𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 (17)

A divorced or widowed woman is not a used car—so fear Allāh in your treatment of them! In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, when a Muslim woman’s husband passed away or she was divorced, the Companions would compete to marry her, out of respect, honour, and care for her well-being. If we review their biographies, we find instances of a single woman marrying multiple Companions—sometimes three, sometimes four—without anyone looking down upon her or belittling her. Take, for example, ʿĀtikah: she married the son of Abū Bakr Aṣ-Ṣiddīq (may Allāh be pleased with him) and they loved each other deeply. After he was martyred, ʿUmar ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allāh be pleased with him) quickly married her. He, too, was martyred, and then Az-Zubayr, one of the Prophet’s Companions, married her. She was never spoken of as a “bringer of misfortune to her husbands.” Instead, people said: "Whoever seeks martyrdom should marry ʿĀtikah." Consider also the story of Asmā’ bint ’Umais and her final husband, the leader of men and knights, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (may Allāh be pleased with him). He would play with the children from her previous marriages, listen to her gentle words about them, smile, and never feel jealousy. He once said: “Had you spoken otherwise about them, I would have rebuked you—they are my companions.” We have never heard of a woman being accused of betraying the memory of her previous husband by her remarrying. Our Prophet ﷺ himself married only one previously unmarried woman: ʿĀ’ishah (may Allāh be pleased with her). Yet today, some treat women who have been married before as if they were used vehicles! This, by Allāh, is a grave injustice and oppression against Muslim women. Many men are disturbed by the idea of a woman’s prior marriage, which indicates nothing but a lack of confidence in their own manhood, their ability to lead, or their own character. A Muslim woman who has faced divorce or widowhood is not a failure—otherwise, the chapter on divorce in the Qur'ān would be called the “Chapter of Failures.” Instead, the commentators have called it the Chapter of Relief (Al-Faraj). Let us reflect on this Āyah: {لَا تَدْرِي لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يُحْدِثُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ أَمْراً} “Do not know; perhaps Allah will bring about something after that.” [Surah At-Talaq, 65:1] To the sister who has experienced the hardship of divorce and fears the future with all its trials, we say: “Do not know; perhaps Allah will bring about something after that.” Perhaps after separation comes happiness and contentment. Perhaps after a previous husband comes one better, more righteous, and more suitable. Source: https://t.me/nnnnaan/4207