what she and her community comprehend or accept according to their own
conformity to traditional innovations divorced from Allah's principles. Such
people attempt to put al'Mussawwir’s word in a box they have designed from
the comforts of fancy. They care not to draw closer to Allah than the
comfortable orbit of their own traditions. Often, an entire community like
this will fall ill due to infectious diseases or become subject to natural
calamity, as they lack the enhanced immunity made available to the true slave
of Allah and do not heed the warnings given by such a wife’s husband.
Descriptions of the Non-Ideal Muslimah: pray you are not one of these.
'If you see a woman who is always laughing, fond of gaming and jesting,
always ruling to her neighbors, meddling with matters that are no
concern of hers, plaguing her husband with constant complaints, leaguing
herself with other women against him, playing the grand lady, accepting
gifts from everybody, know that that woman is a whore without shame.'And again to be despised is the woman of a somber, frowning nature, and
one who is prolific in talk; the woman who is light−headed in her
relations with men, or contentious, or fond of tittle−tattle and unable to
keep her husband's secrets, or who is malicious. The woman of a
malicious nature talks only to tell lies; if she makes a promise she does so
only to break it, and if anybody confides in her, she betrays him; she is
debauched, thievish, a scold, coarse and violent; she cannot give good
advice; she is always occupied with the affairs of other people, and with
such as bring harm, and is always on the watch for frivolous news; she is
fond of repose, but not of work; she uses unbecoming words in addressing
a Mussulman, even to her husband; invectives are always at her tongue's
end; she exhales a bad odor which infects you, and sticks to you even after
you have left her.And not less contemptible is she who talks to no purpose, who is a
hypocrite and does no good act; she, who, when her husband asks her to
fulfill the conjugal office, refuses to listen to his demand; the woman who
does not assist her husband in his affairs; and finally, she who fatigues
him with unceasing complaints and tears. A woman of that sort, seeing
her husband irritated or in trouble does not share his affliction; on the
contrary, she laughs and jests all the more, and does not try to drive away