The Muslim woman who truly follows the teachings of Islam keeps her body and clothes very clean. She bathes frequently, in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet (PBUH), who advised Muslims to take baths, especially on Fridays: “Have a bath on Fridays and wash your heads, even if you are not in to her husband, but also to other women and her relatives. Imam Ahmad and al-Nisa’i report that Jabir (RAA) said: You are going to visit your brothers, so repair your saddles and make sure that you are dressed well, so that you will stand out among people like an adornment, for Allah (SWT) does not love ugliness.” 1

Al Hashimi, Muhammad Ali. The Ideal Muslimah: The True Islamic Personality of the Muslim Woman as Defined in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Translated by Nasiruddin Al Khattab. Riyadh: International Islamic Publishing House, 1997. A’ishah (May Allah be pleased with her) was asked what the Prophet (PBUH) used to do first when he came home. She said, “Use siwak .”In the course of defending the Prophet, Nusaybah suffered wounds, but she did not complain or lose heart. Asking the Prophet to make du`aa’ that she and her family would join him in Paradise, he did so. There are parts that every Muslim should have known, such as worship Allah, regularly prays five times a day, pays zakah, fasts in Ramadan (and another nafl fasts), Hajj, and so on. There are also parts that I was surprised to find, such as how Muslims should mind their mind, body, and soul, because in my social media feed, all those Muslim accounts mostly discuss about soul (power of ikhlas, etc), marriage (the most popular topic), etc. They rarely talk about mind and body. This book emphasise the importance of taking care of your body, cleanliness, and good appearance (within the Islamic rule). The book also talks about how we should never stop studying, both the deen or the “secular” knowledge that will benefit society.

Nusaybah is in our Islamic history as being among the pioneering, famous warriors. She is also cited as a woman of tremendous forbearance and a spirit of preference for others over herself. One of her sons became a martyr during a subsequent battle, and she exhibited the highest degree of trust in and reliance on Almighty Allah, accepting the news of his death with dignity and grace. Final ThoughtsThis teaching which is directed at men, is directed even more so at women, who are usually thought of as being more clean, the source of joy and tranquillity in the home.

The Muslim woman does not neglect her appearance, no matter how busy she is with her domestic chores and the duties of motherhood. She is keen to look good, without going to extremes, because a good appearance is an indication of how well she understands herself, her Islamic identity, and her mission in life. The outward appearance of a woman cannot be separated from her inner nature: a neat, tidy and clean exterior reflects a noble and decent inner character, both of which go to make up the character of the true Muslim woman. Books on early Islamic history praise the contributions of the male companions of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is crucial that we seek to study the contributions of the female companions of the Prophet as well. What a great contrast there is between the refined civilization of Islam and other, human civilizations! She takes care of her mouth and teeth This book is very dense, and I definitely felt like the information could have been presented better at times. For example, I wish the author's voice was a little less prominent (in other words, I would have liked this to feel more like a reference book), and a lot of information came off as repetitive.The author adds: “These words clearly indicate the level of civilization, culture, knowledge and manners among the Europeans. At the same time, in another part of Europe, the situation was not much different. At times, I found the explanations to be repetitive, especially when it was common sense. Perhaps the repetitiveness was to reiterate how easy it is to be a good Muslimah and to put greater emphasis on what is an 'Ideal Muslimah.' The book made many references to “corrupted western values” that corrupts many Muslims nowadays. Some of them are right, but the author referenced it so many times it almost funny and made me laugh and think “Is he obsessed with Western people?”. I mean, not every so-called Western values are bad, right? I admire their independence, hard-working, and appreciation of individuality. The author wrote it in a way that if you are an alien from another planet, you’ll think Western values are complete evil. However, if someone from the Western world made a praise about Islam, he will referenced it immediately. That’s why I said it’s almost funny.

She goes to sleep early and gets up early to start the day’s activities with energy and enthusiasm. She does not weaken her energy with late nights and bad habits; she is always active and efficient, so that her household chores do not exhaust her and she can meet her targets. The Muslim woman also steers clear of drugs and stimulants, especially those which are clearly known to be haram, and she avoids the bad habits that many women have fallen into in societies that have deviated from the guidance of Allah (SWT) and His Messenger, such as staying up late at night to waste time in idle pursuits. The Prophet (PBUH) considered an unkempt and careless appearance, and scruffy clothes and furnishings, to be forms of ugliness, which is hated and forbidden by Islam. Nusaybah was by far the most distinguished of women because of her many superior qualities, especially because of the bravery she demonstrated in defense of the Prophet during the Battle of Uhud.While I agree that men and women have different physical condition, needs, obligations, and rights, I can’t help but notice the difference between the two books in the the chapter about spouses. I read The Ideal Muslim in English Edition 4 (2005) and The Ideal Muslimah in English Edition 6 (2005). While the other chapters relatively balanced, this one chapter is unfortunately not. Seeing the Prophet left to fend for himself, Nusaybah armed herself, joining the circular formation that was protecting him. Dr. Al Hashimi relates that Nusaybah fought bravely and selflessly in the Prophet’s defense. One note on some strange happenings. A woman goes to hell after being a good devout Muslim because she has "a sharp tongue" and a prostitute goes to heaven because she gave water to a dog once? Seems to me that God's ways are so mysterious as to not really matter, you may or may not get on his good side, and you can't possibly hope to know that before destiny is fulfilled. Victorious in the end, the Muslim fighters’ many lessons learned at the Battle of Uhud are forever recorded. Etched in that record is the role that Nusaybah and her family played in defending the beloved of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).