Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah) had married her, although she was older than him in age, solely on account of her piety and righteousness that was well-known to the people of her area.
Describing his nikaah, Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah) mentioned the following:
“My nikaah incurred very little expenses, as I spent a total of only two hundred rupees. I gifted to my wife a set of ordinary, simple clothing. You will perhaps be surprised to learn that I performed my own nikaah. The reason for this is that there was no ‘Aalim in the village where my wife lived. Hence, I recited the khutbah of the nikaah and thereafter performed my own nikaah in the presence of the witnesses.”
He also mentioned the following in praise of his respected wife:
“From the very beginning of our married life, she said to me, ‘I will always assist you in your efforts and endeavours. I will eat whatever you feed me and I will wear whatever clothing you provide for me. If you are in a state of hunger, I will happily remain hungry with you, and if you wish to live in the jungle, then I will accompany you to reside in the jungle. I will never ask or demand anything from you and I will never cause you anxiety and worry.’ My respected wife remained true to her words as she never once demanded or even asked me for anything. She never asked me for jewellery, clothing or money. She never possessed any love for the world and things of the world. In fact, her disinterest in the world was such that it was as if she did not even know that a thing like the world existed.”
“It was through my respected wife that I was blessed with a son such as Moulana Mazhar (daamat barakaatuhum) who is a capable and pious ‘Aalim. Allah Ta‘ala, out of His grace, is taking great work of Deen from him.”
“She was very pious and was the Raabi‘ah Basriyyah of our time. I am so convinced of her piety and righteousness that when I make du‘aa to Allah Ta‘ala, I ask Him to accept my du‘aa on account of her piety and righteousness.” (Rashk-e-Awliyaa, Hayaat-e-Akhtar pg. 42, 44 and 47)
Lessons:
1. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has taught us that when seeking a partner, we should always make it our priority to find a partner who possesses Deen and piety.
2. The nikaah which attracts the most blessings is the nikaah in which the least expenses were incurred.
3. A truly loyal and faithful wife is one who will remain patiently at her husband’s side through the good times and the difficult times without uttering a word of complaint.
4. When a wife is blessed with contentment, she will not harbour ambitions to collect wealth, clothing, shoes, furniture, jewellery, etc. Hence, she will be content with what she has in life and will dedicate her energy to developing her Jannah. If a woman does not possess contentment, she will always hanker after more. In the process, she will often become a burden to her husband as she squanders his hard-earned wealth.
5. A person may fool the world, but it is very difficult for one to fool and deceive one’s spouse, as the spouse knows one more intimately than any other person. Hence, if a person’s spouse sincerely praises him and says that he is pious, it is a high praise indeed. From the praise of Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah), we understand the high rank and exemplary piety of this woman.
6. One of the greatest gifts that any parent can hope for is that of a pious child. However, for the child to be pious, he will have to receive an upbringing of piety from his parents. Hence, Moulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar (rahimahullah) praised the role of his respected wife in producing a son like Moulana Shah Hakeem Mazhar (daamat barakaatuhum).
