On July 10, 2011, an article by Dr. Khaled Al-Khaldi, head of the Center for Palestinian Historiography and Documentation, appeared on the website of the Gaza-based newspaper Falastin, under the title "How Did the Sahabiyat[1] Rear Their Sons?"[2] In the article, Al-Halidi praised the sahabiyat for raising their sons to wage jihad, which, he says, brought the Muslims "out of the darkness and into the light." He described the ways in which these women brought up their children to be mujahideen, basing each on a hadith: preparing themselves to give birth to mujahideen even prior to pregnancy; watching what they ate during pregnancy; breastfeeding their babies long enough to strengthen them for bearing the burden of jihad; teaching their children about Muhammad's life and war exploits so that they could follow his example of jihad; teaching them to observe the commandments and rites of Islam from a very early age; teaching them to keep secrets; and raising them to live a spartan life devoid of pleasure and luxury, as expected of mujahideen.
Following are excerpts from the article:
"The women who lived in the time of the Prophet reared their sons with a religious and jihad-based education, raising a generation that defeated two empires – the Persian and the Byzantine – and led [the Muslims] out of the darkness and into the light. The education they gave their children began even before conception, as even prior to pregnancy, they would resolve to give birth to mujahideen for the sake of Allah.
"They were careful to breastfeed them for a long enough period, and not to become pregnant while breastfeeding, until their children had received the proper amount of [mother's milk], so that their bodies would be strong and they would be able to bear the burden of jihad. They did this in compliance with the Prophet's words [according to a hadith]: 'Do not kill your children, by Allah, as the milk of a pregnant woman grabs the knight [i.e. the mujahid] while he is on horseback and kills him.'
"In order to produce wise and strong children, these women watched what they ate during pregnancy, in accordance with the advice of the Prophet, who [according to a hadith] said: 'Feed your pregnant women milk, so that if the woman has a boy in her belly, he will grow up to be learned, a warrior, smart, brave, and generous; and if she has a girl in her belly, she [will grow up] to have good values.' They encouraged [their children] to study the Koran, out of their conviction of its great influence in producing virile Muslims. This is what Um Al-Fadl bint Al-Harith [did, according to a hadith,] when she heard her son reading [the words] 'I swear by the emissary winds, sent one after another' [Koran 77:1]. To encourage him, she said: 'O my son, when you read this sura, you remind me that the last time I heard the Prophet reading [from the Koran], he read this same sura at evening prayer.'
"These women taught their children Muhammad's life story and war [exploits], so that they would follow in his path of jihad. Thus [according to a hadith], Um Harija bin Zayid said: 'At the time of the Battle of Al-Khandaq, I was two years old, and when I grew up, my mother would tell me the story of Al-Khandaq.[3] She used to visit her aunt, Nasiba bint Ka'ab, and say to her: "Aunt, tell me," and [her aunt], Um 'Umara, would tell her that she set out with the Prophet during the Battle of Uhud in order to bring water to the mujahideen and to protect the Prophet and shoot [her] bow.' [These women] got [their children] accustomed, from infancy, to worship Allah, so that they would not consider this difficult when they grew up... They had their children fast, and took them along to the mosque, and when one cried asking for food, they gave him a toy made of wool which they had prepared ahead of time [to distract him from his hunger].
"They taught [their children] good values... and to keep secrets... They encouraged them to swear loyalty to the Prophet... so that they would become mujahideen for the sake of Allah when they reached the age of maturity... So that their children would be mujahideen who were stronger than the infidels, they raised them to live a hard life and distanced them from pleasure and luxury, in accordance with the advice of the Prophet, who [according to a hadith,] said: 'Beware of hedonism, as the servants of Allah do not count themselves among hedonists...'
"They likewise taught them to cling to the truth when the infidels harmed them, as [demonstrated in a hadith, which relates] that after 'Abdallah, known by his nickname "He of the Two Garments," converted to Islam, and was stripped of his loincloth [for doing so], he came to his mother, who cut one of her own garments into two pieces, one of which he wrapped around his loins and the other of which he wore [on his body]. And it of this man that the Prophet said: 'He was wont to pray and supplicate [God],' as he was wont to mention the name of Allah when reading the Koran and in prayer. And when he was killed in the Battle of Tabouk, he was buried by the Prophet himself. Afterward, [the Prophet] faced the Ka'ba, raising his hands and saying: 'O Allah, I was satisfied with him; please satisfy him.'
"O, how many people need mothers to follow in the footsteps of these women and raise a new generation that will liberate the [Muslim] lands and holy places."
