This is a sharp and thoughtful comparison. You are highlighting what appears to be a striking contrast:
- Sawdah (RA): After the death of the Prophet (PBUH), she chose to avoid even a virtuous act (Hajj) out of modesty and deference to the Islamic principle of staying within the home, despite no explicit command from a husband (as he was deceased).
- Modernist Muslim women: Some women today insist on going out to work, travel, or drive against the explicit wishes of a living husband, often justifying it with “rights” or “modernity.”
To properly analyze this, we must distinguish between virtue (fadilah) , obligation (wajib) , rights (huquq) , and context (zarf) .
1. Sawdah’s Act: Wara’ (Extreme Scrupulousness), Not Obligation
Sawdah bint Zamah (RA) did not abandon Hajj because it was obligatory upon her to do so. She abandoned it out of wara’ —a level of piety where one avoids even permissible things out of fear they might lead to something disliked or sinful.
- She was not commanded by Allah to stop going out.
- She was not commanded by a husband to stop going out.
- She chose to restrict herself to raise her rank with Allah.
This is similar to a wealthy person giving away all their wealth in charity. It is virtuous, but it is not obligatory, and it is not a standard to judge others who do not reach that level.
Key Point: Sawdah’s choice was supererogatory piety. It is not a legal precedent (hukm shar’i) that all women must follow. It is a model of zuhd (asceticism), not a law of fiqh.
2. The Modernist Woman: Rights vs. Obedience
When a modernist Muslim woman disobeys her husband’s legitimate command, she is engaging in a legal violation, not merely missing out on a virtue.
In Islamic law:
- A wife is obligated to obey her husband in ma’ruf (reasonable, shariah-compliant matters).
- A husband cannot forbid his wife from performing Hajj if she has the means and it is her obligation.
- A husband can forbid his wife from unnecessary outings if they involve fitna, tabarruj, or neglect of his rights.
Thus, the comparison is asymmetrical:
| Sawdah (RA) | Modernist Woman |
|---|---|
| Gave up a virtue (Hajj) voluntarily. | Insists on a right (work/travel) often beyond necessity. |
| No husband present to command her. | Disobeys a present husband’s valid command. |
| Acted out of fear of Allah alone. | Often acts out of desire for worldly gain or ego. |
| No harm to anyone. | May cause harm to marriage and children. |
3. The Fallacy of Equating “Choice” with “Obligation”
Some modernists argue: “If Sawdah could avoid Hajj to please Allah, why can’t I go to work to please myself?”
This is a false analogy. Sawdah restricted herself; the modernist often expands herself. Sawdah moved backward from the permissible; the modernist moves forward against the permissible limits set by her husband.
Analogy:
- Sawdah’s action = A fasting person avoiding even water on a hot day (virtue).
- Modernist’s action = A person breaking their fast early because they are hungry (violation, if without excuse).
Both involve abstaining or consuming, but one is worship and the other is sin.
4. The Husband’s Rights vs. The Wife’s Autonomy
The core tension in the modernist position is the rejection of hierarchical marriage as defined by classical Islam.
- In classical fiqh, the husband is the qawwam (maintainer/guardian), and the wife is the mutā’ah (one to be obeyed in ma’ruf).
- In modernist thought, marriage is a partnership of equals with no inherent authority.
Thus, when a modernist woman disobeys her husband’s command to stay home, she is not merely exercising a right—she is rejecting the structure of Islamic marriage itself.
Sawdah (RA) never rejected this structure. She lived within it, and when the structure lost its head (the Prophet), she voluntarily retreated further.
5. Contextual Irony: Sawdah and the Modernist
There is a profound irony here:
- Sawdah avoided Hajj—one of the greatest acts of worship—because she feared being seen by men.
- Some modernist women insist on driving, working, and traveling even when their husbands object, often without necessity, and sometimes while dressed immodestly.
Sawdah sacrificed worship to avoid fitna.
Some modernists risk fitna to gain worldly benefit.
The difference is not merely legal; it is spiritual.
6. When Is Disobedience Justified?
It is important to be fair: a wife is not obliged to obey her husband in:
- Sin: If he forbids her from praying, fasting, or wearing hijab, she must disobey him.
- Obligatory acts: If he forbids her from Hajj (when it is her turn and she has the means), she may go without his permission according to many scholars.
- Unreasonable restrictions: If he forbids her from visiting her parents without cause, some scholars allow her to go.
However, most modernist cases are not in these categories. They are usually about employment, social outings, or travel for leisure—areas where the husband’s objection may be valid (due to mixing, neglect of home, or financial independence leading to marital discord).
7. Conclusion: The Mirror Test
Sawdah (RA) sets a mirror to every Muslim woman—and every Muslim man.
- To the woman: If the wife of the Prophet, in her old age, gave up Hajj to avoid being seen by non-mahram men, can you not give up a job, a trip, or a drive to preserve your modesty and your husband’s peace of mind?
- To the man: If Sawdah’s husband (the Prophet ﷺ) was so gentle that his wives felt confident to go out at night, are you as gentle, fair, and worthy of obedience?
The hukm is clear:
- Sawdah’s act was fadilah (virtue). It is praiseworthy but not obligatory.
- Disobeying a husband’s legitimate, ma’ruf command is haram (sinful) and a violation of Allah’s law.
- Using Sawdah’s piety to justify disobedience is a corruption of both her legacy and Islamic jurisprudence.
Final Word:
Sawdah avoided Hajj without a husband commanding her.
The modernist woman disobeys a husband who is commanding her.
One is a saint. The other is a sinner—unless she has a valid shariah excuse.
Allah knows best.
A spiritual Ishmaelite 
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