The Blind Servitude

It is a kind of servitude that binds a man to his ancestors: he bows to his ancestral customs and rituals. These customs produce a new skeleton with an old spirit inside it: he is in fact a grave covered with shiny marble stones.[1]

The Tongue-tied servitude:

It is a life in which the rein of a man’s life is in the hands of an ill-tempered, vexatious wife or a life in which a woman sticks to a man whom she hates.

The ear-tied or deaf servitude:

This is a life in which a man adopts the norms of the community in which he lives. He takes on the color of the society in which he lives.

The Bound servitude:

This is a life in which the individual is entirely dominated by a gang. He is a slave in the hands of a bunch of adventurous, power-monger few. They consider him nothing more than a puppet. He is played with up to the moment when he is useful and then is discarded.[2]

The Grey servitude:

This is the life of those who hypocritically reverse the true value of things: Fraud is celebrated as pure honesty, garrulity and talkativeness is considered as a virtue, weakness and incompetence is considered as patience and cowardice is celebrated as piety.

Wavering and irresolute servitude:

This is the life of the double-minded, cowards who evade telling the truth and are hypocrites in their actions and speech.

The servitude under domination:

This is the servitude that is imposed by an occupant foreign force upon a defeated nation.

The substitute servitude:

This is imposed on a nation when the rein of government is transferred from a father onto his son.

The Black servitude:

This is the state of the mind of a child of a criminal who has to carry the ill - fame all his life.[3]

As we see it was upon the Prophets, the Imams and the Infallible ones to save man from all these miseries and vices. This they did under the supervision of Almighty God.

The Noble Free-born have reached all human high positions:

وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اِمْرَأَةَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ قَالَتْ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِنْدَكَ بَيْتًا فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَنَجِّنِي مِنْ فِرْعَوْنَ وَعَمَلِهِ وَنَجِّنِي مِنْ الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِينَ  [4]

“And Allah sets forth an example to those who believe the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord, build for me a house with Thee in the garden and deliver me from pharaoh and his doing, and deliver me from the unjust people.”

The Honorable Prophet(s.a.w) has stated: “For me the most virtuous and honorable women of the world are: 1. Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh;

2. Maryam, Imran’s daughter;

3. Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwailid;

4. Fatimah(a.s), the daughter of Muhammand(s.a.w).

One of the most distinguished women of the world was Asiyah. She was a unique servant of God. She worshipped the creator out of her real recognition of God. She enjoyed a perfect faith. She was unique in her chastity, especially in a climate of Pharaoh’s tyranny and blasphemy.

Although exposed to the best kind of chances to enjoy both wealth and social positions, Asiyah did not adjust to her corrupt social, royal life, trying hard to improve the status of the environment. The opinion and ideas of others did not have any impact on her.

Asiyah was the first lady who believed in what Musa Ibn Imran had to offer. She was steady in her belief and faith. She did not show any sign of faltering in this respect.

Asiyah is one of the world’s women who are praised by God in the Holy Qur’an. She is given a lofty position in paradise by Allah.

She was the first woman in the world whose faith was perfect. She lived in Pharaoh’s castle, replete with corruption. She kept her faith secret for years, worshipping God behind closed doors.

When Pharaoh, the tyrant, mercilessly murdered Mashitah, Hazqil’s wife, Asiyah became aware of many secrets behind the scenes: She saw the angels come and take Mashitah’s soul to the heavens with a lot of respect.

This observation added to her belief and she grieved over Pharaoh’s tyrannies. At that time Pharaoh met Asiyah, telling her about the murder of Hazqil’s wife.

Then Asiyah lost her patience, shouting at Pharaoh: How miserable you are! How insolent and proud you are! You take pride in your unjust government: you are in fact, adding to your sins every minute. For sure, you will meet with a great chastisement.

Pharaoh asked his wife: Are you suffering from the same mental disease that Mashitah was faced with?

Asiyah replied: No! I am not inflicted with any mental disorder; rather, now I believe in God Who has created you and me and the whole universe.

Since Pharaoh loved Asiyah, he tried to solve the issue more subtly. He summoned Asiyah’s mother, telling her that Asiyah was sick and that she should ask her daughter to abandon her belief.

Asiyah’s mother discussed the issue with her daughter, with no result. Pharaoh’s deceitful planning only added to Asiyah’s insistence on her belief. When Pharaoh realized this, he was extremely grieved. He tried, in vain, to convince Asiyah to believe in Pharaoh’s ideology. Asiyah paid no attention, however. She said:

“I would never abandon my beliefs and conviction. Now, I am a muslim; I believe in Moses’ God and I consider you as an infidel.

Pharaoh, then, ordered his executioners to put her body on a frame with four nails on the corners and stretch her body. It was a horrific torture. That is why the Holy Qur’an calls her “a person with nails”

Asiyah was an icon of courage and perseverance. She tolerated all means of torture. She never showed any sign of weakness. She never got frightened. She always relied on God. She asked Him for assistance. Nobody else she ever trusted. Finally Asiyah got martyred due to excessive tortures.[5]