Even now daughters are considered an
unwanted burden in some societies and instead of rejoicing, an
atmosphere of grief and disappointment is produced in the family at their birth. This is the position, today, but, in the pre-Islaamic times, the daughters were positively considered a shame and disgrace among the Arabs, so much so that even the right to live was denied to them. Many a hard-hearted parent used to
strangle his daughter to death, with his own hands, when she was
born, or bury her alive. The Qur'aan states:
When if one of them receives tidings of the birth of a female, his face remains darkened, and he is wrath inwardly. He hides himself from the folk because of the evil of that whereof he has had tidings, (asking himself): Shall he keep it in contempt, or bury it beneath the dust. (16: 58-59)
Such was the attitude of the Arabs towards
daughters among whom the sacred Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
was raised up. Against this background, let us now examine the following Traditions.
It is related by Abdullah
Ibne Abbaas radhiyallahu anhumaa that the Apostle of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam
said: "Whoever becomes the father of a
girl, he should neither hurt her nor treat her with contempt nor show preference over her to his sons in
kindness and affection. (Both boys and girls should be treated
alike). Allah
will grant him Paradise in return for kind treatment
towards the daughter."
Ahmad, Haakeem
Aa'ishah
radhiyallahu anhaaBukhaari, Muslim
Commentary
:In another account of Hadhrat Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa of the above Tradition, quoted
by Imaam Muslim, it is stated that a poor woman came to her,
holding two little daughters in her arms, and asked for charity. Hadhrat Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa
gave her three dates of
which she gave one each to the two girls and was about to put the third in her own mouth that the girls asked for
it as well. The woman, thereupon, did not eat it herself, but gave
half of it to one girl and half to the other. Hadhrat Aa'ishah radhiyallahu anhaa
was so strongly affected by it that she described the incident
to the sacred Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam
,
thereupon, said: "On account of this very act of the woman, Allah
gave for her the decision of Paradise
and freedom from Hell
."
The two events may have taken place at different times, and it can, also, be that it was the same incident and the variation was due to the difference in the statements of the narrators.
It is related by Anas radhiyallahu anhu that the Apostle of Allah
sallallahu alayhi wasallam
said: "The bondsman who bears the responsibility of two daughters and supports them
till they attain puberty, he and I will be close to one another
like this on the Day of Requital."
The narrator Hadhrat Anas radhiyallahu anhu, adds that the Apostle
of Allah sallallahu alayhi wasallam
showed by joining the fingers of his hand (that as the
fingers were close to one another, in the same way the bondsman
will be close to him on the Day of final Reckoning)."
Aboo Daawood, Tirmizi
Aboo Sa'eed Khudri
radhiyallahu anhuAboo Daawood, Tirmizi
Commentary
: