Behind every successful man is a woman, so the saying goes.
Today, we witness multiple regimes of dictators and oppressors ruling the world. For some of them, the wives of these people are equally, or if not even more, corrupted that they are (we will not mention names because there are too examples!). They are the ones who actually dominate the household and pull the puppet strings for their husband. For others, the wives just stand passively by their husband’s sides, while the husbands continues their brutal regime of murder, torture and plunder.
This actually trickles down to society – we have seen the wives of corrupted minor politicians, who are silent but benefit from numerous gifts which originate from bribery, stolen funds etc.
Many of these people are Muslims – just a quick recap of the news even in the past year would give many examples of these corrupt leaders and their spouses all over the world.
Remember that Allah gave us the example of Aasiyah AS, the wife of the Pharaoh? The was no higher position amongst women in Egyptian society at the time. She had the wealth, status, connections and luxuries. Yet, she did not turn a blind eye to the truth of her husband’s cruelty and oppression of his people. She did not stand passively by while he ignored the truth of Musa’s AS divine message.
She had everything to lose. It would have been easier for her to be silent, conceal her belief in Allah and worship secretly, while standing by her husband’s side while he tortured, brutalized and slaughtered Bani Israel. She could have claimed that Bani Israel were not her people, and therefore, not her problem. That way she would have continued accessing the luxuries of palace life and remained in her husband’s good books.
Yet she spoke out and for believing in Allah, the Pharaoh tortured her in unimaginable ways. In some reports, he sliced her skin off, layer by layer, until she died. Can you imagine the agony, and worse, at the hands of your own husband and father to your children? Yet, she did not turn back and deny Allah. She withstood the torture and died for it.
This is the supreme example of a woman standing for the truth and paying with her life.
Now, what excuses do we have, as wives, when we see our husbands on the wrong path? We don’t have to be the president’s wife to be corrupted. How many of our husbands are working in haram industries, such as banking, alcohol or tobacco? How many of our husbands genuinely obtain their income from halal sources without infringing the rights of others? How many women are silent because they don’t want to give up their houses, luxury cars and designer handbags, so they would rather ignore their husband’s corruption rather than speak the truth or encourage the husbands to a better way of life? Or they justify that it is better for the children to have a wealthy upbringing and elite schooling, even if every morsel of food they eat comes from haram and tainted money?
We know the example of Aasiyah AS, and with that, wives have no excuse. She was an ordinary woman. We are neither richer nor more powerful than she was. Our husbands are not as brutal or as mighty as Pharaoh. So if we sell out our values and our deen, for a handbag, or an apartment in Europe, while being afraid to speak out, or turn a blind eye to the reality of our husbands’ activities, what excuse can we offer Allah in the Hereafter?
Imagine if all the wives of these oppressors and dictators publicly spoke out for justice, even if it meant their execution, what impact it would have on society as a whole? The course of history would change! Yet, we have yet to see the wife of a powerful Muslim tyrant speaking out.
On a lesser level, it is time for women to rise up and rectify the problem within their households if they see their husbands going on the wrong path. Whether it is income or behaviour against others. Even if it means downgrading your lifestyles. None of us can claim that we would be dealt with worse that how Pharaoh dealt with Aasiyah RA, yet many of us don’t even try, because we don’t want to face the consequences of some slight hardship or discomfort. If you are a woman in this situation, please take off your blindfold and act for the sake of Allah, not for the sake of protecting your worldly goods or status.
