Asiya (AS)- The Wife Of A Tyrant

• Tortured but place in Jannah!

And subhanAllah when rasool Allah (SAWS) on the night of Al-Israa and Al-Miraaj in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (SAWS) as he was going through the heavens, he smelled the beautiful scent and he said, “يا جبريل ما هذه الرائحة الطيبة؟” [Ya Jibreel, ma hadhihi al raai’ha al tayyiba?]- Oh Jibreel, what is this beautiful smell that I’m smelling? And Jibreel ‘alayhi al salam says, ‘that is the scent of the hairdresser of the daughter of Firaoun. That is her scent in Jannah.” SubhanAllah! The Prophet (SAWS) was smelling her cloth. The Prophet (SAWS) was smelling her beautiful scent in Jannah even as he was travelling on the night of Al-Israa and Al-Miraaj.

It was at that moment when Asiya saw the cruelty of Firaoun and the bravery of that woman, and by the way, history repeats itself. Whenever a tyrant oppresses believers and other believers see that, and the tyrant tries to make an example out of those believers, instead he increases the iman of those who have iman as Allah (SWT) says in the Quran that even when the believers when they’re told, “إِنَّ النَّاسَ قَدْ جَمَعُوا لَكُمْ” ['Inna An-NāsaQad Jama'ū Lakum] (3:173) – That everyone is gathering against you. they’re going to turture you, and do this to you and that to you, Allah (SWT) says, – it increases their faith. So Asiya sees that and Asiya says, ‘you know what if Firaoun is like that and this woman had the guts to stand up to him and that courage, then I’m also going to go up to him and stand up to him.’

So she walks up to Firaoun that night as Abu Al-’Aliyah rahimahuAllah says, and she says, “يا فرعون كفرت بك ولا أبالي وآمنت برب موسى ورب هارون” [Ya Firaoun kafarto bik w la ‘ubaali, w ‘aamant b rabb Musa w rabb Harun]- Oh Firaoun I have disbelieved in you. I don’t care what you’re going to do. And I believe in the Lord of Musa and the Lord of Harun. “رب العالمين”[Rabb al-’aalameen]- the Lord of all of the worlds. Firaoun said, ‘Do you know what I’m going to do you?!’ He was shocked! He said, ‘Do you know what I’m going to do you?!’ She said, ‘I know and I don’t care.’ SubhanAllah! “لا أبالي كفرت بك ولا أبالي” [la ‘ubaali, kafartu bik w la ‘ubaali] – I have disbelieved in you, I have rejected you and I don’t care. This was a woman of perfect iman and she saw a woman of lesser iman stand up to Firaoun. ‘I don’t care. Do what you want.’

So Firaoun drags this woman, Asiya bint Muzahim. Asiya bint Muzahim grew up her entire life as a Queen. She has never encountered any adversity. She has never had any inconvenience and she has never had to lift a finger. Anything she wanted in life she just tells her maids to do it. And Firaoun drags her to the desert, ties her down, tortures her, deprives her of water, deprives her of food, deprives of her dignity, her honor. Strips her. His own wife. And the daughters of Firaoun from the concubines and from the other wives are laughing at her.

She has no support. And while that is going on, she looks up to the heavens and she says, “رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ” [Rabbi Abni Lī 'Indaka Baytāan Fī Al-Jannati] (66:11) – Oh Allah build for me with You a palace in Jannah. “ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِندَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ” [Rabbi Abni Lī 'Indaka Baytāan Fī Al-Jannati] (66:11). You know what’s so beautiful is that the ‘ulama/scholars say here that before she asked for the palace in Jannah she asked for Allah’s company. And that shows us something very significant. She didn’t ask for another husband, she asked for Allah (SWT)’s company. Her goal was the akhirah, was the hereafter. Just as the child said to the mother, “فإن عذاب الدنيا أهون من عذاب الآخرة” [Fa ‘inna ‘adhaab al dunya ‘ahwan min ‘athaab al akhira] – that the punishment of this world, this lust, and the punishment of the hereafter, she was only thinking aakhirah.

So instead of Firaoun, ‘Oh Allah! I want to be with you.’ “عِندَكَ” ['Indaka]- I want to be with you. Replace the company of Firaoun with the company of Allah (SWT) and replace this palace that I’ve sacrificed for your sake with a palace in Jannah. So Allah opened up the skies and she was able to see her palace in Jannah. Therefore when the people lashed her over and over again, the angels shaded her.

The angels shaded her the same way they shade the people of al-shaam as the Prophet (SAWS) said, “تلك ملائكة الله باسطوا أجنحتها على الشام” [tilk malaa’ikatu Allah baasitoo ‘ajnihatiha ‘ala al-shaam] – the same way the angels shade the people of al-shaam. That when they are tortured their iman rises. Their iman rises. So as she was being tortured she looked up, she saw what she saw, and she was shaded and she laughed.

And Firaoun said to the guards, ‘look how crazy this woman is.’ And she laughed and she laughed and she laughed until Firaoun got frustrated and he said, ‘You know what? This woman is not coming back to her senses.’ He said, ‘Go to the highest cliff and tie her under there. And push off a boulder that would smash her body to pieces.’

So they go up to that cliff and they push this boulder to fall on the body of Asiya but Allah (SWT) did not give Firaoun that pleasure. Abu Al-’Aliyah rahimahuAllah said, ‘Allah took her soul when she said, “نَجِّنِي مِن فِرْعَوْنَ” [Najjinī Min Fir'awna] – Save me from Firaoun and his evil. Allah took her soul before the boulder landed on her body. So although to the people of this world her body was shattered to pieces, Allah (SWT) had taken her for Himself. And Allah (SWT) had given her a palace in Jannah as she requested.

What an amazing woman!

And what an amazing example. And what a test of faith and subhanAllah she passed that test with flying colors.

We ask Allah (SWT) to gather us with her and those that have perfected their faith from the Saliheen, the Siddiqeen, and the ‘Anbiyaa and the Prophet (SAWS) the highest of levels jannat-ul-firdaous.

Allahumma ameen.