You strike a woman, you strike a rock

"When God made the woman, she had to be special. He made her strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. He gave her the inner strength to endure both child birth and the rejection that many times comes from the children.

He gave her a toughness that allows her to keep going when everyone else has given up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. He gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child hurts her badly.

He gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his ribs to protect his heart. He gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strength to her resolve to stand beside him unfaltering.

And lastly, he gave her a tear. This is hers and only hers exclusively to use whenever she needs it. She needs no reason, no explanation.. Its hers."

Written by an unknown author, the words I've just quoted do not even come close to describe how important and unique a woman is.

Since the beginning of time, we have seen many woman, young and old, succeed beyond our expectations in the economical, political, religious and social society around them. There are many great stories in which women, just like you and I, have discovered the world, changed the world, and conquered the world.

Women such as: Miriam Makeba, Rosa Parks, Aafia Siddique, Helen Kella, Ayesha Bint Abu bakr, Fathima Meer.. And many more. These were ordinary women who, by striving for what they believed in, became extraordinary.

But of course, women stronger than them are the women we incur with everyday. The ones we take for granted because they are always there for us, teaching us right from wrong, and teaching us to be better people, whilst all along having to deal with the world observing and waiting for them to fail.

Our mothers, teachers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, doctors, cleaners, young and old. Every woman is unique and special, exclusively designed.

In Islam, the status of a woman is so high that an entire surah is dedicated to the woman. Surah an-nisa. And there are many great women who have helped spread Islam and made it what it is today.

A sheikh once described the status of a woman by saying:

"When she is born, she opens the gates of Paradise. When she is married, she has completed half her religion. When she is a mother, Paradise lies under her feet. If everyone knew the true status of a woman in Islam, even the men would want to be women."

Therefore,

"Be careful if you make a woman cry because Allah The Most High counts her tears. A woman came out of the rib of a man, not his feet to be walked on, nor his head to be superior over, she came from his side to be his companion, under his arm to be protected, and next to his heart to be loved."

Although no words can come close to describing the power and quality of a woman, an IsiZulu proverbial expression manages to convert a thousand adjectives into four words: "wathinta umfazi wathinta imbokodo"- you strike a woman, you strike a rock.

Remember:

Strong women wear their pain like stilettos.

No matter how much it hurts,

All you see is the beauty of it.

*Shira Sudi*