Aasiyah, the wife of Fir’awn

This is part of the tafseer of Surah Tahrim. I chose the tafseer of the ayaat which mentions the story of Aasiyah (one out of the four best women in Islam, may Allah SWT be pleased with her).

Her story always brought such a feeling of hope and awe in my heart. Aasiyah was the wife of the worst disbeliever to ever live–Fir’awn. Subhan’Allah this woman was protected by Allah SWT’s angels from the pains of the torment which Fir’awn inflicted upon her for being a Believer. The torture and the pain did not effect her in the least bit, it was her Lord whom she Remembered constantly who sustained her. It’s amazing just how strong her emaan was. Allah SWT assures us through the example of Aasiyah that obedience to Allah SWT and steadfastness on His Path only leads to victory, in this life and the next. Okay well I will leave you to read the tafseer (right after the explanation of the ayah about Aasiyah, there is the ayah about Maryam bint Imran and her testament to the Truth of her Lord…a beautiful ayah as well.

The Disbelievers can cause no Harm to the Believers

This is a parable that Allah made of the believers, in that, if they needed to, their association with the disbelievers will not harm them. Allah the Exalted said,

[لاَّ يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ إِلاَ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَـةً]

(Let not the believers take the disbelievers as protecting friends instead of the believers, and whoever does that, will never be helped by Allah in any way, except you indeed fear a danger from them.) (3:28) Qatadah said, “Fir`awn was the most tyrannical among the people of the earth and the most disbelieving. By Allah! His wife was not affected by her husband’s disbelief, because she obeyed her Lord. Therefore, let it be known that Allah is the Just Judge Who will not punish anyone except for their own sins.” Ibn Jarir recorded that Sulayman said, “The wife of Fir`awn was tortured under the sun and when Fir`awn would finish the torture session, the angels would shade her with their wings. She was shown her house in Paradise.” Ibn Jarir said that Al-Qasim bin Abi Bazzah said, “Fir`awn’s wife used to ask, `Who prevailed’ When she was told, `Musa and Harun prevailed’, she said, `I believe in the Lord of Musa and Harun.’ Fir`awn sent his aides to her and said to them, `Find the biggest stone. If she insists on keeping her faith, throw the stone on her, otherwise she is my wife. When they came to her, she looked up to the sky and was able to see her house in Paradise. She persisted on the faith and her soul was then captured. The stone was thrown on her lifeless body.” This is the meaning of her statement,

[رَبِّ ابْنِ لِى عِندَكَ بَيْتاً فِى الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِى مِن فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِ]

(My Lord! Build for me a home with You in Paradise, and save me from Fir`awn and his work,) means, `deliver me from him, because I am innocent of his actions,’

[وَنَجِّنِى مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الظَّـلِمِينَ]

(and save me from the people who are wrongdoers.) Her name was Asiyah bint Muzahim, may Allah be pleased with her.

_______

End of part of the tafseer of surah Tahrim. Check out the rest here: http://tafsir.com/default.asp?sid=66&tid=54439

The four most perfect women are not anyone this world has seen for a long time. They are high above the women we see today who are sought after by the masses. Their worth is incomprehendable. The light which illuminates from them is from the emaan that sustained them even in the most dire of situations. They are the true servants of Allah SWT who have been granted Jannah. may Allah SWT be pleased with them. This was a hadeeth in the tafseer of Surah Tahrim, please read:

It is confirmed in the Two Sahihs from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari that the Messenger of Allah said,

«كَمُلَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَثِيرٌ وَلَمْ يَكْمُلْ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا آسِيَةُ امْرَأَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَمَرْيَمُ ابْنَةُ عِمْرَانَ، وَخَدِيجَةُ بِنْتُ خُوَيْلِدٍ، وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ عَائِشَةَ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ كَفَضْلِ الثَّرِيدِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الطَّعَام»

(Many men have reached the level of perfection, but none among women have reached this level except Asiyah — Fir`awn’s wife, Maryam–the daughter of `Imran, and Khadijah–the daughter of Khuwaylid. And no doubt, the superiority of `A’ishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other meals.)

Tafsir.com