to please Allah, they chose to wait. Consequently,
Allah sent them a trustworthy person to help them.
Allah gave them a great blessing by sending Prophet Musa (as) to
them, who then watered their animals and prayed:
"My Lord, I am truly in need of any good You have in store for me"
(Surat al-Qasas: 24). Later, one of the women returned and
said that her father had invited him to his house in return for
his help:
One of them came walking shyly up to him and
said: "My father invites you so that he can pay you your wage
for drawing water for us." (Surat al-Qasas: 25)
One of them said: "Hire him, father. The best
person to hire is someone strong and trustworthy." (Surat al-Qasas:
26)
Clearly she meant to inform her father that she considered Prophet
Musa (as) to be a trustworthy person. After seeing the truth of
his daughter's words, their father asked him to consider marrying
one of his daughters.
These women's behavior, especially their protection of their chastity,
is a good example for all Muslims. In return for their devotion
in this respect, Allah eased their burden with a trustworthy person
and let one of them become Prophet Musa's (as) wife.
Balqis, Queen of Saba
Thanks to Allah's grace and gifts, Prophet Sulayman (as) established
a great kingdom, one that is still admired, with his armies formed
of men and jinns. His palace was built using the most advanced technologies
of that era and displayed a great aesthetic style. The Qur'an relates
that Balqis, the queen of Saba, entered into an economical and political
dialogue with Prophet Sulayman (as). No doubt, there is much wisdom
and advice in this information for believers.
Allah reveals that a hoopoe in Prophet Sulayman's (as) army brought
him some important news about the queen of Saba:
However, it was not long delayed, and then it
[the hoopoe] said: "I have comprehended something you have not
and bring you accurate intelligence from Saba. I found a woman
ruling over them who has been given everything. She possesses
a mighty throne. I found both her and her people prostrating to
the sun instead of Allah. Satan has made their actions seem good
to them and debarred them from the Way, so they are not guided
and do not prostrate to Allah, Who brings out what is hidden in
the heavens and Earth, and knows what you conceal and what you
divulge." (Surat an-Naml: 22-25)
First, the hoopoe gave Prophet Sulayman (as) some information about
the queen's qualities: She had everything in abundance, ruled the
kingdom of Saba, and had a great throne. He drew the attention thereby
to the power of her kingdom and her rule.
Based on this information, Prophet Sulayman (as) wrote a letter
to Balqis and invited her to believe in Allah and surrender to him.
The queen immediately realized the significance of this letter and
discussed it with her inner circle. This event is related in the
Qur'an:
She said: "O council! A noble letter has been
delivered to me. It is from Sulayman and says: 'In the name of
Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Do not rise up against
me, but come to me in submission.'" She said: "O council. Give
me your opinion about this matter. It is not my habit to make
a final decision until I have heard what you have to say." (Surat
an-Naml: 29-32)
Her council responded: "We possess strength
and great force. But the matter is in your hands, so consider what
you command" (Surat an-Naml: 33). This shows that she had
great power over her kingdom.
She took up the advice of her aids and chose caution:
"When kings enter a city, they lay waste to it
and make its mightiest inhabitants the most abased. That is what
they too will do. I will send them a gift, and then wait and see
what the messengers bring back." (Surat an-Naml: 34-35)
Her primary goal was to discover his true intention. Prophet Sulayman
(as), who understood her strategy, rejected the gifts and sent her
another message:
[Sulayman said to the messenger:] "Return to
them. We will come to them with troops they cannot face, and will
expel them from it abased and humiliated." (Surat an-Naml: 37)
He warned her once more of his army's irresistible power and warned
her to surrender. He also requested that his army's leaders bring
her throne to him, for it symbolized her rule. A demon from among
the jinns brought it in the time it takes to blink, and Prophet
Sulayman (as) then had it altered. When Balqis finally came to him,
he asked her whether this throne belonged to her:
Then when she came, she was asked: "Is your throne
like this?" She said: "It is exactly like it. We were given the
knowledge before it, and we were submissive." And what she worshipped
besides Allah impeded her. She was from an unbelieving people.
(Surat an-Naml: 42-43)
In spite of being from a land of sun worshippers, the queen of
Saba was quite affected by the genuine manner of Prophet Sulayman's
(as) letter, his rational style, power, and most impressive palace.
All of this led her to believe and become a Muslim. Allah reveals
her submission to him:
She was told: "Enter the courtyard." But when
she saw it, she supposed it to be a pool and bared her legs. He
said: "It is a courtyard paved with glass." She said: "My Lord,
I have wronged myself, but I have submitted with Sulayman to the
Lord of all the worlds." (Surat an-Naml: 44)

Nicholaus
Kn�pfer's "The Queen of Sheba before Solomon," oil painting
measuring 73.5 x 81 cm, is displayed in the Hermitage Museum,
St. Petersburg, Russia. |
This account of the queen of Saba and Prophet Sulayman (as) contains
wisdom and advice. The queen's ability to reason correctly enabled
her to see the truth and act accordingly. In spite of her very different
beliefs, she surrendered to Allah and believed in Him without hesitation
when she realized the truth. This is an example of exemplary behavior.
