Something Better Than a Servant

So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would want to do for his daughter what was best for her. He would want his daughter to have the best life. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had the ability to give her a servant — but did he do that? The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "But I have something better for you than a servant. Before you go to bed, say SubḥānAllāh thirty-three times, Alḥamdulillāh thirty-three times, and Allāhu Akbar thirty-three times. That is better for you than a servant."

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) knew that his daughter — the daughter of the best, and she is of the best — was serving in her household until her hands became rough; the skin on her hand was thick. Nevertheless, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) advised her to continue with what she was doing, and he told her, instead of getting a servant, "I'll give you this gift: SubḥānAllāh, Alḥamdulillāh, and Allāhu Akbar."

Now, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib later on said that Fāṭimah was working so hard — he said that she was using the stone mill until her hands became harsh and rough, she was drawing water out of the well until it left marks on her neck, she was cleaning the house until her clothes became dirty, and she was cooking until it affected her face. Now, this was the daughter of the greatest man that ever lived, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and she was his only daughter. And the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) knew what she was going through — and that is what made Fāṭimah (may Allah be pleased with her) among the four best women that ever lived. In terms of knowledge, ʿĀʾishah has more knowledge than Fāṭimah and Khadījah; nevertheless, ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) didn't have the same level as Fāṭimah and Khadījah. This invites reflection on priorities for the future. It is not to say that learning should be neglected, or that being Islamically active should be set aside, but it points to where the greatest ajr is. Everyone is encouraged to fulfil their roles and to be the best, and to learn the most — but there are things that are more rewardable than others, so effort should be optimised accordingly.