In a video message to the annual conference of the American Muslim Congress in Houston, Texas, Ayatollah Javadi Amoli stated: The Holy Quran recognizes both women and men as examples of virtuous individuals. Consequently, the fundamental nature of women and men is the same in numerous aspects.
According to Jahanbanou from the Hawzah News Agency, Hazrat Ayatollah Javadi Amoli issued a video message on the occasion of the beginning of the 20th annual conference of the Congress of North American Muslims, titled “Zainab al-Kubra: A Legacy of Courage, Compassion, and Resistance,” which is being held from November 8-10 in Houston, Texas, USA.
In this message, he stated: “Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon her) is an exemplar and embodiment of humanity. The first point is that the essence of men and women is virtually equal, as the soul is neither masculine nor feminine. Fundamental knowledge, beliefs, rulings, and wisdom are common to both men and women and differ only in some bodily matters. Therefore, the essence of a woman and the essence of a man, which is the pure soul, is not different.”
Equality of Souls
“Based on transcendent wisdom, the soul is created from the physical but is essentially spiritual. This does not mean that the same body with its physical characteristics becomes the soul, but rather that a human is a composite of matter and form. First, matter is matter, and second, the form is capable of flight. The form that is upon the matter leaps, exits, ascends, and flies with essential motion, becoming abstract. The form is the platform for the flight of that matter, not that the matter becomes abstract through movement; matter remains matter. And because its platform for flight is matter, it is detached from matter. Therefore, when it reaches spiritual abstraction, there is no longer talk of masculinity or femininity.”
Quranic Examples
“The Quran considers men and women to be examples of each other in terms of humanity and refers one to the other. When it wants to mention an example of good people, not just good men, it mentions Mary or Pharaoh’s wife; the meaning of ‘people’ here is the human community, meaning both men and women. The Quranic term here is not ‘men’ but ‘people’. The Quran considers both men and women to be examples of good men and women. Therefore, the essence of a woman is the same as the essence of a man in many matters.”
Zainab al-Kubra as a Role Model
“If the rational of the Banu Hashim, Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon her), is highly respected by her Imam of the Time, the blessed Sajjad (peace be upon him), it is because she found the truth of humanity well and acted based on that truth of humanity. When Zain al-Abidin said to Zainab al-Kubra (peace be upon them): ‘You are, by God’s grace, knowledgeable without being taught, understanding without being explained,’ it is because she is like this, therefore he can say that which is hard to find and rarely said and less accessible.”
He stated: “The fact that Hazrat Zainab (peace be upon her), after the tragedy of Karbala and in the court of Ibn Ziad, said to him, ‘Ma ra’aytu illa jamila‘ (I have seen nothing but beauty), holds a profound secret. This is because she perceived the realm of martyrdom, which is the water of life. A martyr never truly dies; they live eternally. Zainab al-Kubra perceived the essence of martyrdom and the inner reality of a person that manifests at the moment of death, when angels come to greet them. In all circumstances, she reminded us of the majesty and glory of the Divine Essence, stating that we desired to attain divine encounter and succeeded. This act awakened the world.”
Divine Decree of Hijab
Ayatollah Javadi Amoli considered the issue of hijab to be for preserving the honor, grandeur, and glory of women, and stated: “The issue of hijab is the adornment, beauty, and glory of women, which everyone must observe. In order for the honor of women to be preserved and the grandeur, glory, and splendor of women to be preserved, the Divine Essence has ordained the issue of hijab.”
From: hawzahnews