Women are an integral part of life, their need and effects are not limited to conjugal life. The role of women is very vital and effective in every sphere of life.
While women beautify the houses, they also bring betterment to the society at large. The lap of a women is, by itself, an institution of comprehensive education and training. The foundation of the most distinguished and eminent personalities has been laid here. The brave, the intellectuals, the pioneers, all have been raised in the lap of their mothers. The seeds of revolution split from here. The world’s great historians, scholars, traditionists, jurists, poets, scientists, researchers, politicians, rulers, kings, all are indebted to this. In a nutshell, the role of women in human history is not less than that of men. While, on the other hand, all the cruel and oppressive murderers, terrorists, and corrupt people, have also emerged from here.
In Islamic history, the role of women has been very prominent i.e. their sacrifices, sincerity, dedication, selflessness, etc. The Holy Quran and history have specifically described the role of a few revered women, like:
- Mother of Hazrat Musa (a.s.)
- Lady Aasiya bint Muzaahim (s.a.), wife of Firaun
- Lady Maryam (s.a.), mother of Hazrat Isa (a.s.)
- Lady Hajra (s.a.), mother of Hazrat Ismail (a.s.)
- Queen Bilqis
- Ummul Momineen, Hazrat Khadijatul Kubra (s.a.), wife of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
- Hazrat Fatema bint Asad, mother of Hazrat Ali (a.s.)
- Hazrat Fatema Zahra (s.a.), leader of the women of all times
- Hazrat Zainab (s.a.), who helped Imam Husain (a.s.) in his uprising
- Hazrat Narjis Khatoon (s.a.), mother of Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.)
There is an exhaustive list of women who hold lofty positions in Islam and who have rendered great services to Islam and especially to Ahle Bait (a.s.).
An important question
Are women included among the three hundred and thirteen companions of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.)? There are two answers to this question:
(1) Generic response
(a) There is no movement in the world where women have not been involved and have not made significant contributions.
(b) Islam has held both men and women, equally responsible. All the rules of Islam, with their conditions, are obligatory on both men and women viz. prayer, fasting, hajj, zakaat, khums, etc. In relation to the important responsibility of enjoining good and forbidding evil, Allah the Almighty says:
“And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up the prayer, pay zakaat and obey Allah and His Messenger, (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them, Surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.”
(Surah Tauba (9), verse 71)
Further, Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“Surely the Muslim men and the Muslim women, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women, and the humble men and the humble women, and the charitable men and the charitable women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward. And it behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Messenger Apostle have decided a matter, and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he surely strays off a manifest straying.”
(Surah Ahzaab (33), verses 35-36)
In these verses, Allah has mentioned women alongside men. This shows that the responsibility of women and their role in the holy religion of Islam is not less than that of men in any case.
The reappearance of Hazrat Wali-e-Asr (a.s.) will be the practical manifestation of all Islamic teachings. So how is it possible that women are not involved in this universal government. It is a joint responsibility of men and women both to pave the ground for the reappearance of Imam-e-Zamana (a.t.f.s.). While the responsibilities are equal, the fields would be different. One is entrusted with the duty of fighting in the battlefield while other with the training of soldiers at home.
(2) Specific response
Despite these generic arguments, it is mentioned in the traditions that women will be included in the army of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.). Let us pay attention to this tradition:
Janab Jabir Jo’fi has narrated a detailed tradition from Hazrat Imam Mohammad Baqir (a.s.) about Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.). Narrating the circumstances of reappearance of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.), Imam (a.s.) says:
“And he will come, accompanied by three hundred and some people, including fifty women. They will gather in Makkah without any prior promise, just as leaves are gathered under a tree by the wind in autumn. They will be alongside each other. This is the meaning of the verse in which Allah. the Almighty says: “Wherever you are, Allah will bring you all together; Surely Allah has power over all things.” A person from the progeny of Ahle Bait (a.s.) will call out that this is the place whose inhabitants are cruel, then they will travel from Makkah, three hundred and some people will accompany him, between Maqaam-e-Ibrahim and Hajar-e-Aswad, they will pledge allegiance on his blessed hand, and he will have the covenant of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) with him. His flag, his weapon and his minister will be with him. At that time, a caller from the sky in Makkah will call out their names and their program, which will be heard by all the inhabitants of the earth.”
(Tafseer al-Ayyaashi, vol. 1, pg. 65 under the verse 148 of Surah Baqarah (2))
This tradition clearly states that Imam Mahdi (a.s.) will be accompanied by fifty women.
