The Story Of The Queen Continues (part 2)

by Umm Sulaym

To read part one of this series, click HERE

Dearest Readers:

Asalamo alaykum warahmatullah,

You wonder why Taqwa is such a big deal. 

The simple answer is: it helps an individual survive. 

If a Muslimah adorns proper Taqwa of Allah SubhanahuWaTa’la, it will help through her divorce. Through her marital problems, phase of unemployment, child-less marriage life, difficult university courses, minimal prospects for marriage proposals, physical and psychological challenges. Through all those times when everything seems to stab her motivation and prevents her from reaching her potential. 

She has hope amidst all those problems. She has hope in Taqwa (God consciousness) of Allah SubhanahuWaTa’la.

O Silence envelope me,

As I make myself vulnerable to growin love,

Like a broken-winged bird,

My heart is fearful to soar to the skies above...

O Silence envelope me,

As I hand my heart to The One High Above,

Whether He crushes it for my good or comforts it,

I know I will embrace it all and grow in love.

O Dear Silence envelope me,

Resonate deep within me,

For I have given Him everything I had,

With my Salah, my sacrifice, my life, my death

I gave the Self-Sufficient

my unwavering contentment for the good and the bad.

O Silence envelope me!

Envelope the noise within me...

As I sit, I hesitantly smile,

My eyes focused on the Prize,

Realizing that its surrounded by temptations and trials,

I fear,

I hope,

I suddenly tear,

Yet I know I'll cope…

As I fall in love

…Helplessly

Absolutely…

…Completely.

The Waterfallssing me Your Praise,

The Clouds thunder as they magnify Your Name,

All the Creations are doing your Tasbeeh,

Won’t Youallow me too to prove the love that I claim?

O Silence envelope me,

As my knowledgehelps me fall in love with Ar-Raheem,

YaRabb! Help me build the boat of Taqwa,

And please lead it safely to Jannah’s streams.

Ameen.

***

King Boorie died. Zummurud (Rahimullah) was a woman after all, so she might’ve felt the pain. She might’ve suffered the loneliness. She might’ve shed tears. But like the laws of Universe, nothing ever stops. No fairy godmother comes and uses a wand to change your world. One must move on with one’s purpose of life.With the strength of Taqwabi’itnillah.

Queen Zummurud(R)’s son Ismaa’eel became the next King. She was a righteous woman and one would expect that her son would too be righteous. However, that was far from the truth. To make matters worse for Zummurud (R) after her husband’s death, her son Ismaa’eel made the survival of the people under his care, a living hell. Drinking, devouring people’s money and torturing people was something he got notorious for. Zummurud(R)’s other son Sunj tried to shake some sense into his brother. But instead of listening, Ismaa’eel locked him up in the dungeons and starved him to death. Complaints flooded Zummurud’s attention for long and she tried what she could. But Ismaa’eel went to that extra length and he started spreading rumors about his own mother. He accused her of Zina or illegal sexual relations! Notice sisters, Zummurud (R) didn’t faint or create a scene. She didn’t commit suicide now that her honor was completely destroyed. SubhanAllah! If that wasn’t enough, Ismaa’eel plotted with the Crusaders, the enemies of the Muslims, to ‘sell away’ Damascus in exchange for being granted governorship under the Crusaders’ Rule.

Now Zummurud (R) couldn’t tolerate it anymore. It was another thing that Ismaa’eel had severely hurt her by killing her son Sunj and tarnishing her honor. But now it was a matter of loyalty to the nation. Sisters, she could’ve taken a back-seat and let the men handle the political issues. She could’ve wailed and died out of depression because things had stopped working out after her husband’s death. She could’ve surrendered for she was surrounded by corrupt governors who supported Ismaa’eel. She could’ve confined herself to her room all her life deep in ‘Ibada. But she didn’t because the knowledge of Islam empowered her with a solution. And she wanted to be part of the solution and not the problem. She consulted the judge whether she could implement hudood punishment on Ismaa’eel (recall he had killed Sunj). The judge said that it was permissible.

Zummurud(R) ordered her servants and guards to lock the palace doors and ordered Ismaa’eel to be killed as soon as he entered. 

Would anyone of us ever imagine that for our own child? Would anyone of us even bother sacrificing our sleep or rising career that conflicts our religious values for the Sake of Allah SubhanahuWaTa’la? Or that brother we are intending marry because he has everything except strength of Deen?

The hallway echoed with her son’s last words, ‘Zinhaar (Protect me)! Zinhaar (protect me)!’ Zummurud (R) knew that what may not seem right to her heart was what was right for her nation. Allah SubhanahuWaTa’la’s fear over Shaytan’s manipulative emotions. She was a mother saw her son die in front of her very eyes. A woman who was a loyal Queen before she was a mother. A loyal Queen who was a Faqihah (scholar of Fiqh) foremost. A Faqihah who had feared her Lord so much so that she was willing to sacrifice the baby she had nurtured in her womb for nine months. After all she had suffered despite being a good Muslimah. She could’ve asked herself what all these years of knowledge of Islam helped her in anyway. Her Eeman could’ve weakened. But what made her so strong?

“…It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.” [Surah Fatir, 35:28]

She was taken to court and was held accountable in front of the judge. Since she was a Faqiha, the judge that she had sought consultation prior to taking such a step. 

Zummurud(R) didn’t take the easy way out. Unlike most of us, who are willing to take off jilbab/niqaab at the smallest of tests and self-created fears. Zummurud(R)’s heart was so firm in the fear of Allah SubhanahuWaTa’la that the fear of the people didn’t have the chance to enter!

Shihab-ad-Deen Mahmood, her next son, was appointed the new King. Since he was of weak personality, Zummurud(R) had to make most of the decisions. With her previous experience, she ordered certain things to be changed in the society and almost immediately there was Barakah in her efforts. A place which suffered at the hands of a tyrant transformed into a shining land of prosperity. She abolished taxes, started the biggest school (called al-Khatooniyya) and so harmony prevailed. Naturally, like always, when a righteous Muslimah conquers all her desires and fears, Iblees deploys soldiers of Shayateen against you. The fraudulent advisors who previously benefitted from the corrupt rule of her son Ismaa’eel did not appreciate the reforms instituted by Zummurud(R). Since the new King, Mahmood, was obedient to his mother and complied to her orders, they couldn’t use him as a pawn. So they schemed to get rid of her in order to influence Mahmood! They suggested Zummurud(R) to marry Imaadaz-Zinkee who was the ruler of another land near Damascus (refer back to the previous article to find out who he was). In the past, one of the reasons why Kings and Queens married was to unite two regions which were fighting to uphold peace and harmony. Thinking that it might be an excellent way that may bring benefit to her people, Zummurud(R) agreed.

Did Zummurud(R)’s trials end there? Not really.

Will yours after getting that job, degree, getting married, having cute children? Not at all.

‘Whoever tastes the sweetness of Truth, every hardship on his path becomes easy for him.’ [From the book: هكذاعلمتنيالحياة by Dr. Mustafa al-Suba’i]

Truth = knowledge of the Lord = Taqwa

.:Story to be continued inshaa’Allah:.

And Allah SubhanahuWaTa’la knows best.

Posted in: Islam,Relationships,Trials,Women