Magazine Articles

An article by Amr Khaled for Al-Mara’a Alyawm Magazine (The Woman Today) dated May15th, 2004.

We are still talking about the fields in which a Muslim woman can give to her Umma (Islamic nation) and to her religion in an organized and constant way without violating her main role of embracing and raising her children in an Islamic manner, and of providing serenity and calmness (Sukna’) for her beloved husband.

In the previous article, I have discussed marriage and the problems that might occur and, in many cases, lead to divorce. I have explained how a Muslim woman, to whom these articles are directed, who implements the rule of “One hour a day to the Umma and to the religion”, can work on this problem efficiently insha’ Allah (God willing).

Today insha’ Allah, I call upon the Muslim woman to implement the same rule but in a different kind of problem.

Who would not like to cook? We all do, especially if the cook is a Muslim woman, a true chef without a doubt! As far as I know, there is no woman who loves her kitchen and cares about the nutrition of her family like the Muslim woman who spares no effort for that purpose. And today I will not take her out of that kitchen, or ask her to forsake it. I will rather ask her to spend in it one more hour for the sake of Allah (SWT) (Subhanahu Wa Taa’la) [Exalted and Glorious]. It is the same hour we have agreed upon. It is an hour in which she will bear the toil and heat in order to cook for the needy and for the hungry of her Umma; the ones who are too proud to ask for help in spite of the hardships they endure.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) (peace and blessings be upon him) has connected feeding people with Paradise in this hadith when a man asked him "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, 'To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.” There are a lot of hungry people in our Umma that cannot provide for themselves or for their children, and that could not have happened were Muslims to follow the principles of Islam. Where are the kind hearts of males and females? They were both mentioned in this verse that can be translated as, “Verily, the Abrâr (the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism), shall drink of a cup (of wine) mixed with (water from a spring in Paradise called) Kâfûr. A spring wherefrom the slaves of Allâh will drink, causing it to gush forth abundantly. They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose evil will be wide spreading. And they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to the Miskîn (the poor), the orphan, and the captive, (Saying): "We feed you seeking Allâh’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.” (TMQ, 76:5-9)[1].

Where are those Abrar, especially the Muslim women of them? Where is their sense for their Umma and their compassion for the needy and the hungry? And Allah (SWT) rewards the good equal to an atom and will not deprive them from the reward of the hour. I am asking them to spend time in cooking for these people since Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.” (TMQ, 99:7).

Now, I am not asking her to go out, which might annoy her husband, nor will I ask her to do what she is not capable of. It is something that no one else can beat her in. All I am asking for is some effort and some extra money that she will be rewarded for insha’ Allah. And since I believe in being practical when turning ideas into actions by clearing away any possible obstacles, I will stop for a moment to explain what I referred to earlier as “some extra money” to pave the way for the Muslim woman to apply this rule.

How can the Muslim woman take away the money factor from the giving equation to make it feasible? She can insha’ Allah by any of the following ways:

If this kind of translation is for people who live in the West, I don’t think that apples from other countries would be cheaper than American ones. What I am saying is that giving examples here would not help much so I presume I will leave it at that since the main idea is clear.

Now with the money saved, one meal could be prepared to feed those who need it most.

These are but few ideas that came to mind, and I am sure there are much more that could be more practical and achievable to help deal with this issue.

There is one remaining point that I would not like to end this article without mentioning. It is about the leftovers. I ask the Muslim woman, who cares about her Umma and religion, to do the following. Instead of throwing the leftovers in the garbage, she simply does something similar that would not cost her anything; to put them in sealed plastic bags and to give them to the gardener, the driver, the garbage remover, or even the painter, mainly to whoever would need it and say, “Please take this from your Muslim sister. Take it from a Muslim brother’s home. You are not alone. Your children are also ours. You problem is our own”

The prophet (PBUH) said “You see the believers as regards their being merciful among themselves and showing love among themselves and being kind, resembling one body, so that, if any part of the body is not well then the whole body shares the sleeplessness (insomnia) and fever with it."

Have you seen now my Muslim sister what the rule of “One hour a day to the Umma and to the religion” could do; even if that hour was spent in cooking.

[1] TMQ=Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.