Women in Denial: The Wives
of Prophet Lut (as) and Prophet Nuh (as)
The Qur'an also relates information about two women who denied
Him and so met their final fate: an abode in Hell. They had something
very important in common: Their husbands were Prophets.
Prophets were people chosen by Allah, Who honored them by making
them His Messengers and increasing their physical as well as mental
abilities. For this reason, it is very important to note that the
wives of Prophet Nuh (as) and Prophet Lut (as) did not believe,
despite knowing that Prophets acted only according to true revelation
and witnessing their husbands' genuine belief, good character, wise
speech, and rational decisions. These two women, however, later
became ungrateful and betrayed them. Allah says:
Allah has made an example for those who are an
unbelieving people: the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut. They
were married to two of Our servants who were believers, but they
betrayed them and were not helped at all against Allah. They were
told: "Enter the Fire along with all who enter it." (Surat at-Tahrim:
10)
Despite their closeness to these Prophets loved by Allah and winners
of His good pleasure and Paradise, these women did not benefit from
Allah's mercy. Moreover, their insincerity caused them to call His
wrath upon themselves. For example, Prophet Lut's (as) wife was
destroyed along with her unbelieving people:
The only response of his people was to say: "Drive
the family of Lut out of your city! They are people who keep themselves
pure!" So We rescued him and his family-except for his wife. We
ordained her to be one of those who stayed behind. We rained down
a rain upon them. How evil is the rain of those who are warned!
(Surat an-Naml: 56-58)
[The angels said:] "We are going to destroy the
people of this city. Truly its inhabitants are wrongdoers." He
[Ibrahim] said: "Lut is in it." They said: "We know very well
who is in it. We are going to rescue him and his family-except
for his wife. She will be one of those who stay behind." When
Our messengers [angels] came to Lut, he was distressed on their
account, feeling incapable of protecting them. They said: "Do
not fear and do not grieve. We are going to rescue you and your
family-except for your wife; she will be one of those who stay
behind. We will bring down on the inhabitants of this city a devastating
punishment from heaven because of their deviance." (Surat al-'Ankabut:
31-34)
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Both of these women were given a great opportunity in life by becoming
the wives of Prophets. But neither women could convert this opportunity
into a great reward in both worlds, and so they did not attain such
heights. For this reason, they experienced Allah's wrath and were
debased and belittled.
The Wife of the Egyptian
Governor
The Qur'an mentions the wife of an Egyptian governor. As a result
of a conspiracy hatched by his brothers, Prophet Yusuf (as) was
sold by a trader to this Egyptian governor. Allah reveals the circumstances
of his arrival in this household:
The Egyptian who had bought him told his wife:
"Look after him with honor and respect. It's possible he will
be of use to us, or perhaps we might adopt him as a son." And
thus We established Yusuf in the land to teach him the true meaning
of events. Allah is in control of His affair. However, most of
humanity does not know. And then when he became a full-grown man,
We gave him knowledge and right judgement too. That is how We
reward all doers of good. (Surah Yusuf: 21-22)
Allah placed Prophet Yusuf (as) in this household. When he reached
adulthood, Allah bestowed knowledge and wisdom on him, taught him
how to interpret dreams, gave him preference over all others, and
supported him with His grace.
Allah tested Prophet Yusuf (as) in the following manner: The governor's
wife tried to seduce him. As the verses reveal, she shut the doors
and made certain demands. However, Prophet Yusuf (as) took refuge
in Allah so that he would not commit such a sin, and turned away.
In order to change her intentions, he reminded her of her husband,
who was his master, and said that he was content with him as a master
and therefore could not betray him. He also told her that evildoers
would not find salvation and that what she desired was evil. Allah
relates the entire event in the following verse:
The woman whose house it was solicited him. She
barred the doors and said: "Come over here." He said: "Allah is
my refuge! He is my lord and has been good to me with where I
live. Those who do wrong will surely not succeed." (Surah Yusuf:
23)
Fully aware of the limits established for humanity by Allah, Prophet
Yusuf (as) rebuffed her advances:
She wanted him and he would have wanted her,
had he not seen the Clear Proof of his Lord. That happened so
that We might avert from him all evil and lust. He was Our chosen
servant. (Surah Yusuf: 24)
During this confrontation, the woman's husband entered the room.
To preserve her reputation, the woman lied and, despite Prophet
Yusuf's (as) chaste and devout behavior, accused him of trying to
seduce her, and demanded that he be punished. The Qur'anic account
relates:
They raced to the door. She tore his shirt at
the back. They met her husband by the door. She asked: "How should
a man whose intention was to harm your family be punished for
what he did, except with prison or painful punishment?" (Surah
Yusuf: 25)
Clearly, she had an evil character and did not fear or respect
Allah, for she sought to betray her husband by committing a sin
and slandering an innocent man so that he, and not she, would be
punished. This also indicates that her selfish desire overrode her
conscience.
In the face of these dangerous accusations, Prophet Yusuf (as)
told the truth: "It was she who tried to seduce me" (Surah Yusuf:
26). One of the woman's relatives made a suggestion about how to
ascertain the truth:
A witness from her people then declared: "If
his shirt is torn in front, she speaks the truth and he has clearly
told a shameless lie. If his shirt is torn at the back, then she
has lied and he has clearly told the simple truth." (Surah Yusuf:
26-27)
Following this suggestion, her husband saw that Prophet Yusuf's
(as) shirt was torn from behind. Therefore, it became evident that
Prophet Yusuf (as) had been running toward the door and that his
wife had been chasing him. Allah reveals the governor's response:
He saw the shirt torn at the back and said: "The
source of this is women's deviousness. Without a doubt, your guile
is very great. Yusuf, ignore all of this. And you, my wife, should
ask forgiveness for your evil act. There is no doubt that you
are in the wrong." (Surah Yusuf: 28-29)
As these verses make clear, the governor knew that Prophet Yusuf
(as) was innocent. However, this was not the end of this affair.
As the following verse reveals, word of this incident spread outside
the palace: "Some city women said: 'The governor's
wife solicited her servant. He's fired her heart with love. We see
that she's the one to blame'" (Surah Yusuf: 30). These women
were aware that Prophet Yusuf (as) was not to blame, but that the
governor's wife was. When the wife realized that she was the talk
of the town, she began to hatch another scheme.
Seeking to prove that she could not be faulted for desiring Prophet
Yusuf (as) who, as the verses reveal, was extremely handsome, she
sought to make them partners in her shameful deed. She invited the
women to her home. When they arrived, they were given fruit knives
so that they could peel their fruit. Then she told Prophet Yusuf
(as) to enter the room and watched their reactions. When they saw
him, they were so stunned by his handsomeness that they cut themselves.
Allah reveals:
But when she heard of their malicious talk, she
sent for them and made a sumptuous meal. Then she gave a knife
to each of them. She said [to Yusuf]: "Go out to them." When they
saw him, they were amazed by him and cut their hands. They exclaimed:
"Allah preserve us! This is no man. What can this be but a noble
angel here!" (Surah Yusuf: 31)
Prophet Yusuf's (as) handsomeness made these women remember Allah,
and so they praised Him for the beauty He had created. They claimed
that such beauty could not be human and that Yusuf (as) must be
an angel. The governor's wife admitted to them that she had sought
to seduce him and that he had tried to remain chaste. Nevertheless,
she repeated her desire for him in their presence once more:
She said: "You see! It's him you blamed me for.
I tried to seduce him, but he refused. If he does not do what
I order him, he will be put in prison and brought low." (Surah
Yusuf: 32)
Her behavior exposed her wicked and ugly character. Maybe she thought
that she could get away with it because of her status and wealth.
She made an ugly offer, and Prophet Yusuf (as) countered it by seeking
refuge with Allah from her:
My Lord, the prison is preferable to me than
what they call on me to do. Unless You turn their guile away from
me, it may well be that I will fall for them and so become a man
of ignorance. (Surah Yusuf: 33)
Allah answered his prayer and removed this conspiracy against him.
The governor and all of the women who witnessed his wife's offer,
despite knowing that Prophet Yusuf (as) was innocent, chose to side
with injustice and acted without conscience: The governor ordered
Prophet Yusuf (as) to be imprisoned. He remained there for many
years, as Allah reveals: "Then, after they
had seen the Signs, they thought that they should still imprison
him for a time" (Surah Yusuf: 35). Allah thwarted the women's
schemes and, in return for his devotion and sincerity to Him, freed
Prophet Yusuf (as) from prison, proclaimed his innocence, and made
him a leader in Egypt.
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These events contain a great deal of information that all believers
should ponder. The actions of the Egyptian governor's wife and the
other women clearly show how the unbelievers' conspiracies affect
believers, just how determined these misguided people can be, and
how they can rationalize their treachery to themselves. People who
do not fear or respect Allah can easily violate their conscience,
scheme against the innocent in order to achieve their selfish desires,
and think nothing of slandering the innocent. As Allah reveals through
this governor's words: "The source of this
is women's deviousness. Without a doubt, your guile is very great"
(Surah Yusuf: 28). Other verses relate this aspect of unbelieving
women:
Do not be like a woman who spoils the thread
she has spun by unravelling it after it is strong, by making your
oaths a means of deceiving one another, merely because one community
is bigger than another. Allah is only testing you by this. He
will make clear to you on the Day of Resurrection the things about
which you differed. (Surat an-Nahl: 92)
Say: "I seek refuge with the Lord of the Daybreak,
from the evil of what He has created and from the evil of the
darkness when it gathers, and from the evil of women who blow
on knots." (Surat al-Falaq: 1-4)
Allah warns of the wickedness of people who follow their selfish
desires by conspiring, cheating, and doing evil to others. The above
verse indicates that the evil of such women can be huge. However,
it must never be forgotten that Allah promises to bring the conspiracies
of such people to naught. A bad character always harms the one who
has it. On the other hand, one's fear and respect of Allah, as well
as one's righteousness, always result in Allah's help and grace.
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