His Views About Women
The eulogistic poem compiled by Sayyid Radi a thousand years ago for the demise of his mother itself indicates the genuineness of the life-giving regulations of Islam, as well as brings to our attention the profundities and progressive thinking of Islamic scholars trained in the school of the Holy Qur'an.
Outwardly this is a eulogistic poem for the sad demise of a mother, saturate with pure delicate poetic sentiments and beautiful smiles. Utilizing his natural talents and beautiful words, Sayyid Radi, ignited by the separation of his mother, has pictured his orphanage in a manner which touches the hearts of every sensitive person.
When we analyze the contents and similes of these verses, we will discover that Sayyid Radi in his peculiar manner had introduced the original identity and real personality of Muslim Women, thus, distinguishing her exalted position in the human society. At a time when the thinkers, scholars, and philosophers of Non-Islamic Schools had completely ignored the existence of women's personality, looked at her with degradation, and regarded her existence as weak, miserable and despicable; the great Muslim intellectual of Fourth Century Sayyid Radi, influenced by progressive code of Islam, and by utilizing the arsenal of eloquence, stood up and raised his voice against the oppression of women.
Sayyid Radi introduced Islamic Women as a precious jewel, sacrificing, devoted, strong castle, and a great teacher for the mankind. By describing these characteristics defended their exalted position and was able to get her true identity recognized. Here it would be appropriate to quote some other delicacies from his eloquent eulogistic poems as follows:
"Oh mother! If all mothers of the world would have been righteous like you, indeed, the children would not have required the presence of their fathers.
"Oh mother/ You are not dead, you are alive among the righteous ones of the humanity because you had an unforgettable sound; in this tragedy I have suffered the maximum loss because after you there is no hand to solve my problems, and there is no mean left at my disposal for removing the obstacle from my path.
Oh mother! In my life your existence was always a reliable support for me, whenever I was in need, you provided for my financial needs, at the time of my sickness you took care of me like a kind nurse with devotion, and whenever the difficulties and hardships of life confronted me, you acted like a strong shield protecting me against their onslaught. Therefore, these are two tragedies which are continuously haunting me: your departure and demise, and my being left alone to live.
Oh mother! All are witness that you were a honorable and noble lady because you have handed over the decent and noble children to the society.
You were among these righteous and committed ladies whose luminous hand was always conspicuous in all social charitable undertakings. You left for me the memories of righteous and accumulated virtues and while others inherit wealth, any reliable things of this world, I inherited from you righteousness and goodness.”
Indeed Fatimah, mother of Sayyid Radi was such a complete manifestation of an ideal perfect woman as desired by Islam. Islam requires women to be architect and builder of life, shelter for family, fosterer of righteousness, nobility, piety, responsible for prosperity of society, and not confined to the harams of the kings of yesterday or being a puppet doll in the hands of capitalists of today.
Islam considers women as a sympathetic companion for men at various stages of life, a dedicated teacher and fosterer for the child, and a source of purity, modesty, faith, and esteem. It does not approve her being turned into a helpless tool to be exploited for the commercial product's publicity of multinational giants and becoming a source of amusement and entertainment for their meetings.