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One of the most important verses that refer to the high position of women in the Qurʾān is the fifth verse of Surah al-Ḍuḥa:
وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰ
And soon your Lord shall give you (so much) that you will be satisfied.
This noble verse depicts the highest position and dignity for the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and indicates that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) reached a level of perfection that God Almighty seeks to satisfy him. Often it is the servants who must seek the pleasure of God until God is pleased with them, but sometimes the status of a servant rises to the point where God Almighty with His greatness, is in a position to satisfy His servant.
Now bearing in mind the verse mentioned at the beginning of the discussion, the question is what was God’s bestowal and gift through which the satisfaction of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) was obtained?!
By referring to the Qurʾan, it is clear that the word “giving” or “اعطاء” – which is mentioned about the Messenger of God (PBUH) – is only mentioned in the first verse of Surah al-Kawthar:
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ
Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar.
There is no doubt in that the most obvious example of Kawthar is Faṭimah al-Zahrāʾ (a) though our discussion now is not in reference to this matter, rather, our intention is that God Almighty preserved the descendants of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) through Faṭimah al-Zahrāʾ (a) – who is a women – and this verse is related to the pure descendants of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) meaning Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) according to the third verse of Surah Kawthar, which says:
إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ
Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.
Thus, it is clear that the noble children of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are examples of al-Kawthar.
Now, based on the above, it should be added that in a society where women had no status or value to the extent that sometimes when a girl was born she would be buried alive out of shame and disappointment, God used the descendants of the daughter of the Prophet (PBUH) to show the high position of women in before Him and bestowed the highest greatness and honor upon a female child whom the Arabs of ignorance considered shameful.
If someone says that this position is only for Faṭimah al-Zahra’ (a) we answer that although the master of the women of the world is Faṭimah al-Zahra’ (a), God Almighty wants to show the greatness of women to the Arabs of ignorance and even though it was possible to continue the progeny of the Prophet (PBUH) through a male child rather the wise will of God deemed the continuation of the pure generation of the Prophet (PBUH) from Ṣiddiqah Faṭimah (a) and thereby show the dignity of women to an ignorant society that despised women.
Therefore, it is clear that the example of the divine gift that pleased the Holy Prophet (PBUH), is from the generation of women and not from among men, and this shows the dignity, greatness and exaltation of women in the sight of God Almighty.
Extracted from the ninth session of Dars-e Kharij “Jurisprudence of Women” Ayatollah Sayed Kamal al-Haydari
