Islam encourages respect for the rights of daughters both in word and practice, emphasizing patience, kindness, and self-devotion towards them. In terms of sayings, we see that Prophet Muhammad Mustafa, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, advises his Ummah to do so. Hazrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Holy Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: “Whoever has three daughters and is patient towards them, gives them food and drink, and prepares clothes for them as much as he can; they will be a veil for him in front of the fire on the Day of Resurrection [they will prevent him from entering Hell].
Whoever takes care of girls and pays for their maintenance will be with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in Paradise. This motivates every Muslim to care for girls and pay attention to them.
Hazrat Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, says: The Holy Prophet, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him, said: “Whoever takes care of two daughters until they are no longer in need will go to Heaven, while he and I are like these two.” (In other hadiths, it is said that he pointed to his index and middle fingers.)
In Practical Terms
Umm al-Mu’minin Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “A woman came to my house with two daughters and asked me for something; I had nothing but a date and gave it to her. She divided that date between her two daughters and did not eat anything herself. Then she got up and left. When the Holy Prophet came, I told him the story. He said: ‘Whoever is tested in front of girls, a veil will be placed for her in front of the fire.'”
Sheikh Abd al-Rahman, may Allah have mercy on him, states: “In this hadith, the practical urging is to sacrifice for children, especially girls, which incites parents to be kind and compassionate towards them.”
The religion of Islam is not limited to ensuring the survival of girls and meeting their material needs; rather, it gives special attention to their inner and intellectual lives and encourages the discipline and education of their religious and worldly affairs both verbally and practically.
By studying and reflecting on these hadiths and other teachings that we will discuss in the future, inshallah, we can understand the high position of girls in Islam. This stands in contrast to the narratives propagated in the West and some European countries, where propaganda against Islam attempts to lead Muslim girls astray, sowing doubt about their families and instilling the belief that Islam does not acknowledge their rights and privileges. The goal of these advertisements is to alienate Muslim girls from their religion and beliefs to the extent that women and girls within their own communities remain unaware of their religion and their understanding of their rights and status.
One of the religious scholars’ states: “Reading and writing should be taught to girls, for these are divine blessings for humanity. Fathers should not deprive their daughters of learning; they should pay attention to their daughters with the same commitment they give to the education of sons based on Islamic morals, and in this matter, they should not make any distinction between boys and girls.”