Apart from this tradition, there are many other traditions in which the number of initial companions of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.) is stated as three hundred and thirteen. These will be the selected and chosen ones who will accompany him at the time of reappearance and will possess exalted characteristics and excellent morals. Gradually, the number of companions will increase. When Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) was asked about the characteristics of these three hundred and thirteen companions, Imam (a.s.) described some of them as follows:
“Search these people in every corner of the earth, their life is very simple and easy, they do not stay permanently in one place. If they live among people, they are not recognized and if they are not seen, people do not trace them. If they are sick, people do not visit them. If they send a marriage proposal, people do not accept. If they die, people do not attend their funeral. They help others with their wealth and visit each other’s graves. Despite being in different cities, their views are not different from each other.”
(Al-Ghaibah al-No’mani, pg. 203)
We reiterate that, in various traditions, the number of initial companions of Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.) stated as three hundred and thirteen, which is equal to companions of Badr.
A question comes to mind that whether the fifty women mentioned in the traditions, are included in the three hundred and thirteen companions or are they in addition to them. In this way, the meaning of the tradition will be that when Imam Mahdi (a.s.) will reappear, there will be three hundred and thirteen men and fifty women accompanying him, which means the total number of special companions will be three hundred and sixty-three. Apparently, the tradition leads to this conclusion. In that case, it could be that the characteristics and attributes of these fifty women would be something else. However, these women will occupy a very high position in faith, morals, and actions.
It is also possible that these fifty women are included among the three hundred and thirteen companions, so at the time of reappearance, there will be two hundred and sixty-three men and fifty women with Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.). In such case, these women will be equal to men in faith, actions, and other attributes, and will be very high in rank.
The point here is that the word used in the tradition is “Rajol (pl. Rejaal)” which apparently means “man (pl. men)”. Now, let us refer to the meaning of the word “Rajol” in the dictionary. Is this word always used for men as opposed to women or is this word also used in the meaning of “brave” and “courageous”, because when the bravery of men usually comes to the fore in wars, they are called as “Rajol”.
In one of the reliable dictionaries named “Taajul Uroos min Jawaaheril Qaamoos”, the word “Rajol” is defined as follows:
“And sometimes “Rajol” is an adjective that means strength and perfection.”
In Holy Quran, the word “Rajol” is used in the meaning of foot soldiers:
“But if you are in danger, then (say your prayers) on foot or on horseback…”
(Surah Baqarah (2), verse 239)
On this basis, it is possible that the mention of three hundred and thirteen men in the tradition need not mean only men but could mean brave and courageous. In such case, the words “including fifty women”, in the tradition, may be to describe them.
It is also mentioned in the Holy Quran as follows:
“And that persons from among men used to seek refuge with persons from among the Jinn…”
(Surah Jinn (72), verse 6)
Everyone knows that Jinns are not just males, there are women too and it is not that the women of the Jinn do not have the same influence as the men. Here “Rejaal” is used for “gender” which includes both male and female.
Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) said:
“There will be thirteen women with Qaim (a.t.f.s).”
The narrator asked: “What will be their role?”
He (a.s.) said:
“They will treat the wounded and take care of the sick as it was during the time of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.).”
(Isbaatul Huda, vol. 5, pg. 203)
In another tradition too, thirteen women are mentioned in the same way, in which Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) has said that these women will take care of the sick. In the same tradition, when the narrator, “Mufazzal ibn Umar”, inquired about the names of these women, Imam (a.s.) mentioned as follows:
“Al-Qinwa, daughter of Rushaid Hujri; Umm-e-Ayman; Habaabatul Waalebiyyah; Sumaiyyah, mother of Ammar ibn Yasir; Zubaidah, wife of Haroon (When Haroon realized that she is a Shia, he divorced her just as Firaun divorced Aasiya); Umm-e-Khalid al-Ahmasiyah; Umm-e-Saeed al-Hanafiyah; Subanah al-Maashetah and Umm-e-Khaalid al-Juhaniyah.”
(Isbaatul Huda, vol. 5, pg. 203)
These nine women have departed from this world. While this tradition describes the inclusion of women among the companions of Imam Mahdi (a.s.), it also makes it clear that when Imam Mahdi (a.s.) reappears, not only men but women too will be returned to life (Raj’at). Imam (a.s.) did not mention the names of four women, perhaps because, they belong to the future era. Moreover, Imam (a.s.) has mentioned about fifty women among the companions of Imam Mahdi (a.s.) but named only nine of them. He (a.s.) did not mention the names of forty-nine women, possibly, so that the future women can join these blessed women with their faith, actions, character, and morals. However, it is clear that when Hazrat Imam Mahdi (a.s.) will appear, women will also accompany him.
(This article is taken from the article titled “Daurul Mirah fil Qiyam al-Mahdi” published in the magazine “Al-Maw’ood, Issue 7, Jumadi al-Saani, 1440 A.H.). May Allah accept…Aameen.