Introduction to the Study of The Holy Quran — Page 245
245 beyond his strength and should himself help him in whatever he is asked to do'. " On another occasion the Prophet said: "When your servant cooks food for you and sets it out before you, you should ask him to sit down with you to eat or at least to partake of a portion of it in your company, for he has established a right in it by working on it. " 304 Treatment of Women The Holy Prophet was very keen on improving the condition of women in society and on securing for them a position of dignity and fair and equitable treatment. Islam was the first religion which conferred upon women the right of inheritance. The Quran makes daughters along with sons heirs to the property left by their parents. In the same way a mother is made an heir to her son’s or daughter’s property and a wife is made an heir to her husband’s property. When a brother becomes an heir of his deceased brother’s property a sister is also an heir to that property. No religion before Islam had so clearly and firmly established a woman’s right of inheritance and her right to possess property. In Islam a woman is the absolute owner of her own property and her husband cannot obtain any control over it by virtue merely of their relationship. A woman is at full liberty to deal with her property as she chooses. The Holy Prophet was so careful with regard to the kind treatment of women that those around him who had not previously been accustomed to looking upon women in the light of helpmates and partners found it difficult to accommodate themselves to the standards that the Prophet was anxious to see set up and maintained. ‘Umar relates: "My wife occasionally sought to intervene in my affairs with her counsel and I would rebuke her, saying that the Arabs had never permitted their women to intervene in their affairs. She would retort: 'That is all past. The Holy Prophet lets his wives counsel him in his affairs and he does not stop them. Why don’t you follow his example?' My reply used to be: As regards Ayesha the Prophet is particularly fond of her but as regards your daughter (Hafsah), if she does this she will one day have to suffer the consequences of her impertinence. ' It so happened that thereafter on one occasion the Holy Prophet, being upset over something, decided to spend a period of time apart from his wives. When I learnt of this I said to my wife, What I had feared had come to pass. Then I went to the house of my daughter Hafsah and found her crying. I inquired of her what the matter was and whether the Prophet had divorced her. She said: 'I don’t know about divorce, but the Prophet has decided to remain away from us for some time. ' I said to her: 'Did I not often tell you not to take the same liberties with him as Ayesha does, for the Holy Prophet is particularly fond of Ayesha, but you seem to have brought upon yourself what I had feared. ' I then went to the Holy Prophet and found him lying down on a rough matting. He was at that time wearing no shirt and his body bore the marks of the pattern of the matting. I sat down near him and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! the Kaiser and the Chosroes