Flowers for the Women Wearing Veils - Volume II — Page 31
31 O Messenger of Allah sa ! W hat have you done?” This is a respectful phrase which wom e n utter in time s of great stress. If a woman loses her child , she will cry out, “ O c hild! What have you done? ” Although the reality is that a child has no control over death , but i n her extreme emotional state, she cannot comprehend the reason behind the child’s death. Rather, she believes that he has separated from her to cause her grief. It is that love, that emotional love, which only a woman can understand. That love whic h only a woman perceives while expressing it to her bel oved one; t h at same love, with all its emotions and sentiments which that female companion ra felt towards the Holy Prophet sa. It was the same love a girl nurtures for her father , a sister for her brother ; th e kind of love whose passion compels a female poet to yearn for her deceased husband. It is that same love , which in her fervor , keeps alive the memory of her brother ; the same love, the same affection , and the same adoratio n compelled this woman to run and cry out , “O Messenger of Allah sa ! What have you done? O Messenger of Allah sa ! What have you done?” When she reached the Prophet of Allah sa her legs trembled, and she could no longer stand. Since women are not permitted to shake hands [with men], she took a hold of the hem of his shirt and k issed it with great affection. The Holy Prophet sa said, “ O lady! I do sympathize with you that your father, husband, and two brothers have all been martyred in this battle. ” She responded, “O Messenger of Allah sa ! After seeing you alive and well , how c ould I possibly care about anyone else’s death. S o long as you sa liv e , all is well. ” In the same battle , the young er brother of Ha z rat Ma’aaz Ansaar i ra , a brave and courageous soldier, was also killed. When the Holy Prophet sa entered M edina , Ha z rat Ma’aaz ra h eld the reins of the Holy Prophet’s sa camel with pride and joy, that they had brought the Messenger of God sa safely back to the city and that they were worthy of facing the people of the city. They were just entering the city when Ha z rat Ma’aaz ra saw his old mother who was seventy or eighty year s of age coming towards the Holy Prophet sa. With her eyes straining wide open, s he dragg ed one foot after another towards them, so that Ha z rat Ma’aaz ra called out , “ O Prophet of Allah sa ! Here is my mother. O Prophet of Allah sa ! H ere is my mother! ” The Holy Prophet sa told him to stop the camel. When the camel stopped, the old woman stepped forward but due to old age , her sight was