Hawzah News Agency - In the previous issue, we pointed out the shared role of men and women in fulfilling divine goals. There are general duties such as practicing Taqwa (God-consciousness), enjoining good, forbidding wrong, and chastity (which, of course, for a woman, observing modesty and preserving hijab are prominent examples of it)— that have been stated by Allah swt in Quranic verses; but what must not be overlooked is the specific role of women in Islamic society and the realization of divine goals.
Perhaps the most important specific role that can be enumerated for the women of society on the path of realizing divine goals, and specifically in paving the ground for the rise of the savior of humanity, is the topic of “child-rearing” or, in other words, “raising awaiters”.
Raising Awaiters
Although both father and mother play a significant role in raising a child, the mother’s role is a peerless one; a role that if not fulfilled properly, the child’s personality will not be shaped as it properly should be for divine missions.
Imam Khomeini (may Allah have mercy on him) stated regarding the grandeur of the nurturing status of women:
Women are human beings, and indeed great human beings. Women are the educators of society. Humans emerge from the lap of women. The educators of human beings are women. The blessedness and misery of countries depend on the existence of women. A woman, through her proper upbringing, makes human beings, and through her proper upbringing, makes the country prosperous. (Sahifeh-ye Imam, Vol. 7, p. 239)
And of course, the origin of the immense effects of the nurturing status of women in the position of a mother can be sought in the words of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (a.s). He says:
اَلْوَلَدُ مَطْبُوعٌ عَلَی حُبِّ أُمِّهِ.
A child is naturally molded upon the love of his/her mother.
(Ghurar al-Hikam wa Durar al-Kalim, Vol. 1, p. 100)
The love that Allah Almighty has placed in the mother-child bond cannot be found in any other relationship. As a mother with this vital nurturing tool at her disposal, she can shape her child’s soul to receive divine and spiritual teachings, preparing them to play a greater and better role on the path to the rise of humanity’s savior and the establishment of divine governance.
Therefore, whether from a general perspective or from a specific perspective, the role of women in paving the ground for the rise of the savior, as well as in his government, can never be ignored.
What was presented to you was a summary of the most important topics regarding the role and status of women in the rise and government of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his rise). The remaining subsidiary topics—such as ‘the presence or absence of women among the 313 special companions of Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his rise)’, ‘the return (Raj’ah) of women at the time of his rise and the rule,’ and related matters—will, God willing, be examined in the next issue.
This discussion is to be continued…
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