Assalamu alaykum!I want to know,can taking care of my family earn me reward of ibadaat i.e. Cooking and washing as opposed to nawafil,tilawatul Quran and seeking for knowledge considering the fact that i work full time

Wa alaykum salam, every good deed has its reward but they vary and aren't the same. What you should strive for is a balance between domestic chores as a wife and mother and recommended acts of religious devotion. I hope to post more on the subject soon.

Wa alaaykumusalam, will be looking forward to reading more on this. May Allah reward you abundantly

^Ameen

A Muslim Woman and Free Time



Free Time



Everyone seems to wish they had more of it. Being a wife and the mother of seven children I have often thought to myself that if only I had some free time I would... What would I do? Here we come to a universal truth about free time. It is used in one of two ways. Either it is put to good use or it is wasted, sometimes in sinful use.



Of course, we will all agree that performing some sort of Ibadah would be the ideal use of free time. However, we often forget that the performance of Ibadah is the very reason for our life on earth. Allah (swt) says: “I have not created jinn and humans except so that they may worship Me.” [51:56]

Allah did not create humans without reason. Nor did He create them for the sake of spending their time in pointless activity. He created them for Ibadah in the complete meaning of Ibadah - worship of Him as the one Almighty Lord of the Worlds.

Ibadah refers not just to ritual, physical, and mental acts of Ibadah such as Salah, Saum, Zakah, and Hajj. These are the Arkan of Ibadah. The true and complete meaning of the word Ibadah includes much more. As Ibn Taymiyyah puts it, Ibadah is “a comprehensive word that refers to all that Allah (swt) loves and all that pleases Him.”

So how does all this tie in with a woman and free time? If we examine the question and take a deeper look at exactly how Ibadah is performed in a woman's life, the desire for “free time” takes on a new meaning.

Adh-Dhahabee related in Sayr A'laam An-Nubalaa from Asma bint Yazeed Ibn As-Sakan that she went to the Prophet (saw) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you. I have come to you on behalf of the women. Verily Allah has sent you to men and women. We have believed in you. We do not go out and we remain in your homes. We are your source of physical pleasure. We carry your children. A man goes out to pray Jum’ah and Jamah, and follows the Janazah. And if you go out for Hajj, or Umrah, or Jihad, we look after your wealth. We wash your clothing. We raise your children. Shall we not share in the reward?”

The Prophet (saw) turned to his Companions and said, “Have you ever heard anything a woman has said better than what she has said?” Then he said to her, “Understand O woman, and inform the other women. Indeed a woman's perfection of her relationship with her husband, her seeking his pleasure, and doing that which he approves of is equivalent to all of that.” Asma left exclaiming “Laa ilaaha illallaah.”

Here, the Prophet (saw) explains an important aspect of Ibadah which applies uniquely to women. He informs us of the way to her success and how she has been granted this distinguished form of worship, one that many of us complain about. It is equivalent to Jihad, praying Jum’ah and Jamah. It is commensurate to participating in the Janazah, performance of Hajj and Umrah.

This Ibadah is the perfection of her relationship with her husband, her seeking his pleasure, obeying him, and doing that which he approves of. It is the caring for her children and her home and remaining within her home. Allah (swt) in His incomparable mercy has provided her with other deeds which replace those deeds that men usually perform, so that she may achieve equal reward.

One might argue that most of the women participate in these actions on a daily basis, even the disbelieving women. However, the concerns of a Muslim woman are nobler. She sets her sights high in her actions. She is aware that her every act, when performed islamically, is an expression of her worship of Allah (swt).

What is it that makes a woman wish for free time? Usually it is a need for a more personal time period wherein she may direct her energies into something that she would individually benefit from and enjoy. There is nothing wrong with this and indeed, when done with the correct intention, this too falls into Ibadah.

However, the waste of free time is an evil that many of us succumb to. The world is filled with opportunities for us to waste our time. Shaytan whispers here and there and before you know it we've intended well but failed to follow through. All of us are prone to wasting our time or failing to take opportunities to use our time well.

You can read more here http://www.missionislam.com/family/womanfreetime.htm

Thanks my brother in Islam! So can i safely assume that since i am unable to perform nawafil ibadaat due to my involvement in taking care of my husband and children, am still rewarded if i do it with the aim of worship?

^Yes. Everytime you seek to be a dutiful wife and mother, you get such rewards.

If your husband is additionally delighted with you as a result, my sister you will be operating at a very high level of spiritual excellence indeed provided your compulsory acts of worship are ok.

Allah knows best.

Jazakumullahu khayran! I've bookmarked the post,will take time to read it in sha Allah