On Sunday afternoon, 1st May 2011, I listened to four of our ladies delivering small talks on Islam. I could hardly believe the display of capability that I witnessed. I was a lecturer in Didactics at the university and so I understand a little bit about delivering talks or lectures or whatever the case might be. This was my work. I sat in awe because these ladies, untrained in the field of Didactics, were displaying many of the principles that I taught my students. I felt intensely proud of them. Unfortunately, as usual, a number of murids did not turn up. Some had good reasons and some had none.
I have always been of the opinion that Allah (ﷻ) has given something special to women, because of their womenhood. Most women do not realize this. They think that they are bringing satisfaction to their Lord by spending a large part of the day on their personal physical improvement. Each one of them has been given very special qualities by Allah (ﷻ), and each one has been given the ability to draw on these qualities for their spiritual and intellectual growth. The four ladies who spoke on Sunday, I do not think spend large times of the day on their physical improvement. Their displaying of intellectuality through the principles of Didactics, showed that they, unknowingly, were drawing on their God-given qualities. So many times I have told you that you are special by your Lord. Some of you are not listening; that is why you try to dodge these gatherings or dodge delivering a small talk. I find it painful to see what you are doing to yourselves, to see you giving expression to the concept of the weaker sex. Allah (ﷻ) has given you so much, and you are rejecting these and putting in its place little bottles of different things. You are God’s creation. Your creation is clouded with mystery. You have qualities which many of us envy. In your bodies Allah (ﷻ) creates and through your bodies He sends all souls, but your interest is the contents of little bottles.
On Sunday afternoon when I looked at the ladies speaking and listening to them, I came to realise the fine qualities that some of you have, including those who spoke last month. Your spirituality and intellectuality is exposed when you bring together in your mind ideas from our religion and explain those ideas to others. These ladies have taken the teachings of the original message and put it over to others in the most admirable ways. And it made them tall in the process. When people do what they did, then they walk and stand tall amongst others. Why is it that so many of you do not wish to stand tall and being given the recognition that you deserve as dignified human beings; human beings striving for spiritual attainment? Why is it that you always want to be in the kitchens or in the shops? Why is it that you are so concerned about the latest fashions or the latest styles? These are temporary things; almost of no value for your spiritual growth. Why is it when this organisation has opened doors for you for spiritual growth, you do not want to go through these doors? But you quite comfortably go through your doors to your kitchens and through doors to shops? Do you think you have been created for this? Do you think so? Do you think that the Divine has fashioned you to be good cooks or to follow the latest fashions, or to be a collector of clothes? Do you think so? This Tariqah has opened doors to you to allow your full growth as a God-created being. All the chances are there for you to attain stations that other people are going to envy one day. Then why is it that you cringe, almost in fear, when your name is mentioned to do something that you have never done before; that is to gather together a set of ideas on some topic and present it to others. Sometimes I think that women are happy with the kinds of things they do today and they don’t want to reach out to greater things, or go through doors to greater things. I wish sometimes that I had your potential and your blessings. But definitely not the attitudes of some of you! You are Naqshbandis, but even more than this, you have been chosen by Allah (ﷻ) to play certain historical roles in this country. Do you think that the things I am asking you to do are just dug up from my imagination? Do you think so? Do you think that I want to cause you pain when I ask you to do things other than the things you normally do in the kitchens and the shops? Do you think so? Do you think that I am only being sadistic?
A few months ago, one of the lady murids mentioned that she would never kiss my hand. I have never asked her to do that, but I had passed on to her sacred knowledge through the teachings of the Hajj. She should have said that she would like to “kiss my feet”, because of what I had taught her. I am not asking you to kiss my hand or feet for any reason. I am only asking you to do something about your potential. I do not mind if you want to wear fancy styles, but when there is nothing else, you are walking a path on which there is no spiritual attainment. Very humbly, through the inspiration of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, I am urging each one of you to walk a path or to go through doors which no other women in this country are being offered. I am going to repeat this, where in this country are women being urged to do what you are being asked to do? You are the flowers in God’s garden, but you prefer to be weeds! If women should know their status by God, they would fall down in a permanent prostration. There should be so much respect for who you are, but you should not damage this respect by worshipping idols of fashion and perfume. I cannot always understand you. Perhaps some of you want to be pulled by your hair to a path where you can realise what God has given you.
I am making this very special supplication for each one of you, each one of the ladies; that Allah (ﷻ) infuses you with the desire to reach out to the spiritual stations that some of the women of Madinah had attained during the time of Nabi Muhammad (ﷺ), amin.
[Unpublished 2012]
