The life of a woman is full of so many turning points. However, there are four important phases in the life of a woman:

1. Her childhood

2. Her adulthood

3. After the Marriage and

4. As a mother. 

WOMAN IN HER CHILDHOOD 

A girl is very dear to her parents. Before her attaining the age of puberty, she is free from any religious obligation. She is supposed to enjoy her life at her father’s house with the single motto – eat, drink and be merry. She enjoys the love and affection of her parents, her sisters, brothers and other relatives. When she starts speaking, the parents should teach her the basics of the religion and faith. The childhood is an age of learning. A child attains considerable amount of knowledge till the age of five that she would never get throughout her life. This is the period when the first schooling of the child starts with her first teacher – the mother. 

When the girl is five-year-old, she should be taught lessons of personal hygiene. She should also be given training in human behaviour with special emphasis on adopting good things and discarding bad habits. This is also the time to start her education. The education should start with the learning of the Holy Quraan. She should memorize at least the last few Suras of the 30th Part of the Holy Quraan especially Sura Fateha, Sura An-Naas, Sura Al-Falaq, Sura Ikhlaas, Sura Al-Kafiroon. She should know the Islamic way of purification, Wudu (ablution) and Ghusl (bath). 

At the age of seven the girl should be taught the fundamentals of Islam such as Salaah. This is the age when the girl should cultivate the habit of Pardah. She should also be taught washing of utensils, minor stitching jobs and other domestic chores of common nature. She should be suitably admonished for her idling, laziness, carelessness and mischief. She should not be allowed to mingle with the girls and women of low character. She should be kept away from evils of reading romantic literature, seeing movies and listening to sexy music, etc. These evils adversely affect the morale of the child and encourage her to adopt bigger evils.  

WOMAN IN HER ADULTHOOD

After attaining the age of puberty, the woman comes under the Jurisdiction of the Sharee’ah Laws. Now, she has to follow all the basic tenets of Islam including Salaah, Fasting, Zakaah and Hajj. She has to fulfil her duties as a Muslim woman and keep away from all minor and major sins. She should serve her parents and other elders and share her love and affection with those younger than her and her elders. She should behave well with her neighbours. She should mould her life according to the Islamic teachings and emerge as a lady of faith, good manners, hard work, humility, patience and contentment.  

She should also acquire knowledge about the life that awaits her after the marriage. She should know her responsibilities as a housewife. She can get this training from her mother and other elderly women in the house. She should adopt a life style within the confines of the Islamic Sharee’ah.  

Pardah is a must for a Muslim woman. She should not face men other than real relatives. Real relatives mean those relatives who can never marry her, like her father, brothers, father-in-law, uncles and grandfather. She can go to the market provided that her body is totally covered.  

She should read good literature that contains moral teachings. Novels available in the market generally contain cheap sex fictions that should be avoided.  

She should perform additional prayers other than the obligatory ones. Recitation of the Holy Quraan and Tasbeeh bring health and happiness to the house. During the days of purity, she should try to be in the state of Wudu throughout the day and, if possible, till she goes to bed. The best Dhikr for a woman is Tasbeeh-e-Faatima (radi Allahu anha) that is reciting Subhan-Allah 33 times, Alhamdu Lillah 33 times and Allah-o-Akbar 34 times. This is the Tasbeeh that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) taught his beloved daughter, Sayyidah Faatima az-Zahra (radi Allahu anha). 

She should arrange the Niyaaz on selected days of the year particularly on the 11th of Rabi-ul-Akhir (the ‘Urs’ death anniversary of Sayyiduna Ghaus-e-Azam Sheikh Abdul-Qaadir Jilaani - alaihir rahmah) of Baghdad, the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal (the Eid-e-Meelad-un-Nabi - sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), the 6th of Rajab (the ‘Urs” death anniversary of Khawja Ghareeb Nawaaz Moeenudeen Chishti – alaihir rahmah) of Ajmer, and the sacred days like the 10th of Muharram (night and Day of Ashura), 27th of Rajab (night of Meh’raaj), the 15th of Sha’ban (Shab-e-Baraat) and the 27th of Ramadaan (Shab-e-Qadr). This arrangement of Niyaaz will bring blessings, peace and prosperity to the house as the Niyaaz will contain the Dhikr of Allah and His beloved ones.