Is This Worldly Test Majorly For Men?
Jazakallah! brother. I totally agree with you. It’s not something I fully believe either, but the more I understand the religion, the more I’m reaching the point where I feel that all of this is staged as a test for men. Allah says that this universe and everything in it was created for humans. In the same way, I believe women are also part of this world and this test. That’s why it’s mentioned in a hadith that Eve was created from the left rib of Adam (AS), and many other narrations say that women are created from the rib of their husband. They are part of this test. There’s a hadith (just sharing the meaning here) where the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that women are one of the greatest trials (fitna) for men. If we look at the world today, women are indeed one of the greatest tests for men. As husbands, men have to remain patient, guide their wives toward the right path, and will be questioned about this responsibility. Even in the Qur’an, I believe there’s a verse that mentions your wives and children as a test. Outside of marriage, women can also be a test in terms of desire. These desires, if not controlled for the sake of Allah, can harm a man’s deen. In today’s world, there are countless opportunities where a man could easily go astray. Also (and this is just my personal observation), I find that in today’s world, men are often more reasonable when it comes to understanding and practicing religion. Most of the time, I see sisters struggling to accept certain aspects of the religion, perhaps because they don’t fully understand their role. On the other hand, I rarely see men being biased toward parts of the religion that don’t benefit them. Even if they don’t follow a certain teaching, they at least acknowledge it as truth. As you mentioned, all the scriptures convey the same message, but I haven’t seen any scholars discussing this specific topic. One of the biggest hints for me is how the Qur’an describes Jannah and its rewards for men things that align with what many men desire in this world: comfort, food, gardens, and companions like hoors or wives (though that’s a separate topic). I’m leaning toward the belief that Allah assigned women a supporting role, and they will be questioned according to that role. I even read somewhere that women will be with their husbands in Jannah, and that in worldly life, much of their religious duty revolves around their relationship with their husbands after worshiping Allah. Unfortunately, many sisters don’t seem to understand this, but I do believe that men will face a much tougher reckoning on the Day of Judgment. What are your thoughts about Hoors? I know that Ghamidi sb says the hoors mentioned in the Quran are actually women (wives) from this world, but I don’t fully believe that. In Surah Ar-Rahman, it is stated that no human or jinn has ever touched them, which doesn’t make sense to me if they are women from this world. Also, not every husband and wife will be together in Jannah. Just a question and imagination, If the narrations about women entering Paradise with their husbands are not authentic, then it’s possible that women from this world may not necessarily be with their husbands in Jannah. They may have their own distinct rewards/Jannah—especially considering how the descriptions of Paradise often highlight rewards for men. Also, will humans and jinn be together in Jannah?