The Source of Tingz | May Newsletter
This Month’s Highlights:
Ayat Reflection & Hadith Tingz
Sister Tingz
Female Figure Tingz
Islamic Vocab
Previous Halaqah Wrap Up
Ayat Reflection | Al-Imran (3:36)
فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنثَىٰ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
When she delivered, she said, “My Lord! I have given birth to a female.” While Allâh fully knew what she had delivered, and the male [she might have hoped for] could have ever been like this female. “I have named her Mary and I seek Your protection for her and her offspring from satan, the accursed.”
The mother of Mary expected a male child. Was she disappointed that it was a female child? No, for she had faith, and she knew that Allah's plan was better than any desires of hers. Mary was no ordinary girl, only Allah knew what it was that her mother brought forth. Mary’s distinction goes far beyond any hopes which a mother could ever have had for her child. Allah answered the prayers of Mary’s mother in unfathomable ways. In a hadîth narrated by Abu Huraira, the prophet (SAW) said, "When any human being is born, Satan touches him at both sides of the body with his two fingers, except Jesus, the son of Mary, whom Satan tried to touch but failed, for he touched the placenta-cover instead."
Hadith Tingz
حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ، حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي قَالَ، سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " خَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا مَرْيَمُ ابْنَةُ عِمْرَانَ، وَخَيْرُ نِسَائِهَا خَدِيجَةُ "
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "Mary, the daughter of `Imran, was the best among the women (of the world of her time) and Khadija is the best amongst the women. (of this nation).
Sahih al-Bukhari 3432
Sister Tingz | “Khadijah Mustapha”
Originally from Nigeria, now residing in Maryland, USA. Khadijah graduated from Coppin State University with a degree in Health Information Management and Management Science. As a married mother of three wonderful boys, she balances her career as an IT Auditor with owning Dija’s Bakery and Dija’s Kollection. In her free time, she indulges in shopping, decorating her home, quality family time, and travel. This year, she’s eagerly diving deeper into her travel adventures and seeking to expand her knowledge through Halaqah Tingz as she embraces her journey in Islam.
Female Tingz | “Nana Asma'u”
Nana was a Fulani Muslim Scholar who used poetry to teach the Quran and transmit Islamic values, memorialize great people, and preserve her people’s history. Living through revolutionary times, Nana was very intelligent, memorized the Quran by the age of 10, and began teaching by age 14. Nana’s poem “A Plea to Saintly Women” was prolific in her time and is relevant today. Read more...
Halaqah Wrap-Up | “How Allah swt Speaks to Women”
Presented by Ustadha Asha K.
Summary
Through pondering of the Quran, you’ll find that Allah swt’s speech is a mere validation of women’s intellect and spiritual aptitude. The Quran often engages with affairs of direct importance for women in a female-centric manner. This is also apparent in cases when some women have pronounced character flaws. In these examples, women presented in the Quran serve as reminders for how to navigate struggles in humanity and ways to develop moral character. Quranic depictions of female figures in the Quran and the speech of Allah swt, can comfort the hearts of seekers of knowledge and piety.
Reading and re-reading the stories of women figures can strengthen desire to draw nearer to the One who is Most Merciful, Mighty, Wise, and Generous.
In addition to the prominent speech in the Quran, women were the forefront of the long chain of communication. The transmission of information, just as it is today, was carried out by word of mouth. Many of the notable accounts (Hadiths) of the Noble Messenger (saw) came from women. Hadith transmission emerged early as the principal arena for Muslim women’s religious education.
They conveyed the Prophet’s (saw) words, decisions, actions, etc. Today, we are privy to the bulk of religious knowledge transmitted through hadiths serving as vital sources of law and records of Islamic past. This was decreed by Allah swt and speaks volumes in regard to women’s roles in society.
Arabic Index Tingz
حلقة Halaqah: Circle/Circling
حديث Hadith: A report or account of an event
آية Ayat: Verse
